The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-05-16
PLAYED HIGH GAME
IN SALT LAKE CITY
Sidney LasceIles Posed Here as
Lord BeresfOrd Hope"
in 1905.
LIVED HIGH FOR A TIME
AND THEN DISAPPEARED
His Death Recently Was RepOr-
ted at Asheville n. c.;
Reads Like Romance.

Sidney Lascelles, whose deeds are
better known in Salt Lake City than
his home, is dead, having departed this
life at Asheville, n. c., few days ago.
His death ends the career of ''Lord
Beresford Hope, the erstwhile
financial star of the West, DR., Ar
mold Kingsley" OF Denver, "Sidney
Asquith'' of the South. and numerous
others, for Lascelles juggled with
names and pocketbooks and revclled
In aliases. Swindling has been his
life study, and he remained true to
his profession, for his last decd was
to swindle the doctors and nurses who
ministered to him during his fatal i'll
ness.
The life story of this bogus English
lord reads more like n romance than
chronicle of real events. Since he
reached his majority he had piled his
questionable avocaGion, and was
shadowcd all the while by sleuths. But
he always had the rare good fortune
of being able TO disappear at exactly
tho right time, and thus avoid ar
rest. Lasccllcs, or rather Hope, as
he was most frequently known, planned
some of the most stupendous hnan-
cial deals ever cogitated in this
country. and concerned himself but
little about getting the necessary
funds. Spurious British securities were
his stock in trade, and he always man
aged to borrow on the strength of
his appearance. his assumed name and
his check book. on which was en-
graved the crest Of the house of Beres-
ford
Appeared in Salt Lake.
At Salt Lake he first came into
prominence in the fall of 1905. when
he inquired here concerning opportuni.
ties for the investment of British
capital. He remained here only a few
days. but again appeared during the
following February. Money bong only
q minor consideration, he Immediately
secured an option on the Bingham Cop.
per Glance, and established his head.
quarters in a room in the ID. L, Walker
building.
Later, after he had negotiated for
numerous mines, he called on Joseph
+ Smith for the purpose of buying the
street railway system. After the con"
ference he announced that the rail
way system would be taken over by
big traction company which he was
organizing. He next conferred with
David Eccles and, according TO his
version of the interview. arranged for
ihe transfer OF the Ogden Rapid
Transfer company's property to the
traction company. Meanwhile he had
convinced local business men that he
represented the British.American Sc
curities company. Limited - of Lon
don, a magnanimous s50,000o00 corpo-
ration, which be said was financing his
deals.
Having heard of the possibilities of
barnessing the Shoshone. he made
trip 10 Idaho, and became interested
in the Shoshone Power company.
Here he conceived the plan to con
struct an electric railway from Juab
county. Utah, to Oneida county, Idaho,
and generate the power for the system
at the Shoshone plant. Articles of
Incorporation were prepared under the
name of the Interstate Consolidated
Railroad company, and among the
names of the incorporators appeared
those OF some Of the most prominent
local and Eastern fnanciers His next
tional Trust company" to handle the
railroad company's securities.
Frenzted Ftnancier.
Lord Hope, 50 energies were not
devoted entirely to the insignificant
deals mentioned above, for while these
were In progress others were being
consummated. For instance, he had
undertaken the Aotation Of s500,000
bonds for the improvement of the Og-
den Rapid Transit system; he had
agreed TO secure the necessary $500
600 for financing the Western Coal
and Coke company: he had agreed to
secure $l50,00o for enlargiug Silver
Bros. iron works; he had under
taken TO supply several hundred
thousand dollars to the Crystal Lime
and Cement company; had made ar.
company's mines at 100000. and had
arranged to supply untold sums TO two
real estate firms which he had
organized.
The brilliant fnancier secured much
money from the Utah men as advances
on commissions TO secure money for
them. One Of his methods of inspiring
confidence was TO have exposed to the
view OF those who consulted him
numerous letters on letter heads of
the fictitious securities company II
was afterward learned that he wrote
these letters to himself In fact.
this proved his uudoing. for his
stenographer became apprehensive and
made the scheme known about three
weeks after he had gone to Boston for
the avowed purpose of meeting one of
the officers of the great London COM
pany, Meanwhile a draft on Hope IS
account at Boston had not been hon
ored.
When he was interviewed in Boston
he smiled charitably and said that he
had not engaged in any crooked work
bur that the reports TO that effect