The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-07
TUCKER ARRESTED
Uncle Sam Oil Company Pro-
mOter in Tolls.
Gives Bond Today for Using
Mails to Defraud.

Acting upon indictments returned by
the federal grand jury in Topeka dur
ing last April, H. H. Tucker Jr., AL
bert L. Wilson. his attorney,and James
A. Fleming, manager of the properties
of the company under the trustees,
were arrested last evening in Kansas
City. Kansas, by United States Mar
shall Mackey.
Indictments on two counts were re-
turned by the grand jury at the time
against each of the three men, the one
count citing the use of the mails to
defraud and the second conspiracy
to defraud.
Each gave bond in the sum of $1,000,
the bond having been fixed long in adj
vance at $500 by Judge Amidon when
he was presiding at the term of court
here. The matter of arrest was held
in allegiance until the trial on the first
indictment had come to a conclusion
and for this reason was not made until
this time.
This indictment is based on entirely
new charges said H. ]. Bone, United
States district attorney. During jan
uary Tucker caused a circular letter 10
be drawn up and sent around to the
stockholders announcing an assess
| ment of 4 per cent and containing a
threat that the stock would be forfeit
ed if the assessment was not paid. A
number of the stockholders complained
about this to me and cited that the
stock had been sold to them on repre-
sentation that it was not assessable
| and also that the laws of Arizona I'M
der which it was organized provided
| that it should be worcestershire. Based
on those complaints a fraud order was
| issued in March. This circular letter
| of fuckers was accompanied by legal
| opinion of Wilson's that the assess
I r,,ar 1aQa1 and also nv a letter
from Fleming giving glowing account
< of what could be made out of the COM
pany. These charges as l said have
nothing to do with those tried out once
| before The case is not as intricate as
| the one pushed before and should be
| concluded during the October term of
| the court at Leavenworth. The QueS-
| ton raised should be comparatively
| easy to prove.
! A. L. Wilson is resident of Missouri
and the United States marshal wa
| compelled to wait until his man came
| to the Kansas side before he could
place him under arrest.
1t is estimated that about 100000 had
| been paid in to Tucker under the as
| sessment plan up to March and OF
| course the amount has corresponding
| w grown since that time, the mail con-
| tanning the subscriptions since the
| fraud order was directed against Tuck
err having been delivered to the trus-
| tees.
Mr.. Tucker made the following state
| ment concerning the arrest:
| Il have become SO much accustomed
to surprises in the oil business that
| this latest move in no way disconcerts
me and will make no difference in the
plans of the Uncle Sam Oil company.
| The charges are ridiculous. to say the
least. The charge in the indictment re-
lates to the collection of the assess
ment of s4S0,o00 which was voted by
the stockholders for the purpose or
paying off the bonded debt of the COM
pany, taking the matter out of court,
completing the pipe line. building
paraffine plant and to establish dis
| tributing stations in three or four
western states The Tulsa refinery Is
also to be started with this money. II
is charged there is conspiracy be-
| tween Albert L. Wilson, James A.
Fleming and myself to collect this
| money so I can appropriate it to my
| self"
Mr.. Wilson said: THE charges are
eroundless. We can show where every
| cent of the money was used. There
was no plan to defraud and no one was
defrauded."