Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-15
GOLD MOTOR" "AFAKE TRIES MURDER AGAIN
Benson BdWeI Promoted Slayer OF Father Leo Makes
Big Company Desperate Break
NOW HE FACES THE JAIL NEARLY KILLS TRUSTY
Brother of the Famous Bank With
land Swindlers. Old Razor
GAME BETRAYED BY WOMAN HE IS FINALLY OVERPOWERED
No On
of
S225,o tions Had Been Taken
Benson BidWeIl Promoted a
Big Company.
NOW HE FACES THE JAIL
Brother of the Famous Bank of Eng.
land Swindlers.
GAME BETRAYED BY A WOMAN
Organizers Sold Their Own Stock to
Investors Instead of Treasury
stock-Got $225,ooo.

CHICAGO March 14-Benson RidWell
and his son. Charles F., promoters of the
Bidwell Electric Company. ''cold motor
concern. were found guilty of operating
q confidence game a penitentiary onense
When the jury first reported il returned
verdicts of guilty on two counts. one
for obtaining money by false pretenses
and the other for operating a confidence
game This amounted to two verdicts of
guilty against each defendant. and. over
instructed the jury that it could find the
Bidwens guilty only one count. A
half hour later the verdict finding the
aged inventor and his son guilty of op-
Grating a confidence game was returned
Benson Bidwell is a brother of George
and Austin Bidwell. who. it is said. came
near defrauding the Bank of England out
of sJ0Oo,O1O. He started the electric
company in 1876 He declared that he
had invented an electric motor that's would
not burn out. He also asserted that he
was the inventor of the trolley car and
of the electric fan.
Money Poured In.
Investors from all parts of the United
States answered his advertisements. send
ing to the company total of S22J,OOo.
according to the books of the concern.
Charles F. Bdwell. the son. was appoint
ed secretary and general manager of the
company The son received 366.O00 shares
of the 100000 stock of the concern.
1t is alleged by the prosecution that the
Bidwells sold their private stock in the
company to persons who thought that
they were buying treasury stock. This
allegation was supported at the trial by
Miss Ida c. Palmer. who had been en-
ployed as an assistant by Charles Bid
we'll In addition TO testifying against
her former employers, she turned over
10 the state secret stock book contain
ing the names of investors in the concern.
How the Thing Worked.
The state also brought forward expert
electricians who declared that the motor
invented by the elder Bidwell was i'm
practical. model of the motor was also
exhibited. In operating it. carbonic acid
gas was pumped into the apertures.
The expanding gas caused the outside of
the machine to be coated with frost, but
the state declared that the armature was
not affected and was as likely TO burn out
an ordinary motor. In support of this
contention Miss Palmer testified that dur
ing an exhibition of the machine at an
electrical exposition. the apparatus became
SO hot that smoke curled out of il and
that Charles Bidweil sat near the exhibit
blowing cigar smoke about il SO that spec
tators might not discover the real cause
of the fumes.
Bidwell Protests.
Benson BidwelI maintained throughout
the trial that he had invented a real
. motor and denounced the proceedings as
part of plot to wreck his company for
the benefit of rival concerns. He ac-
cused Miss Palmer of having sold the
company's secrets to its rival. His son
accused Miss Palmer of jealousy.
The case. which was based on a com
plaint by an investor i'm the COM
pany. was brought to trial on February
Il. Ii went to the jury before noon to
day. the verdict of guilty being found
after seven hours OF deliberaton. Sentence
will be passed later