The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-21
RAID PROMOTERS.
Federal Officers SWOOp Down on
Firm of Burr Brothers.
Charge 1t With Fraudulent Use
of the Mails.
HAVE SOLD STOCKS
Amounting to Between $4O,-
100000 and $5O,OOO,OOO.
Companies Are Mostly Out of
Business or Bankrupt.

ItllS AFTERNOON ralQed the Off1ceS Oc-
cupied by Burr Brothers, a corporation
dealing in stocks and other securities.
The raid was made on warrants charg-
ing the use of mails to defraud in
vestors. Postoffice officials say the
concern has sold to investors at par
value between SAC, ,OOO 600 and $4,000, 900
of stock in various companies, most of
which have gone out of existence, or
become bankrupt.
The warrants were issued by United
States Commissioner Shields and Of
ficerS of the corporation were arrest
ed and it's books and papers seized.
Postmaster General Hitchcock and
Robert S. Sharpe, chief 'postoffice in
spector, came here from Washington to
see that the raid was carried out sue
cessfully.
The officers arrested were Sheldon c.
Burr, president; Frank H. Tobey, vice
president, and Eugene H. Burr, secra-
tary and treasurer. Arrests are ex-
pected to be made in Cleveland, Chi
cago, Los Angeles and San Francisco,
where the corporation has extensive Of
fees
Postoffice officials have been working
on the case for months. Hundreds of
complaints have been made by in
vestors who charge they have been
swindled through false representations
being realized by those who put their
money into the various oil. timber.
copper, lead, zinc and gold companies
Before criminal action could be taken
postoffice inspectors had to get legal
evidence as to the standing and af-
fairs of the companies which the Burr
Brothers were promoting. This inquiry
necessitated visits by government ex-
perts to mines and other properties in
distant parts of the country.
List of Their Schemes.
After the raid Postmaster General
Hitchcock gave out a memorandum
concerning the Burr brothers which
| in 1907 was incorporated with a capi-
| tai of 100000, later increased to
$30o,000. The memorandum states that
among other companies, the Burr
brothers are selling the stocK of the
Buick Oil company, a concern with
/ $4,000 capital. The memorandum
further states:
They have also organized the fol-
| lowing oil companies:
Carolina consolidated, capitalized
at $1,OOO.OOO.
"Coalinga Alladin, capitalized at ST.
600, 200.
/ ''Kern-Western, capitalized at $780,
New York-Coaling, capitalized at
"Coalinga crude oil, capitalized at
100000.
s.Peopie's Associated Oil company
capitalized at $1,00O,000.
''All the stock in these companies
has been sold except portion of the
two first named and the greater por-
ton of the money has evidently gone
into the hands of Burr Brothers, in
corporated.
while all the companies are still in
existence, none save the first four
i at,
ent time.
"The Burr Brothers have also or
ganized, promoted and sold the stock
in the following mine companies:
"Rawhide Tarantula, capitalized at
| $1,000,0O0.
t'Montezuma Mining and SIN citing,
capitalized at $1,000,00O.
| Golden Fleece Mining Milling and
Refining company. capitalized at
100000.
| All Out of Existence.
practically the entire stock in
these companies has been sold to the
public and at the present time all have
gone out of existence.
''The Burr Brothers have also or
ganized, promoted and sold the stock
of the following companies:
/ "Ellmere Farm of Michigan.
J California Eucalyptus Timber COM
pany, capitalized at $1,000, 900 and the
| New Amsterdam Securities company
| with capital of 100000 which was Ia
ter merged with the Burr Brothers in
corporated.
"They have also sold large amounts
of stock in the Red Top Mining and
Leasing company, capital $L000,00
i Long Beach, Mexico. and Arizona
Mining company, capital S1,500,000
Nevada Goldfeld Mining. Milling
| and Smelling company, capital $5,000.000
United Standard Lead and Zinc, cap
| ita1 s1,000,000.
Florence Consolidated Mining and
Leasing company, capital 81. 100000.
| Round Mountain Central Mining,
capital $1,000.000.
"Cobalt-Portage Mine company,
capital $1,0O0,000.
and Smelters company, capital $5,-
| 100000.
"Arfzona Copper, Gold Mine COM
pany, capital $1,50O,000.
/ "Searchlight Gamma Gold Mining
company, capital $1,000,000.
''Holcomb Automatic Engine com
pany capital $5,000,000.
Cottonwood Copper company, cap
ital $1,000,000.
"All of these companies are out OF
! existence.
/ Companies Still Alive.
They have sold stock in the Hap
py Jack Copper Mining and Develop
ing company, capital 100000.
/ yukon Basin Gold Dredging com
pany, capital $1,000, 600.
Toledo Wabash and St Louis rail.
road capital $4,000, 900.
.'Chicago-New York Electric All
line railroad. capital $4,000 900 il
connection with the cooperative con
struction company capital $1,000, 900
1.-The latter named companies are
in existence now.
They also sold the stock OF the Vital
company, 100000 corporation which 1