The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-11-10
PLASS IN BOSTON.
Washburn's Ex-President Was
Arraigned on Serious Charge.
His Preliminary Trial Is Being
Held Today in Boston.
MAKES HIS DEFENSE.
History of Case Is Told by Bos-
ton Newspaper.
Federal Government Will Push
MAKES HIS DEFENSE.
Federal Government Will Push
Case on Fraud Charges.

many TopekanS are interested in the
troubles of Rev. Norman Plass, presi-
dent of Washburn college, who was
arrested few days ago in connection
with the fraud charges against a
western investment company. The fol-
lowing account of Rev. Mr.. Plass ar
raignment and the incidents connected
with his return to Boston and his de-
Tense Of the charges against him is
printed in the Boston Traveller this
week:
The Rev. Mr.. Plass was Immediately
arraigned before United States Com
missioner Hayes on the charge of
operating a scheme to defraud through
the use of the United States mails. He
pleaded not guilty, and a hearing was
arranged for his case next Thursday
morning.
Bail was fixed in the sum of $4,000.
and Peter F. McKenna Of Woburn and
Robert Bartlett of Somerville were the
clergyman's sureties.
Mr.. Plass was accompanied to the
federal building by his attorney, Fran
els M. Carroll Mr.. Carroll stated that
at no time during Mr.. Plass' absence
from Boston was he seeking to evade
Justice. Mr.. Carroll said:
When the offices of the Redeemable
Investment company were raided Mr..
Plass was on his way west on a mis-
sion, and he knew nothing about his
being sought by the federal officials
until he arrived in British Columbia
HE, at that time, announced that he
would return and aid the authorities to
straighten out any matters upon which
the government wanted infOrma ton
and he has fulfilled that promise"
When the magnificent offices of the
Redeemable Investment company we're
raided and the manager, Charles H
Brooks, was arrested, it was found that
the Rev. Norman Plass. who had been
the head of the company and whose
name as president was still in gold On
the doors, was absent from Boston.
The federal authorities said then that
they wanted Mr.. Plass
mediatelv his ATTORNEYS Carroll
and Five of the Kimba Il building, mott
fled District Attorney French that they
would communicate with Mr. Plass,
who had gone to British Columbia on j
business trip, to come back They also
notified Mr.. French that they would
give him every aid in Strengthening out
the affairs Of the company. The en-
tire amount of stock sold in the COM
pany was but $103, 900.
kilograms were sent flying across the
continent by Carroll and Flye and
finally Mr.. Plass was reached at a
hotel in Victoria. He, too. sent back
word that he was on a business trip
and would be back in Boston as soon
as he had completed the deal concern
ing timber lands which he had been
carrying on for some months.
Mr.. Plass, 1t is understood, arrived
in Boston last night and spent the
night with his family. This morning
he came to Boston and went at once
to the offices of his attorneys.
Gave Up Preaching.
Plass was minister who gave up
preaching to enter the field of bust
ness. He was a Williams graduate
and classmate of Richard Ballinger,
secretary of the interior. Ballinger
was one of the men whose names Plass
used as endorsement of the Redeem
able Investment company.
Plass spent some time teaching, and
for while was the president of the
Washburn college at Topeka, Kansas.
Then he began his business career.
/ He came to Boston several years ago
and purchased a beautiful home at
Newton. At that time he was inter-
ested in a lumber project in the Cana
dian northwest, which he called the
Norman Plass Lumber company. He
succeeded in interesting his friend, the
Rev. c. A. Vincent, of the Walnut Ave-
nue. church. in Roxbury, in the COM
panv, and later the Rev. A. 2. Conrad
of the Park Street church.
Then he began to organize COM
pany to develop Saskatchewan wheat
lands. DR.. A. q. Conrad and the Rev.
Vincent entered this undertaking with
him, which was called the Pavinco
Wheat Land company.
Finally came the Redeemable In
vestm ent company. The company had
elegantly furnished Off1ceS in the Fed
eral building. Mr.. Plass became presi-
dent of the company. Charles H.
Brooks was the manager. The COM
pany issued pamphlets describing the
land which it owned, and the profits
that would accrue from wheat and
lumber.
Redemption of Stock.
It also guaranteed redemption of
stock with per cent interest. The
circular read: 1.-THE redemption fund
furnishes a market for the stock on
demand at a price no less than the
price paid the company, together with
at least per cent for the time the
stock was issued
The investment fund was to grow
until 1t had reached the sum of $780,
| 900, which was then to be deposited in
the National Shawmut bank, there to
| lie as a guarantee of the solvency of
the company and its ability to appease
any dissatisfied investor by the imme-
| date refunding of the money.
| This was where the trouble started.
The government claimed that there
was no such fund. It claimed that the
| company was using the mails to de-
| fraud. On October IS. United States
marsha1s raided the office.
Two weeks before the Rev. Plass had
| left for the west on business. His
| family denied that he had left antici-
pating any trouble. and said that he
would return and straighten out what
| ever trouble there might be. It was
said that the Rev. Plass was in British
| Columbia. Later on Mr.. Plass' attor-
| neys stated that he would return.
|