Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1912-12-21
MANY NEWARKERS
ON SUCKER LIST
Postal Authorities to Call Jer-
sey Victims to Testify
in Case.

Thousands of Newarkers are on
the famous sucker list taken by
postofflce inspectors in their raid
on the New York offices Of the Ster-
ling Debenture Corporation.
This concern is declared by Chief
Inspector w. w. Dickson ION a con-
servative estimate to have taken $1O,-
900, 900 from the American public in
the last five years by stock promo
tions.'
Against the seven men who were
arrested yesterday two New Jersey
victims will be called upon to give
testimony. They are Miss Sarah
Budd Kitchel, box Sc, Hanover, ana
Charles B. Cloud, box II, Woodbine,
N. j.
Glltterlng Promises.
Both are said to have been on the
Sucker list" and to have received
letters urging them to invest in the
Oxford Linen Mills, a Maine COM
pany, capitalized at $2,000,0 900, and
with a factory at North Brookfield,
Mass. The indictments found on
Thursday by the federal grand jury
are based specifically upon promo
tions of the Oxford stock. The Ster-
ling Debenture Corporation told in
vestors that it had a process by
which the mill was able to turn raw
flax straw from the fields into a
beautiful, perfectly bleached" linen
thread ready to be woven into the
finer napery within twenty-four
hours.
President Frank w. Shumaker,
founder of the corporation, went to
the Tombs in lieu of $4,000 bail. He
used to be a journeyman printer and
was for years book agent.
The Press Agent.
The Sterling put out literature"
that made the heads of other schemes
green with envy. 1t is alleged to
have been the work of Elwyn A. Bar
ron, author. playwright and essayist,
who was put under $4,000 bail. Bar
ron Is 81 years old. He used to be
dramatic critic for the Chicago Inter-
Ocean and was Paris correspondent
for the Chicago Times Herald.
The others under bail are Samuel
e. Findley, vice-president; Harry w.
Platt, treasurer; George H. Middle
brook, founder with Shumaker, and,
like him, former book agent; Will
bur NJ. Stone, patent attorney of 13
Park row, and Sidney Rosenbaum,
who has an office in the office of Ed
ward Lauterbach and was counsel for
the company. All resided in New
York, except Middlebrook, who opened
a $1O0. 900 mail order business in Chi
cago last year.
The Sterling Debenture Corporation
ran a get-rich- quick business that
has never been rivaled. Some esti-
mates of the profits reach as high
as s2O,000,000 and a sworn statement
for 1910 shows that the concern re-
ceived 100000 in commissions" for
the year.
The companies promoted numbered
seventeen, with total capitalization
of $3S, $50, 900. Among them was the
Telepost Company, which has had
much publicity.
The telepost is a device invented
by Patrick B. Delaney. of Vose ave-
nue., South Orange, and, according to
the glittering promises of the Ster-
ling Company, transmit kilograms at
/ 900 words minute.
A sinister Omen.
The fate of the building in which
the invention was made was sig
nificant and peculiar. 1t was moved
from Vose avenue, South Orange, to
Prospect street, where it now is used
as a morgue.
Other concerns promoted were the
Eastbrook Company, the Oxford
Linen Mattress Company, the Amer
lean Telegraphone Company, the Bos-
ton Securities Company, the National
Dictagraph Company and the Bart!ca
Rubber Company.
The Telepost Company is now said
to be on it's own feet and independ-
ent of the Sterling Debenture Cor
poration.