South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1913-07-11
People of South Bend Who
Bought Stock Are Divided
as to Opinion of Man Who
Offered Mine For Sale.
COMP ANY PAID ONE
DIVIDEND IN 1906
Marvin Campbell, Who Pur-
chased Some Shares, Says
Purchase of Goods Was
Merely a Business Mistake.


Whether Abner Giffn, incarcerated
at Laporte on the charge of mulcting
northern Indiana. southern Michigan
and Ohio people out of an aggregate
sum of 500 600 on gold mining stock
near Seattle, Wash. started out with
that intention is a question.
According 20 some who have held
some of the stock, and do yet they
believe that Giffin ct the time he first
appeared in South Bend about eight
years ago was on the square. He
actually believed he had a first class
gold mine and that after the proper
amount OF money had been spent in
bringing il into being, would net good
results But apparently the mine
either "petered out" or not enough
money was on hand TO continue oper-
ating ii. and in desperate circum
stance Giffn was possibly driven to
employ methods not exactly on the
level believing that in the end he
could come out ahead and meet all
his obligations.
In an effort to get a possible ink
ling as 10 the mans real motives.
Marvin Campbell, president of the
Folding Paper Box Co and South
Bend National bank. who at the time
Giffin first appeared, bought some
of the stock. was approached for a
statement Mr. Campbell al first re-
fused 30 talk on the matter over the
telephone, but later issued a state
ment. In il he confessed to having
purchased some stock from Giffn but
that he disposed of il after he dis
covered the mine was not panning
out as promised. Mr.. Campbell eX-
planned the buying of stock by many
of the city's business men as merely
a business mistake"
Mr.. Campbell's Statement.
In his statement given TO the News
Times Mr.. Campbell said:
AS TO whether Mr. Gifhn is honest
I do not know. / did buy a small
amount of his stock about eight years
ago. / sold il all not a great while
after 10 a Chicago broker. when |
found he was not developing with the
rapidity promised. With three other
men I visited his mine near Seattle.
Wash. He had a we'll equipped saw
mill for getting out lumber. He had
a horse car track from the mines to
a warehouse at the railroad. This
warehouse was well filled at the time
with ore. tie had a well equipped
and we'll kept boarding house at the
mines and several miners at work.
We stayed at the mines one night and
two days
He showed smelter receipts for
good many cars OF ore. the receipts
giving the amount paid for the ore. 1t
indicated good ore. He seemed TO lack
money for proper equipment OF road
bed. cars and an engine to take ore
TO the railroad. We made inquiry of
"A n a
as 10 Mr. Gifhn's standing. The uni
form statement was confidence in his
integrity and purpose.
After we came home the South
Bend stockholders wanted 10 know
what we had seen and we told them
without any advice or recommends
ton Indeed. / distinctly recall that
two young men called at my office and
asked if I had bought stock. I said,
Yes, a small amount They said,
DO YOU advise us TO buy2' 1 said,
Can YOU afford to lose it, They
said. No. I then said, Don't buy
it. Don't buy any mining stock if
YOU can't afford a total loss. for all
mines not fully developed are uncer-
tain. They did not buy.
Doubtful as To GifRn.
Al the time / thought Mr. Gifhn
honest At this time l have no opin-
ion, for as stated above, 1 sold out
long ago and have had no touch with
him. That he has not done what he
promised is certain. He may have
done the best ne could.
AS 10 whether the mine property
worked would pay ] do not know. In
fact, j have no opinion. / do know
that many men who have been in close
contact with IL did for a long time
think IL a good mine and insisted that
I made a mistake 10 sell because il
did not develop with the promised ra-
pidity What l saw of Mr.. Giffn
would make me think ne started out
with intentional honesty AS 10
whether he afterwards deviated from
that I do not know
According 20 report. South Bend
people who are said 10 have pur-
chased stock from Gifin are as fol-
lows. Marvin Campbell, John Camp
bell. l.. II. RulO, A 3. France. DR.. L.
S. Kilmer. DR.. L. r. Dean. Noah Leh-
man. Mrs. Henry Heinzman. Mrs. Re
becca Rasp. Judge Walter A. Funk.
DR. J. A. Narier. DR.. Charles Narier.
DR. Walter a. Hager. George Hager.
Charles Brodheck. Frank Brodbeck.
William r Brown. DR.. +. Z. Moore.
Capt. and Mrs. Edwin Near and Her
man Babst.
Here Eight Years Ago.
II appears Gifhn was in South Bend
eight years ago. stock held by L. H.
RulO is dated Nov. 25. 1905. No COM
pany was formed. all stock being
bought direct from Giffn II also ap-
pears that during the first year fol-
lowing the sale OF stock dividends
were paid. Mr. Rulo stated Thursday
night that he had received a six per
cent. dividend. Mr. Campbell also
stated that a dividend was paid the
nrst year