New-York tribune., 1920-06-25
Il Firms, 81
Men Indicted
For Oil Fraud
Fake Deals Which May
Involve Millions Laid
to Brokers, Statesmen
and Company Officials
Cases Based Upon
Misuse of Mails
Accused Include L. C.. Van
Ripper, CIR. Morton, J.L.
McLeanandH. Nj. Pollok

Mclean ana I'll. wi. OiIOk
Dealings in alleged worthless oil
..o,ks resulted yesterday in the ir-
dctnlent By Federal grand jury Of
four oil companies. eight brokerage
firms and ffty-one individuals, the
latter being either officers or statesmen
Of the indicted concerns. The indict-
nents handed up to Federal Judge
Grubb cover alleged fake deals which
may involve millions or dollars. All
the defendants are charged with using
the mails to defrsud.
The only arraignment under the in
dictments yesterday was that of Lewis
C. Van Ripper, who pleaded not guilty.
Van Ripper was rerresented by Martin
" Littleton. Captain jerome Sim
mons, who with Henry E. Kelley. As
sistant United States District Attor-
ney. prepared the indictments. asked
iudge Grubb to fix Van Riper's bail
a; $4,000. Mr.. Littleton objected to
his on the ground that it would be
;antamount to punishment and sug-
cssted that his client was without as
.ets and would be compelled to de
oend upon his friends to finance a
surety company in providing the
warranty
Captain Simmons replied that he
doubted if bail of $4,000 would pre-
sent Van Ripper from leaving. Judge
Grubb. after discussion with counsel.
ION and John L. Mclean, Jointly in
dcted with Van Ripper and the Ranger
Oil Company. and represented by Mr..
Littleton will be brought into court a
o'clock this afternoon to furnish bail
Of $4,000 each. Unit. that hour Van
,iper is paroled in the custody of his
counsel to raise the $4,000 bail.
Arrests in Other States
Certified copies Of the five indict-
ments will be sent al once by the gov
srnment to California, Texas. Kentucky
I'D Kansas. where various individual
iefendants reside, in order to obtain
'beir immediate arrest.
nostoffice inspectors Howard B. May
sew, Oliver B. Williamson Charles
tlarahan and Edward Schwab and coy
red nearly year.
The oil companies indicted were the
Ranger Oil Company the Great Wes
ern Petroleum Corporation, the w.
?. Williams Oil Corporation and the
Crown Oil Company. all of which have
ceen doing business in this city.
The brokerage firms indicted are the
United States Securities Co., the Cur
s Packer Co., George A. Lamb &
Co., Greenbaum, Bigelow & Co., H.
Kent Holmes & Co, and Thompson,
James & Co., all of which do business
N this city.
officers of these oil and brokerage
.9mpanies and statesmen of their stocks
gho were individually indicted are:
Lewis c Van Riper, Charles R. Nor
an, John L. Mclean and Ashley T.
aclbrook who were indicted with the
Danger Oil Co, and United States Sc
.arlties Co, on eleven counts The
lavestlgatlon in this case started last
January.
Eighteen Counts Against Group
George A. Lamb, president of George
4. Lamb e. Co; Samuel Fomund. David
" Rothensies. Joseph Schoenberger,
MANUEL Newhouse, Maurice NJ. Gold
sfg, George de Uifalussy, Victor Fuzzy,
.. l. Pyke, NJ. Klien. Charles Fried
sarg and S. Granbart, stock statesmen,
Idicted Jointly with the Great West
IN Petroleum Corporation and George
Lamb & Co. on eighteen counts
samuel NJ. Greenbaum, president Of
s'eenbaum, Bigelow &, Green baum;
aouls b. Bigelow, William Greenbaum,
.naries Baraban, Samuel Roth, A. Z.
ayborn, L. Robinson, J. II. Alperin
shd Moses" Pearl, all indicted on ten
counts, after an investigation which
commenced In Septem Der, 1919
Joseph H. Byrd, Thaddeus s. Rice,
ld.ard NJ. Henshaw, Hunter NJ. Shu-
aa'e William ?. Williams, j. w.
ssaas.ncers, John ]. Kean, II. Morgan
rreliok. William H. Day, Daniel H. Nc
nas.rlck, H. Kent Holmes, William 4.
aehron, Robert Stickney, John V. Col
aoagn, Edward J. Nelson, John A. Mel
nn, ". H. Havlin, Alexander r. Gross
nan, frank Werner and William Evl,
81 indicted with the Williams Oil Cor
gp'at.on, Day-Pollok Company. H. Nor
,ae Po"ok Co, H. Kent Holmes &
-. ana Thompson, James G. Co., on
'Sshty-seven counts.
sshjamn '. Hale, Charles D. Pratt,
H1,am 7. Williams, b X Dawson. Ed
,s'a n Fuller and ". T. McGec, joint
"olcted With The Crown Oil Com
- On twenty counts after an investi-
y. 1917. " '''- " 'O' ''' Ia y ~
Twenty-Five Are New Workers
c.u" VINO are residents Of New York
b. among thts individual list the
I =. ..,''is' Attorneys Office did not state
=, ia understood that at least tween
%'e o them belong here. Among
-. mps- prominent are mentioned
~ :. Van Ripper. Charles K. Nor
~, ~ 5ohn l.. Mclean. George A. Lamt
n. Morgan POLLOK.
IN hiper ~as declared a bankrupt
i me ni'ed States District Court ir
4 ast., ' ~, Nith liabilities Of approxf.
! - 100000, $1,000 Of which were
.asrfsd during the Goldneld. Nov.
Ing excitement, when he entered
NJ w'motion game on large scalc
~ u SOW York from Chicago IL
~ sifer ne had been indicted il
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