The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-08-26
FRENCH NOT LINKED
WITH MAIL ROBBERY
Alleged Head of 4swindle Ring" Says
Millions in Notes Are
Worthless.
tHy The Associated Press,

CHICAGO, Aug. 25-At least a part
of the more than s9.oo0.00o in notes
seized in a Cleveland safety deposit
vault yesterday by federal agents are
nothing but scraps of paper" ac-
cording to Charles w. French, alleged
head of a $4,000 900 "swindle ring
who is a prisoner in the county jail
here.
The notes. particularly those of the
Master Tire and Rubber Company. of
Dayton, Ohio, are neither signed,
sealed, nor stamped. French said to-
day They were prepared under a
contract which provided for their is
suance as needed IN the development
Of the company. he declared but the
contract was never carried out.
Scouting the idea that Colonel John
Clinnin, assistant United States dis
trict attorney, has any evidence of
irregularities against him, the So
year-old promoter of score or more
Of ''big business enterprises, Switch
the government contends never passed
beyond the paper stage,-repeate
former declarations that the district
attorney is an honest, but much mis-
led man.
French. who claims San Diego. Cali
fornia, as his home, told his side Of
the story Of the Pacific Trust Com
pany, of Missouri,-describes by Colo
mel Clinnin as "tin box" organiza-
ton whose only equipment was a
metal bond box, a note for $50. 600. a
piece of paper signed by seven men
and the charter of a defunct company.
According to French the Pacific
Trust Company Is financial waif
which never had a home and never
did public business" The charter.
he said was purchased for him and
his associates by John w Worthing-
ton, now under indictment in connec-
ton with mail robberies totalIing S.
100000 Denying that he had any con-
nection with Worthington's projects,
French declared the charter purchase
was only an ordinary business deal
Alva Harshman, F'rench's private
secretary, who yesterday led federal
agents to the hiding place of approx
mateIy s3o0o,o00 in notes in securities
at Milwaukee is treasurer OF the trust
company, French said and on Harsh |
man, who has turned states evidence, |
he placed responsibility for the affairs
of the Missouri organization.
The Pacific Trust Company, accord |
ing to French. held six or seven hum
dred thousand dollars worth of notes
of 2. w. Davis, Cleveland and Canton
financier and automobile company di- |
rector.
Among notes surrendered by Harsh
man, federal agents found 100000 of |
the Davis notes; $1,25o,000 in notes
of the trust company, and four notes
OF a quarter of a million dollars each /
bearing Harshman's own signature
and endorsed by him as treasurer of
the Development Securities Company,
Of Milwaukee, another of the alleged
"tin box" French organizations.
Asked If the millions of dollars in
notes seized from himself and his as
seizures already total be-
tween twenty and thirty million dol
lars. are gold French replied that was
/ question of interest only to the banks
Or. individuals who purchased them.
French denied the existence Of 20E
companies with reported capitaliza-
ion of $21, 0oO, 900, which Col. Clinnin
believes he organized and sold stock
n.
81 never sold share of stock in my
ife." French declared.
Several more arrests before the case
IS completed were indicated today when
Colonel Clinnin announced that warrants
had been asked for a number of men.
It was reported that the French investi
cation has led to a band engaged in the
alteration mad sale of stolen liberty bonds
and that the arrests to be made are in
his connection.
No evidence, however. according to
Colonel Clinnin. links French and his as
sociates with the mail and bank robbery
bands of which Worthington is alleged
70 be head.