Evening star., 1922-02-14
MILLIONS INVOLVED
IN ALLEGED FRAUDS
Chicago Investigating Third
Case Developed in Raids
by Authorities.
Ny The 4 Assnciaicd prnsx

Ey the Associated Press.
'hh AGO, February 14-Investiga-
'i"h Of the dealings Of the Western
i-ahd Operators Company, the third
concern raided by authorities within
'firee days. and believed by them to
nave swindled forefgn-borp citi-s,.
OF more than sI.5G0.00O, was under
agents.
Nthin three days gigantic alleged
Nindies totaiing approximately Sc
,top'VVo' according TO estimates by Of
iictFs, were disclosed with the arrest
Saturday Of Raymond J. Bischofe and
me arrests yesterday of three en-
l'i"|cS OF the Western Land Operators
Ass"ciaiion and three employees OF
the american Novaculite Company,
Leslie harrington. said by police TO
be the moving spirit in the affairs of
4 inc American Novaculite COMPANY,
and Charles Trnich and Charles
! IhiiipS, general manager and presi-
dent OF the Western Land Operators
police
The raid on the Offices Of the West
ern Land Operators Company was
m2de last night upon the complaint
oi sidney Banes. attorney. represent
ing 200 creditors. The police believed
they had established a connection be-
Harrington, and now think that the
Western Land Operators Company
was connected with the other two and
that the three Were operating huge
swindles jointly. The Investigators
Indicated today that the total losses
to the families who invested their
savings in the companies may run
much higher than the figure now set
as SG,J0G.000.
The raids and arrests followed the
Is-.a, ina I5c..l LaII 1nF TyrH Htya
Lands yesterday and in which Bis
choff admitted knowing Harrington
aud Sd id he had loaned Harrington
money on several occasions.
Rapid Rise in Finance.
Harr:ngton's rise in high finance
was even more rapid than that Of
R:Schof. the government lnvestiga-
tors said. Starting when he was
practically pcnniless, and upon the
suggestion of two former attaches OF
HisChof who wanted TO use him as
a fgurehead for their own benefit in
organizing an Independent company,
the agents said. be obtained desk
room IN the Office of an attorney, but
his business grew TO such propor-
tions that in month he had es-
taHliShed his own Office.
He hiret! many of Bischoff's own
men. paying them more money, and
rented quite at a large hotel re-
Gently. they said. He attracted much
attention Jh3 nhSglNlns ana CHRIST
mas. when lie gave dinners to 200
overseas men. Last July he gave A
Lithuanian picnic. which was attended
by 10000 persons
At meeting OF Harrington's forty
field agents last sunday. a Lithuanian
policeman. who is said to have in
vested s. 900 in Harrington notes,
fred several shots into the ceiling
and departed with 5000 in cash.
Luke Byrne. $50 a week president
of the $4,000 900 concern. and Thomas
Moran, secretary. met Harrington at
a dinner, they said, and later were
given positions.
I'VE never knew much about the
business" Byrne said. "All we did
was to keep the books and write let
ters AT Harrington's direction. All
the money was taken in by him and
dapos;terl by him"
NJ z. West. arrested in Aurora, COL
IN connection. with the Western Land
Operators Company investigation, is
said 10 have started his venture here
last August. To the investor he held
forth an attractive proposition, which
would yield 100 per cent in six
months. they said. His regular in
terest rate was 81 monthly on 500.