Evening star., 1935-11-01
INDICTED
IN ALLEGED FRAUD
NETTING $5OO,0(I)
Thomas J. Wightman Is
Charged With SWindle
in Oil Royalties.
13 OTHERS ARE NAMED
IN GRAND JURY REPORT
Washington Believed Headquar-
ters for Far-Flung Organization
Operating Over Many Years.

Thomas ]. Wightman, head OF the
U. S. Royalties Exchange. with Offices
here, in Oklahoma City and New York,
was indicted today by the District
grand jury as the ringleader of an
organization alleged 10 have defraud-
ed hundreds of investors of more than
half a million dollars through the
sale of oil royalties during the past
three years.
At the same time. officials identi-
fed Wightman as Lewis c. Van Ripper.
whose name has figured prominently
in newspaper headlines il connec-
ton with various enterprises during
the past 35 years. His Wall street
brokerage Offices in New York were
the scene of sensational police raid
in 1900 and since that time authorities
frequently have had occasion to IN
vestigate his affairs.
In July, 1905, he was publicly ac-
cused of connection with the cotton
futures bribery case. which resulted III
the dismissal Of high Agriculture De
partment official and achieved wide
spread publicity. Twenty years later
he was sentenced to five years in the
Federal penitentiary at Atlanta 10"
his part in the well-known Parco Cl
case
Fourteen Are Named.
Fourteen men in all were named hv
the jury in todays report, which had
not been expected for several days.
since presentation of evidence in the
case began only Monday. Seven Of
those charged operated here, which al
legedly was headquarters for a busi-
ness extending throughout the entire
Eastern section of the country.
The indictment was in 10 counts,
the first 18 charging use of the mails
to defraud, and the last alleging con-
Spiracy to use the mails to defraud.
All defendants are charged in ali
counts. After naming IA alleged vic
Tins, the jurors stated that others who
had been mulcted through activities
of the sales organization were too nu-
merous to mention"
Besides Wightman, those charged
we're:
Charles Wightman. his son. who
worked in the Washington office.
c. Reese Warde, Office manager here
of the United States Royalties Ex-
change.
D. NJ. Ryan, with Offices in the
Denrike Building. who is alleged to
have been associated with Wightman
in the sale of royalties.
A. C. Montell, jr,, president of the
National Realty Valuation Corp. of
New York City. said to have issued
certificates 70 United States Royalties
purporting to guarantee appraisals OF
oil leases.
Geologist Indicted.
Chauncey H. Black, consulting
geologist and petroleum engineer IF
Oklahoma City, who is alleged to have
written misleading reports on proper
ties for Wightman as sales propa-
ganda
E. C. Clay and J. c. Verser, presi-
dent and secretary-treasurer, respec-
lively, of the VerSer-Clay Co. Of Okla
homa City, one of the largest oil
royalty firms in that section. They are
alleged to have furnished practically
all the royalties which Wightnan sold
j. Bolton, John Perry and Bruno
Cohn. alias B. Cole. statesmen fol
United States Royalties working out OF
Washington.
Louis Natelson, Boston, Mass, sales
man for United States Royalties.
John Zimmerman. Brunnersville
Pa. salesman for the same concern,
H. A. Nichols, Pettus, Tex, an employe
of the Verser-Clay Co.
The indictment today was the re.
suit of an investigation extending ovel
more than year by Postal inspectors
Maurice Foster and L. P. Love anc
several months of work by Horace H
Hagen, Tulsa, Okla, attorney, who
was appointed special assistant tt
(See INDICTMENTS Page 81