The Mine That Wasn't: A Spokane Man's $5,000 Hole in the Ground
C. P. O'Brien swears he was sold a fourth interest in the O.K. mine for $5,000 — a claim that turns out to have no ore, no ledge, and no existence at all. Clerks, businessmen and a woman stenographer say they were fleeced too.
Spokane, July 1 — Sensational allegations of mine salting brought out today a suit against Charles Crossman by C. P. O'Brien. O'Brien is a well-known Spokane citizen and mining manager of the O.K. mine, in the Trail Creek district. He charges Crossman with willfully selling him a fourth interest in a worthless mine for the sum of $5,000 — a mine that was not properly located, had no existence, and where the ore was salted. Examination showed that business men, clerks and a woman stenographer were also said to have been victimized for from $400 to $1,000 cash.
“He charges Crossman with willfully selling him a fourth interest in a worthless mine for the sum of $5,000 — a mine that was not properly located, had no existence, and where the ore was salted.”
Mining fraud was the cryptocurrency scam of 1895: a hole in the ground, a pinch of planted ore, and a convincing salesman. Spokane's mining district was young and lightly regulated, so a salted claim could be sold to clerks and stenographers before anyone assayed it. The pattern — a plausible insider, a too-good return, and victims who can least afford it — is unchanged.
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