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@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ Whey ethanol was then an established New Zealand industry: the technology for fe
Rutherford told *[[The Press]]* in 1984 that he had contacted "Stokowski" "after reading American advertisements about new technology," and that the man was "brilliant and hard working" and "trained unskilled men in skills from welding to more complex tasks." Horsch had obtained the post with a forged [[Stanford University]] transcript in Stokowski's name.[^1][^2] A New Zealand government investigation into his admission to the country found that his papers included a transcript of a university degree, that the [[New Zealand Department of Immigration|Department of Immigration]] had been "under some pressure" from his "proposed employer" to "make an early decision," and that "checks were not made with the [[New Zealand Ministry of Energy|Ministry of Energy]] and other Government departments." The real Stokowski later confirmed that the transcript was his.[^1] The *Philadelphia Daily News* reported at Horsch's sentencing in April 1985 that while on the run he had "helped design and build an ethanol plant for the New Zealand government."[^12] He was described in 1984 as a director of the plant who also ran a computer software exchange at [[Washdyke]]. Rutherford said the man had trained unskilled workers and that about eight jobs had been created, and that the company had not performed as well as expected late in 1983. Horsch said in 2013 that he had owned 80 percent of the distillery and signed his share over when he left.[^3][^13][^14]
In March 1984 Horsch returned from a trip to the [[United States]] carrying several passports and on March 17 left New Zealand on another passport, which police believed had been stolen in a burglary at Temuka. Rumors followed that he was a Soviet or Bulgarian spy or was sought by the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]. Rutherford told *The Press* that his partner might have had trouble in the United States "perhaps of the scale of being a draft dodger during the [[Vietnam War]]," dismissed the suggestion that he was a spy, and said of the company: "As far as I am concerned, it is business as usual."[^1] At police request the Fire Service drained a well at the plant in late May 1984, and Detective Superintendent [[R.N. MacDonald]] would not comment on reports that firearms and drugs had been found in it.[^15] [[Westpac]] put the company into receivership, with [[K.N. Curnow]] of [[Deloitte Haskins & Sells]] appointed receiver on May 22, 1984; Rutherford arranged to pay the bank about 170,000 dollars, and said the business made "a modest profit." Preferential tax debts remained.[^3][^13] In October 1984 he told *The Press* that business was booming, with protein and acetone planned, and that Horsch "had trained everybody up before he left."[^16] The company also owned an amphibian aircraft, which Rutherford said he had transferred to it to increase its assets and in which he had flown with Horsch to [[Lake Tekapo|Tekapo]]. The aircraft was a Lake LA-4-200 Buccaneer amphibian, construction number 469, registration ZK-EDK, formerly the American N5012L, which had been assembled at Christchurch and registered in New Zealand in December 1974; it was registered to Chemical Technology Ltd on October 30, 1981, passed to Rutherford personally on June 19, 1989, and was cancelled from the register as exported in September 2009. A local aviation historian recalled it standing for years in "a very tired state" at the Simon Spencer-Bower airfield, where he photographed it in September 1988.[^17][^18] In 1986 the company was still producing alcohol from whey at Clandeboye and had grown Jerusalem artichoke varieties under quarantine for three years on Rutherford's farm at Moncks Spur on the [[Port Hills]], as a possible feedstock.[^19]
In March 1984 Horsch returned from a trip to the [[United States]] carrying several passports and on March 17 left New Zealand on another passport, which police believed had been stolen in a burglary at Temuka. Rumors followed that he was a Soviet or Bulgarian spy or was sought by the [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]. Rutherford told *The Press* that his partner might have had trouble in the United States "perhaps of the scale of being a draft dodger during the [[Vietnam War]]," dismissed the suggestion that he was a spy, and said of the company: "As far as I am concerned, it is business as usual."[^1] At police request the Fire Service drained a well at the plant in late May 1984, and Detective Superintendent [[R.N. MacDonald]] would not comment on reports that firearms and drugs had been found in it.[^15] [[Westpac]] put the company into receivership, with [[K.N. Curnow]] of [[Deloitte Haskins & Sells]] appointed receiver on May 22, 1984; Rutherford arranged to pay the bank about 170,000 dollars, and said the business made "a modest profit." Preferential tax debts remained.[^3][^13] The Gazette notice of the appointment names the receivers as James Bruce Alfred McAlister and Kevin Nicholas Curnow, "both of Christchurch, chartered accountants," acting under a debenture of August 3, 1981, in favour of Westpac over "all assets of the company." A following notice stated that all money owing to Westpac had been repaid and that the receiver would cease to act; it is signed "J. C. RUTHERFORD, Solicitor to the Company," initials that differ from the "John Gordon Rutherford" of the companies register.[^16] In October 1984 he told *The Press* that business was booming, with protein and acetone planned, and that Horsch "had trained everybody up before he left."[^17] The company also owned an amphibian aircraft, which Rutherford said he had transferred to it to increase its assets and in which he had flown with Horsch to [[Lake Tekapo|Tekapo]]. The aircraft was a Lake LA-4-200 Buccaneer amphibian, construction number 469, registration ZK-EDK, formerly the American N5012L, which had been assembled at Christchurch and registered in New Zealand in December 1974; it was registered to Chemical Technology Ltd on October 30, 1981, passed to Rutherford personally on June 19, 1989, and was cancelled from the register as exported in September 2009. A local aviation historian recalled it standing for years in "a very tired state" at the Simon Spencer-Bower airfield, where he photographed it in September 1988.[^18][^19] In 1986 the company was still producing alcohol from whey at Clandeboye and had grown Jerusalem artichoke varieties under quarantine for three years on Rutherford's farm at Moncks Spur on the [[Port Hills]], as a possible feedstock.[^20]
### Footnotes
@ -55,7 +55,8 @@ In March 1984 Horsch returned from a trip to the [[United States]] carrying seve
[^13]: "Police look for U.S. chemist," *The Press* (Christchurch), June 6, 1984 (Press Association, Timaru). https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19840606.2.48
[^14]: West, Ashley. "Ray Horsch: Sociopathic Villain," *The Rialto Report,* Podcast 27, 2013, audio at 1:05:45 to 1:09:27 (audio preserved in a Wayback Machine capture of March 31, 2019). https://web.archive.org/web/20190331064614/http://traffic.libsyn.com/therialtoreport/27_Rialto_Report_027_-_Ray_Horsch__Sociopathic_Villain.mp3
[^15]: "Police seek wife, child," *The Press* (Christchurch), June 13, 1984 (Press Association, Timaru). https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19840613.2.7
[^16]: "Ethanol plant's business booms," *The Press* (Christchurch), October 4, 1984. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19841004.2.21
[^17]: Paull, Dave. "Lake LA-4-200 Bucaneer ZK-EDK cancelled," *NZ Civil Aircraft* (blog), October 11, 2009 ("Chemical Technology Ltd of Christchurch became the listed owners on 30-10-1981 ... Ownership changed to John Rutherford on 19-06-89 ... cancelled for the NZ register as exported on 17-09-2009"). https://nzcivair.blogspot.com/2009/10/lake-la-4-200-bucaneer-zk-edk-cancelled.html
[^18]: Wise, David. New Zealand civil aircraft register, ZK-EAA to ZK-EHZ ("ZK-EDK 1 12/74 LA-4-200 Buccaneer 469 ex N5012L export cx 9/09"). https://www.flydw.org.uk/DWZKEAH.htm
[^19]: "Jerusalem artichokes as dual-purpose crop?," *The Press* (Christchurch), February 14, 1986. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19860214.2.93.1
[^16]: *New Zealand Gazette,* May 31, 1984, No. 91, p. 1832, Company Notices (receivership of Chemical Technology Ltd, and the notice "All moneys owing to Westpac Banking Corporation Ltd. have been repaid and the receiver will cease to act when the normal formalities have been complied with. J. C. RUTHERFORD, Solicitor to the Company"; wording confirmed against the scanned page). https://gazette.howison.co.nz/nzg/1984/issue/91/page/1832
[^17]: "Ethanol plant's business booms," *The Press* (Christchurch), October 4, 1984. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19841004.2.21
[^18]: Paull, Dave. "Lake LA-4-200 Bucaneer ZK-EDK cancelled," *NZ Civil Aircraft* (blog), October 11, 2009 ("Chemical Technology Ltd of Christchurch became the listed owners on 30-10-1981 ... Ownership changed to John Rutherford on 19-06-89 ... cancelled for the NZ register as exported on 17-09-2009"). https://nzcivair.blogspot.com/2009/10/lake-la-4-200-bucaneer-zk-edk-cancelled.html
[^19]: Wise, David. New Zealand civil aircraft register, ZK-EAA to ZK-EHZ ("ZK-EDK 1 12/74 LA-4-200 Buccaneer 469 ex N5012L export cx 9/09"). https://www.flydw.org.uk/DWZKEAH.htm
[^20]: "Jerusalem artichokes as dual-purpose crop?," *The Press* (Christchurch), February 14, 1986. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19860214.2.93.1