The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-26
ENORMOUS PROPERTY FRAUDS IN CHICAGO.
The City Reported to be Swindled Ont Of
Two Millions Worth of Real Estate.


from the Chicago Post. Dec. 2al
We understand that the proper authorities OF the
City are engaged In examining into certain fraudu-
lent transactions connected with the real estate Of
Chicago and that progress enough has been made in
the inquiry to justify the belief that property to the
o. fully ss0 70 na By parties yet
titles and forged Deeds for the benefit of whomsoever
may have been concerned. We are not yet in pos
have learned that many cases Of robbery involving
large tracts OF property inside the city limits have
been suspected, and that among these are the fol-
Eighty acres Of land the property Of the CITY, near
Brighton. Ths Is covered by forged or fraudulent
deed to one David Stark. who is believed to be q
myth We are without the date Of the alleged trans
fer, but the transaction recent one. David Stark
appears to be careless owner. Once In possession
Of his property he neglected to pay taxes. As q con-
sequence the land has been sold again and again for
these dues and Is now covered by tax titles the
worth OF which though they stand in various names
somebody doubtless knows. The last transfer ap-
pears to be by one Walter s. Frazier, once In the
employment OF the city TO Isaac Cook the considera-
ton being one dollar. How Mr.. Frazier came by
the right to make deed Will be proper subject for
inquiry. In relation to this tract the object OF the
consplrators seems to have been plain yiz.:to get
out Of the ctys possession and then to allow title
be forfeited by frequent tax sales and the right OF
possession. OF course all these Will be vitiated by
the primary fraud; but somebody has been or some.
body might be victimized, nevertheless.
In the North DIVISION between Clark and Lasalle
streets, ia large tract OF city property now having
on It thirty EIGHT houses, which also appears to have
been stolen by means OF forged deed from the city
to Ira Judd, who is like Daniel Stark. unknown
and unflndable The consideration In this case was
also dollar; and the mode OF perecting rather
OF accommodating, evidences of title seem to have
been akin to II not identical with that adopted by
those who manipulated the tract at Brighton. We
are sorry to know that several estimable citizens,
among whom are Mr.. LOring, the architect, and
Robert Lincoln son OF the late President are likely
to be sufferers by the fraud, they having in good
faith purchased lots In the tract In question The
value OF the property Is very great.
large piece OF land In the adjoining town OF Pa
los has also been run away with. deed OF this
was made to the city by distinguished citizen,
now dead--W. ii. Brown. But this deed
though deposited in the archives by MI
Brown never was recorded 1t was ab
stracted by some. one having access to the
city papers And then certain parties, rs yet name.
less, went to work to get quit claim from the
owner who decided 1t to Brown, and, after this was
accomplished, the machinery Of tax sales and tax
bills was resorted to and with the usual success.
These are specimen bricks, but how many more
there may be in the pile we have not learned II
Ia evident on the face OF these transactions that
some man who was familiar with The city business,
who had an intimate knowledge OF Its real property
and who had access to the papers has had o share,
II not the sole agency In these frauds. At the
time they were committed the value OF the lots and
lands stolen was not large but the advance OF pro-
pery In the last few years has been so great that the
supposed present worth OF the ground In dispute
cannot be less than $2,o0O000.