The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-07-27
4 MAGNlFIcENT LAND swINDLE

An Imaginary City In West Virginia
Sold out in Lots by NCW York
Myth-Five Million Dollars. worth
of Real Estate in Various Cities
Offered ut One Dollar n Chance.
Frov. tie Ne'C: York Herald July %. I..
This city is prOvcrbially the seat Of the
greatest number and tho greatest swind-
lcrs OF the country. All sorts Of schemes
for extorling money from the unwNry arc
ConcoCtel here. Many these havc been
heretofore exposed in the cOlums OF the
lAily papers, but one of the most stipend
ous frauds ever known has escaped detec-
ton up 10 this time. It Is a lund scheme
or Il brace of schemes, whereby one In
vcnlivc genius here, named T. L. Studt-
ford has realized q large fortune within q
few months. And the way hc did 1t was
this:
Taking advantage Of the interest awak-
cnCd among the working people through
out the country on the subject OF CooIie
importation, cooperation, land m0nopo.
lies and local colonization and kindred
topics, this man Studilord advertised him
self very extensively in the country pa'
pcrs cast, west, north and south, rs the
owner Of beautiful tract Of land in and
surrounding the charming "City Of Vir-
giniA," in CabcIl county, State Of West
Virginia. This land he had divided into
building lots, which were selling like hot
cakes III winter, Mt prices varying from
$3.50 10 $500 per lot, according to lOCa'
ton. OF course everybody wanted Il lot
and homestead in such Il delightful To-
cality. Maps and circulars setting forth
tho physical and Gsthettcal attractions OF
the place were literally distributed, and,
for while, Mr.. StudiEord did rushing
business. Each lucky purchaser Of q lot
S5X1OO icet Mt once despatched his decd to
tho .Cabcll County Clerks Office, in the
town of BarboursVille, to have tho same
duly recorded. But then came the sur
prisc and tho exposure Of the swindlc.
According TO the manifesto Of Mr.. &. W.
Burnett, County Clerk, there exists no
such town, village, or city in Cahell conn'
", or in any other county in West Vir-
Ginia, rs the "City Of Virginia" and no
such man as 7. T. StulifOrl, Of New
York, owns foot OF land in the State.
And, besides 'nosuCh name appears intle
New York City Directory.
This was terrible setback TO the
moor men who had so cOnQdingly paid
out their money for imaginery lots in m
equally imaginary city. The deeds were
made out In legal form, witnessed before
John A. Hillcry, notary public Of the city
and county Of New York, whose place Of
business is at 90 Wall street, and by him
duly sealed. They were also stamped,
each with flfty.cGnt revenue stamp, and
were thus transmitted, as Mr., Burnett de-
clarcd, in immense numbers to his office;
hut the lupes found out in time how bad.
" they Ind been fleeced. II Is believed
that Studiford has, by this swindlc, realt:
2cd between $1,000 and OO,OOO, and
nerllaps much more. .I-'s 4 l.,
The other land scheme surpasses INC
above in prctcnslon and promise Of ulti'
mate gain, but carries on its face the
marks of deception. 1t Is o lottery
scheme, started by Mossrs. Wtggtn35
Bradford s. Co., Of Chicago, in 1868, and
subsequently transferred to New York, q
being safer place 10 coDsummato "
swindlc Of this sort. 1t purports 70 be
stow in prizes $1O00OOO III gold, 3nd
! 4,1G0 600 worth Of real estate. The
tickets for this lottery scheme are sold, o.
usual, at 81 each. MessrA Bradford q 70