, 1873-08-10
'SWlNDLING EXTRAORDINARY.

Expose Of tho Real Estate Operations OF
G. N. Observation-Disclosures |
In Fcrmcnt.
Hundreds Of PcopIo t,u|nod...How tho swIndlor
An,assod a nAil'lon Of Do'Iars...Lcsiio
Fugitive, and or for Europe
Philadelphia" A"0' ' cGyr.}po"dte' ;rs} q tbs Se' York
II ia seldom thot tho 1ao pool,le Of this city have
boon 40 oxcitol as they woro Inst eyoning over
tho expose Of tho gront frnuds In the office Of tho
iocordor Of DoodB, It iB n subject that affords
ts vital to the interest Of every owner OF renl cs-
tate throughout this Ercat city, Tho frauds
havo boon performed 90 systematically and in
such O surprising aud eucoossful nlannor TINT
Of latc yoara can feol snfo until his or hor title
has boon sentcllod thoroughly by hands whoRo
integrity ia undoubtod. Tho rumors concerning
tho awintllo were 30 startling and conflicting lato
tho timo whom tho Hc,alTs exclusive
account was prepared for any ono to approaoh
within hundreds Of Thousands Of dollars tho OK
act figure which tho nllcged conBpirasor, Leslie,
ono tlmo it was paood At over 81 900 900, another
moment 1t WAS $7o0000, nnd finally 1t was aot-
tlel Tint his fraululont transactions amounted
to s350,000. This morning tloao figures hhve
boon considerably roducod, md 1t will be weeks
yot before tho whole Is made known, and oVcn
thon 1t may far e1cood tho calculations Of those
who arc now at work examining tho records Tho
Recorders Office In Chestnut street hna boon
throngcd throughout the day with anxious prop
erty-oWnors who lave lad dealings with Leslie.
It was pninful to watch their nlovononts bomo
have given up in despair, aud settled feeling Of
ruin seoms to abido with thom. They have loi-
L. FOL ofus &Scou II
tho title doods Of their property IN their hnntis,
many Of which have, a. ia alleged, been mnnipu-
1ated disaatrous1y for their lntorests by Leslie,
aud discuss tho nattor othora, moro o1citablo,,
ing that Leslie DO giyon over to thom for ssl1,i-
mary execution, while dozonB fly around tho law
| Offices Of Third and Fourth streets, consulting
legal gentlemen MS to tho boBt mcans for obtain,
| ing redress. Ono poor German, who lost - 600
through tue alleged misrepresentation and fraud
| Of Leslie, WAS 30 violent in his
| DENuNcIAT1oN OF THE sw1EDLE
that he had to be carried away By nn oeer' ,al ana
| WINS evidently insane. Many ladios worc also
proaont, looking after their interests, and were
greatly excited. III fact, itwnaa sort ofa " Black
friday" for property-ownerB, atl Will long 30 re-
IN nn1 s ss s oar G. M t9sS II 5 tho snge hGgoa
| scheme ia native OF this city. and is a man Of
tlne phyaiquo and splendid businoas qualiaca-.
| tions. Ho has for years bacn ono Of tho lGrgost
dealers in real estate Of every ,d,Sscrp9n that that
hayo in tiu,es past roachod hundreds Of thou
stu,ls Of dollars Exactly how and whom ho
| commenced his ncfarous businosB ID at pros
ent unknown but IT a eon1es;55n!r,ea 1o;5 !,,o tnat no
coasfuly accomplish his designs 1t became
necessary for him to form intlmato relations
with tho clerks Of the Recorders Office. This
was during tho administration Of Mr. Honsman.
Mia succoss in this respect was only too tattor-
ing, as tho result proves. His previous sterling
integrity and unblomished reputation as u mnn
OF honor gained him tho good will Of not only
tue Recorder but tho Hoarcll-clork, and az he
was frequent visitor to tho Office on business
appertaining to his profession, began to DO re-
garded almost aB q 11turo, and was rendered
ovory facility in -..-.-...... ....
At 1nRt having become involved heavily
through unfortunate specalattonn it Is supposed
that ho reHortod to this hugo and ingenious mode
Of swinlling aa the only means by which to clear
his indebtedness, and aftor he had boon ad3udgod
a bankrupt III tho courts ho moro asslduously cul-
tiyated Ills acquaintance In the Recorders Office.
His mode Of operations wore so nicoly planned
that no suspicious wore entertained Of anything
boing wrong, and the Fearch~clcr!s, by boing
foed, as ie alleged, allowed him to mako his own
seurchcs for incumbranceB on al properties,
and, when ho had ixoa them to suit himself.
would attix tho seal Of tho Iocorder to tho Same,
as il ho, the clork had personally made the
examination. In this manner Lealio Ia alleged
to have disposed Of hundredB Of lots Of ground
producing "cloar cortilcato,"' under the
Recorders seal, disposed Of thom ut great
profit to himaolf" Ito had made himso1f sucl,
au authority On roal estate incurnbranccs and
transfer mattorH TINT hfa experience and advico
were sought by people Of every grade. Dur
Ing tho past three years Ae was heavy
operator as q builder, and erected OH speculation
largo rows of city residences, somo Of which
hayo created great doa1 Of attention by
their beautiful locations and superb designs.
Among the properties he thus Rpeoulated in was
ono Known as "st. Albans." The ground on
Which it was erected Was taken up by him at Q
, price Of noarly quarter Of q million Of dolars,
Tor which he gavo heavy purchase money mort.
gagoB, and then subdividcd the ground into
, humorous lots, BY
BEnlEs oE 11oKus-roKus coEyEYASoiNa
through !" dummies" d ground rent, having q
principal OF 81 500 WAS Baddled 10 each OF them.
This part nicely fixed, mud having placed the
operation in the usual manner Of .'bonus
building transactions, ho 10 alleged to have laiG
i | his first great baBo-work for fraud. To make
; SUCCESS duubly sure, no put second encum-
brauco on all OF the lots named, and just here
tile Same dummy" which had been acting at
I ground landlord turned up. this time, how
ever, appearing in tho role Of mortgagoo to the
amount OF $4,000 to 500 on each prop
erty. Like the gronnd-ronts, tho mortgages WORK
, presumably without consideration md 10 mono,
passed. Thas the encumbrances on tho proper: ?,
eithor Hold them outright ut @ hoagy discount, o.
, tho ground rents, boinG roal estate, were them
Holvos mortgaged or tho mortgages placed out al
TOR 9na May ~ t ot h drter to II
, tional " "collatorals" Gu tho same by gottint
.cloar certificates from tho Recorders Office a
ho had dono hundreds OF ti,noH BEFORE and nona
Ae ase no o o5ap9'
: ing aud for which tho Nocordor il allowed q cor
, taEi foe by law. To mako the hwindlo tho NOR
! complete and plausible to the dupo II was roqui
site that tho existence Of one Het OF those claim
| In in f,a 1nf