The New York herald., 1877-01-07
REAL ESTATE PIRACY.

CASE or INTEREST TO PROPERTY OWNERS
xkFoRx WILLIAMSBURG JUSTICE cLEvEE
ROGUE.
A case came up before Justice Elliott, OF Williams
burg yesterday. which will attract general attention
In circles when tried. showing the ease
with which swudles be accomplished In real es-
tate transactions Family differences are at tho bot
tom VI tho case and Will doubt add to tho pubic
interest in the matter.
One Fred. A. Conklng or COnklin, arrested ON a
charge Of inserting In assignment Of mortgage the
words ~ guarantee the above amount To said Conk-
Ing" was arraigned, and after an Investigation was
committed await the Of the Grand Jury, tho
evidence tending convict him OF forgery and OF OBJ
taning So 600 from the complainant under false pre-
tsnces.
The foil history OF the Is rs iolIows:-Frederick
Augustus Conkling, long time resident OF Norwich,
Conn. and lieutenant colonel OF tho Eighth Connec
tcut National uard whose headquarters arc IN tha
town, thought TO better his fortune IN Now York. DO
therefore came here with little means and estab-
lishcd real oics in Nassau street, the business
being conducted under the name of Conkng Il Co.,
son Of Mr. William II. Foulks, Of Grccnpoint. being
hired as clerk. After some time tho oibcc was ro-
moved TO Third avenue, and there Conking hnd
lo6lks, Jr., arrested u charge OF larceny Al the
examination OF tho charges against the young man
was shown by the testimony that there was peculiar
manner OF ransacting business none oice, and IN
consequence OF Fouks' discovering 1t ne was given
permission 10 draw what money he desired but help
ing himself too freely Conklng had him arrested
Soou after notJe froseQu entered by the District
Attorney and no further steps were taken against
young fouiks. The matter opened the eyes OF the
Eouks family however, and subsequent developments
led 20 the arrest tor forgery.
SHARP PRACTICE.
Shortly after the real estate Office had been moved
up third avenue the Rev. Lawrence +. Cummings. OF
No 80 East Fiitysecond street, made his NC
Quain and had some business transactions Win
him. Conkling held house III this city, ana
exchanged Il Tor mortgages made by ono Johh
Mcintyre houses and lots IN Bayonne, \. j.,
TO Cummings Ihe Transaction was ia'r one, anu
kurope pleasure trip Wncn INC assignment was
mado Cummings said ne would guarantee that the IN
aud principal would be paid but declined 10 give
written guarantee or to insert IN tho assignment
The papers the transaction were executed and duiy
recorded Hudson county, and then there was no writ
ten guarantee IN the document Alter his return
from Europe Conklng Informed CUMMINGS that
Mcintyre could not pay ,ne interest,", nc oenn onns
By Cummings advice he again saw Mcintyre, VINO
pleaded inability to do anything In consequence o his
ration, but proposed 10 deed the property Tree
and clear to Cummings To balance his indebtedness
Th.s quickly accepted by Conkng, who drew up
all the papers, and. notary, took Mclntyre's ac
acknowledgements He then called Oh Cummings and re-
ported what had been done, but sad, also, that he
had found back interest and back taxes Que. enough
to nuke deficiency on the previous contract OF 5000
$700 Tho negotiations IN settlement resulted IN
the payment OF 5000 ana the conveying OF the prop
erty 10 Conkling BY Cummings. thus cancelllng tho
mortgage and the assignment rne next step
OF Conkllns shows his astutenss. He had
been paying attentions nece OF Mr.
wili,am II. Foulks, the ship builder, OF
Grccnpoint, and Fouks' son was in his employ. He,
therefore, went to Foulks TO sell Cummings assign
mcnl, the time OF oicrns calling particular alien
ton TO the guararce as quoted above, and which, as
stated, does not appear on the records OF HUDSON
county. Mr. Fouks knew oI Mr. Cummings and OF his
reliability and on the strength OF the guarantee ana
ConkIing's representations paid him $1,000 for the
worthless assignment When ho found that there WAS
default payment Of interest he comm unicatcd with
Conklng, who. alter some little delay, pad IT, Then
release aoue proseqai after, 1t Is rumored, $500 had
been paid Conklin. not 10 prosecute Conkuss mar
rage to the niece followed and then. as hc thought
he had averted by relationship any further payment
OF interest, another default took place.
DISCOVERY.
On this occasion Mr. Cummings WAS communicated
WITH and, answering person, he al pronounced
the paper forgery, as the assignment was cancelled
by his conveying all the property involved In the
mortgage Close examination revealed, however,
that the original document. the words above stated,
81 guarantee the above oun, TO said Conk!ins were
were ut taken ana warrant issued but the pre-
mature publication OF the fact warned Conkns and tor
eight months he could not be found by the officers in
search OF him. He gave up the real estate business,
nnd, as the Harlem Feed Company, opened store
ior the sale Of hay. straw ,. and feed 1,,st a:
avenue. He was met in Second avenue by officer
Brown on December ~ however. ard arrested since
which time he has lain IN Raymond Street jail III do
fault OF 81 800 bonds the bondsman to JUSTLY IN twice
the amount Kings county real estate. Yesterday,
alter the testimony for the prosecution had all been
piven no evidence was offered by the defence, so
Conkiing Committed without bail TO await tho
tiol OF the Grand Jury
oruE:, OPERATIONS.
In connection tho case it said that Conking
passed months In Ludlow Street jail for another
similar trsnsaction Cummings being the complainant,
ana that after his release he attempted to obtain con-
troll oi the real estate OF Terence McGu.gan,
wealthy Williamsburg contractor. But tho
latter having heard Oi his previous Incarceration
declined allow HIM the requested inspection OF his
deeds, uonds and mortgages, Conkng having nearly
convinced him that tins necessary 10 balance hIs
books This referred by counsel for the
peopio Iii this examination who regretted that the de-
fcndant did go the stand, and thus, by
examination provo himself nothing but 'rcal estate
pirate" Ot course II is Impossible TO anticipate the
action o? the Giund Jury but the has attracted
thc attention OF District Attorney Britt0n III conse-
qucncc points the laws OF conveys yancin. IN
VOWED, apd II will be tried with great q
precedent. He THINKS, also, that two prescntrncnts
viii DO made--one Tor "iorgcry," the other sob
tainint manex undcr falsc nreicnccs y