Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-04-19

How a Kanawha County Syndicate
Vas Taken In.
I'Judge" H. T. Crawford Holds Up Sun
dry Charlestonians for About
Twenty Thousand Dollars.

Euquirer, under date of Columbus, O., and
over the signature Of wv. A. T." there sp-
pesred a remarkably rich account of the
dazzling career Of Judge Il. 7. Crawford,
of New York" at the Permanent Seat, as
alleged 10 have been originally related to q
bogom friend of the writer by "Sir' PurSell,
of the Charleston State Tribune. In the
language of the correspondent, it beats a
| Siciliau romance in come respects. and
Sill famed over like a boiled lobster as
he told it, and pa,hetically described how
he lost $4,000" But to the story:
About two years ago q very impressive
looking gentleman arrived at Charleston,
accompanied by two handsome and accom-
plished ladies'. He introduced himself as
Judge Fl. T. Crawford, Of New York, and
the ladies as his sisters, and gave out that
be had come to grow up with the growing
CAPITAL OF West Virginia. he rented a
handsome country residence some two
miles out of town, furnished it richly and
supplied himself with
A CARRIAGE AND PAlR,
and lived in o good style.
Every day he would drive into town,
sometimes accompanied by one sister and
sometimes By both. They had plenty OF
mon4y, and spent it literally Judge Craw.
ford gradually let it out hat he was a grad.
uste OF Cornell, had accumulated a fortune
in law practice, mad been on the bench and
retired in the prime OF lite to enjoy his
earnings. He would come into own when
any of the young lawyers had q case and
help them out with it, captivating courts
and iuries with his brilliancy, elequence
and legal erudition. He maguanimously
refused to taks any OF the fees, and was
soon the most popular man in Charleston.
Something like q year ago he casually
remarked that be was the guardian OF his
brothers children, and would in 3 short
time have
THE TRIFLE OF S350,000
to invest for their benefit, and be had O
great mind to put it into West Virginia
lands 10 the vicinity of Charleston, and he
regarded it as u wise Investment 10 buy up
O big block Of land, if he could get it for
$40 an ecre, Tor the benefit Of his wards.
He felt cure that in the course Of ten years
the lsud would readily sell Tor 81 600, 600.
This caused a big tiutter among real
estate men and spectators. "a they knew
that the land could be bough. at an aver.
age OF s. an acra, o. less. A neat trap
was Get to catch the wealthy and uusus.
pecliDg Judge, and certain parties entered
into careful negotiations with him, and
while he was being beguiled a syndicate
was formed among large landowners, who
put their Own real estate in, and brought
other lands upon options, 30 that a block
Of $4,000 acres was
ALL READY FOR THE JUDGES HAND
as soon as he was ready to INCEST the
money Ct his wards. Negotiations prog
ressed favo7ably and a bargain was struck,
by which The syndicate were 10 cone out
from $4,000 &c $780, 600 ahead OF the
Judge.
About the beginning Of the present year
the Judge sold his furniture, carpsts,
horses ard carriage, and took up his resi-
dence with a Mr., Denny, enc of the chief
men in the syndicate, preparatory to build.
ing au immense Dwelling on tie
50, 900 acre tsact tor the accom-
mediation Of himself and his wards,
and the business in hand was
brought to o conclusion. The syndicate
was called together, aud the amount of
money due each was ascertained, and an
allotment duly made b the Careful pur-
CHASER.
In about ten days the money was to be
brought to Charleston by express, aud de-
posted in the bank where Judge Crawford
kept his account.
TO C)SCGUDE THINGS AT Noe
IN proper shape, the Judge made out the
checks, payable ten days after date, for each
member of the syndicate 81 o 90 to one,
$50, coo to another, and 20 on, according
10 the interest OF each. Thu Judge, too,
was a Republican, and having been let into
the secret OF rcdecming West Virginia
with Oa,o Republican editors. proposed to
TO take q hand in it himself. Consequent.
ly, whsu it came to nGEing olt the 4heoks
the y lics'o, he told them that be felt
they had mad q pretty god bargain, and
would aak each Of them 10 Rt'ov a pro rata
deduction upon their respective amounts.
sufficient to NIX. C. check OF $4,000 Out
of the purcha'c mouev, which was TO 90 10
5 +. PIX. ell, of The Sta'e Tribune, to help
the Republican cause GloDg. There vas
no objection to this proposal.
Judge Crawford took this check 10 Mr..
Pursel!, ard o~yer~helWed bin with graft
tuds This is n present to you. said the
aFs5le Jd9ga, and j" for
TIE GENERAL GooD OF THE cAUsE.
| want notbiHg at co: rot a. present.
OF course, | have the usual at cunt Of hu.
nan amhi'ion, and after awhile | may
want to gotothe United States Senate. If
DO, | merely ask you to advocate my claims
upon my merits this check is not 10 pGr.
chase your inhGeaoe L. ID O disInteres'ed
gift, o tribute 10 struggling genius Sis
gratitude W unspsakabls, aud he b'gan
to plan the erection Of a marble palace,
implt:en'i7 awaiting the expiration OF the
ten days when the check would be due and
payable.
About that lime the Judge was greatly
annoyed. All his wards had been notified
and would b. present within a few days TO
participate in the final contamination Of
the big investment, and among them we're
two lovely girls in their teens. But one OF
the wards
COULD NOT BE HEARD FROM.
He was in Montana Territory, and both
the mails and the telegraph failed to call
him up. The Judge would im Immediately
depart for Montana and bring him to
Charleston.
ut required a little money to do this,
and the Judge went privately 10 q number
il not al! OF the members OF the syndicate
and gave each his own check at ten days,
taking the other mans sigh: check in re.
turn. Just how much he secured is not
known and probably never will be. Mr..
Denny exchanged a s. 200 check, and it
is believed that most OF toe oilers pro
rated, and Judge Crawford got some
$50. 900.
With this he departed f,r the Wild