The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-10-17
GIGANTIC ROBBERY.
Startling Peculations OF a New
York Law Clerk.
By Cunning Methods J. E. Bedell
Steals $264,000.

James F. Bedell, a lawyer of 29611 Lafay'
ette avenne, Brooklyn, who had charge, al
a salary of $500 per annum, of the real es
tate business of the law firm of Shipman,
Barlow, Larocque s. Choate, of S5 William
street, New York city, is prisoner, having
been arrested for defrauding numbers of his
employers clients out Of large sums OF money.
The entire cheat was in forged mortgages,
and the first one that was verided in four
years at the Registers Office revealed the en-
tire scheme
The denouement came about in this way.
Herman Koop Of the firm Of Herman koop
g. Co., merchants at % William street, was
notified last month by Bedell, with whom he
had had otner transactions, that if he wanted
to invest any spare capital there was good
chance to get mortgage on property IN
West One Hundred and Twenty sixth street
suit was that he parted with $4,000 and re-
ceived a mortgage. As do many pros
porous business men he put the
mortgage in drawer to make money
for him while he slept But he decided on
going to Europe, and looked over his private
papers carefully. Among them was this
mortgage He looked it over carefully at
first but seal on it appeared imperfect, and
more careful scrutiny impelled hun to the
belief that business in the Registrars Office,
so far as its authorizations went, was done
in very slipshod manner. He presented the
document at the Registrars Office, the clerk
looked at it, consulted records, and an
nounced that no such mortgage had been
fled, and that all the Authorizations were
forgeries.
with a member of the firm there was con-
sternation and consultation. Mr.. Bedell was
sent for He came, bland and unctuous, to
collapse and pale when confronted with the
mortgage he had given Mr.. Koop. His con-
fession that he had manufactured the docu-
meut followed. Chief Detective Byrnes was
sent for, and he, to avoid premature public
ity, which might be a bar to the discovery OF
the extent OF Bedelrs villainies, arranged
that Captain William Mclaughlin Of the
First Precinct should arrest the forger. This
done, he was taken before Justice White,
at the Tombs Police Court where an affidavit
charging forgery involving $4,000 was
drawn up and signed by the representative
Of the law firm. Bedell was then committed
to the care of the chief detective.
At Police Headquarters Bedell was Sec
reted so that access to him was had solely
through Mr.. Byrnes, who had chat with
him several times q day. Bedell concealed
nothing, and his chief anxiety appeared to
be to clear up his iniguities for the benefit of
his late employers. He is As years old, OF the
type of a bon vivant, we'll educated, bright,
and quick witted. He said he began life as
lawyers clerk at Poughkeepsie, and twelve
years ago entered the service Of Shipman,
Barlow, Larouue & Choate. He rapidly
obtained, or rather compelled, absolute
confidence, and as rapidly the whole of
the firms vast real estate business came
under his complete control. For eight years,
he says, his trust was kept unsullied by
rascality, but he had an uncomfortable in
IL o,,l
farming and fancy cattle. He had few
thousand dollars when he entered the service
Of the firm, but that money and his salary
were so preyed upon by his gambling and
bucolic instincts that he became vile and hit
upon nefarious plan to make money. No
ple in tho United States knew the minutip
Of real estate business better than he, but he
was astonished in spite of himself at the ease
with which he disposed of the first forged
nsortgage, cheat in every respect, which
netted him the snug sum of S30,0jO.
After this all was plain sailing. The scheme
was a very simple one. All questions as to
investments by clients who had surplus and
non-earning money were referred to him.
The result was that he was literally besieged
by seekers after interest for their boards, and
be could choose the customers on whom to
paper wrapped around a grocery pur-
chase. All he had to do was to select
victim, notify him that he had neat thing
in real estate, and recommend an investment
The victim generally seized on the opportu-
nifty without delay and c.inched the transac.
tion by sending check which covered
the amount of the Investment" and
the firms law charges. The check
was invariably drawn to the order of
the firm. Bedells mill ground out the mort
gage: in due time the client received it, and
Bedell had the confidence of his employers to
such an extent that he received the check Of
Shipman, Barlow, Larocque 6 Choate for
the exact amount of the mortgage.
Bedell went over his transactions as well
rs his memory and his books would permit
and the law firms clerks were busy in dig
sing out the rascalitieS, and the total of the
teal was announced at S264. 500, most Of
which was gambled away in policy shops.