New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-02
ANOTHER ROGUE EXPOSED.
MANY VICTIMS OF AN ADRoIT swINDLER
JoNAs H. GooDNAN'S DOWNFALL FROM suO-
CEssFUL LAWYER TO FUGITIVE
FROM JUSTICE.

CESSFUL LAWYER TO FUViAANH
FROM JUSTICE
An instance Of most contemplate dishonesty
has just come to light in the case OF Jonas H.
Goodman a man who did not rob persons VINO
could bear the loss, but selected as his VlcUnis
widows and children. whom he deprived Oh 'ne
substance which was left them as safeguard
tbrourb life. who did not conine himself. TO
swindling strangers in whom he had no personal
interest hut chose his wife and his brother-n-aw
TO suffer by his peculations.
Several years ago. Jonas ii. Goodman, OF Room
90 No % Broadway, was doing fine law pusi-
ness in bankruptcy banking and general COM
mercial cases He, his wife and his four chiloreh
wore living at a fashionable boarding house kept
by Mrs Fishblatt at No. 1l5 West One-hundreo-
and-twenty -fifth-st., and Goodman was one OF the
members of the Mt Morris Club. lie developed
a mania for gambling however, and his income
of from $4,000 to $4,000 year dwlndied
rapidly as his neglect of his business made itself
felt Borrowing money was the first method oil
solving his difficulties, and as the time went on
Mr. Goodman found it necessary 20 resort to other
means of making ends meet
Goodman's known victims include Mrs Harriet
Traub whom he robbed of $4,000 Charles "A.
Miller. $500: Mrs. Jonas II. Goodman, $1,000
her dowry. and NJ c. Lichten, his brother-ln-
law, Of sum estimated at $4,000 What MS
entertainments in other directions have been can
hardly Fc estimated, because his victims arc
counted by the dozen. In addition to wnat mas
been mentioned, his debts amount to thousands
of dollars But irrespective of the money ltseil'
he is guilty of having thrown several persons into
ruin the most touching case being that of young
Miller mentioned above. who is now langulshlng
in the Tombs prison on account of Goodmans
Vaccinations.
HOW HIS FRAUDS WERE ACCOMPLISHED.
The embezzler's methods were almost as in
cenions as were those of Bodell and Foster. The
case of the Traub estate is an illustration SOLO
mon Traub died in July, 1884, and left his wife
and family nothing but policy in the New-l orK
Life Insurance Company for $1,000; Harriet
Traub and her two children, Blanche age
seventeen. and Ernest age fifteen be-
ing the heirs Goodman had been
Mr. Traub's legal adviser, and before his client
was buried the lawyer rushed up to the house ana
persuaded Mrs Traub to come TO the Surrogate
Office where he said ne had some important
papcrs for her to sign The papers were an ap-
plication for letters OF administration by MS.
Traub and Goodman cunningy inserted clause
without her knowledge, praying that he be ap-
pointed co-adninistIator. The sorrowing WIDOW
unsuspectingly signed the document, the bonds
men being furnished by Goodman in the person
of a Mr.. Kaminslzy, alias Kammaker and Mr.
Tarson, who represented themselves to be worth
in the aggregate 81 $4,000.
As soon the papers were issued, Ooodh'h
drew the money, and told Mrs. Traub that the
Surrogate, under the law, had to hold the amount
for A wear This lie was believed ty the widow,
and sic waited until the end of the year before
he made any claim Then, about sN weeks
co. after failing to keep number of appoint
erts Goodman disappeared Blanche Traub
hen became q client of Charles ID. Evans, OF
No Murray-st., who has been trying to brlE
Goodman to justice ever since DIR. Evans mas
pctitioned the Surrogate to withdraw the letters
of co-administration i'll order TO get into lega'
nosition which will enable him to proceed crlml-
nallv against Goldman The lawyer has also
publicly cited Goodman TO appear Yet MI
Goodman has not appeared, but, what is more,
has disappeared, and has not been seen here IN
six weeks. lie left the Office one day, saying
in the Catsl,is a few days later, a cousin Of
his from Rochester came ana TOOK ;t,'o aW"S
the valuable library of the fugitive
basing his claim on "A debt of $1,000. The Office
furniture went in the same way, and nothing is
now IN Room ~ except gonqs@h rnnh n n"ls tyne
writer. ana worked for Goodman, who still owes
her hex salary.
CONTEMPTIBLE PETTYTHIEVING.
Another trick Of Goodman's was to have
friend 90 on a bond for a small sum. for example
S2JO III one cdSe. IIc DOhN p'N"ihS ""N, "A''
with many explanations, the cnbezzler persuaded
his victim to give him a check for the amount
of the bond The check cashed the money
spent but not in paying the bond, and the
innocent victim had to pay it over again ms
WAS done repeatedly. Giving bogus checks was
still another of Goodman's forms of swnding
and this was what brought young Charles A.
Miller into the I0mbs. Miller married Louisa
SEMINARS. whose father left a piece OF property
AT No. 1gl Ninth-avc Goodman uncle, David III.
Goodman, held mortgage on II for S32oO, ana
by the advice of the lawyer, he fCfecloscd, ana
the property sold February :, 1851
for 81 1000, leaving balance for the
s. 900. in small sums. and holds the rest: lie
used the story that the Surrogate would hold the
money for "a year in this case also. In fact the
money was in the hands of the City Chamberlain
Just three days. Goodman then persuaded young
Miller to sign blank checks, in order TO accom-,
modate the lawyer for a day or two With small
sums the exact amounts of which he did not
Miller's accounts at the Columbia and Home banks
and the young man is now charged with forgery
in the second degree
Mrs Goodman has returned to the city and is
lccpjng a boarding house in LeXingtOn-ave.. near
Sjyfy-frst-st She is well connected, and had
Pcloubct the law-boolscllcr OF No. so NasSau-st,
is another victim of GOodRans and Miss Z. A.
Robinson an agent fer law publishing firms,
loses 81 90 borrowed money. The swlndlcr him
self is supposed 10 br in Canada, whence his local
representative. s. B. Hamburger Of Room "a,
No. POI Broadway. claims 10 have recclved
letter. Lawyer Evans proposes 10 proceed Grim
inally, not only against Goodman, but against
KaminslSy and ParSOn.