Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-09-22
JekyN and Hyde Again g
Forger Bedell's Lives in New
 York and Brooklyn.
A MODERN TALE OF TWO CITIES.

Il w He was Model Husband and Father at Home, a Forger and Gambler When Away-He Shows No Regret and No Pity for His Wife. NEW YORK, Sept. 22.-James E. BedeI, the confidential real estate clerk employed by khe law firm of Ship.nan, Barlow, Laracque 6 Choate, who swindled the Farmers Loan . and Trust company and well known business men out of a quarter of million dollars by means of forged mortgages and who IS now fn cell at police headquarters, has been leading double life for years. He occupied modest home at 206I5 Lafayette avenue, Brooklyn, with his family, and among his neighbors enjoyed the reputation of being quiet anG respectable citizen, devoted to his wife and child, and studious of the comfort of his aged fathor In this city he 1ed life of dissipation, gambling recklessly, and fling ing his and other peoples money among the most diSSoutc women of the town
 He says that his losses at policy foot up lmething over Sl27,0O0. The total amount of his stealngs from the clients of Shipman, Barlow, Larocque & Choate is S264, 800 His farm at Bedford, Westchester county, is said to be worth $30,000, but it is mortgaged for S1S000 For the past ten years Bedell was Ill receipt or a salary or Si,)OU d year I1ls domestic expenses did not reach anything like khe amount of his salary
 Mrs. Bedcll called on her husband at police headquarters yesterday. Her child was in her arms She was broken hearted, and wept as she clasped the child to her breast. Her husband appeared to be utterly indiffer- ent to her sutferings and careless of the pres ence of the child. He was suen and morose. The tears of his wife did not move hin> She in fO wi 0 sorrow for his crimes from him. He gave none, and she sorrowfully turned away with her child and went out of the prison. Her heart seemed broken by the weight of dis grace that had fallen so suddenly upon her.
 Ex-Judge Choate said yesterday that Bedell's farm in WestcheSter county was not worth anything like SGOG00 It cost about S9O,0OO, and is managed by Bedells father and younger brother, who made 1t pay. The stock on the farm is worth about S2 800. Bedell's assets will not exceed S15, 900, and they have been turned over to the firm. Elk Judge Choate declined to discuss the ques- tion of the firms liabilities toward such of its clients as have been swindled by Beden. Other lawyers said that the firm could not be made liable, unless it could be shown that the transactions through which the clients were sN udied were conducted by Bedell the actual agent of Shipman, Barlow, La rocoue Gc Choate. Mr. Barlow was pros trated by the llaws of Bedell's crime and re- nained at home. Mir Larocque is in Europe, whither he went in the early summer. The firm is one of the wealthiest in the city, and likewise of the most honorable. Every . member is advanced in years.
 EX-Judge Shipman said in regard to Bedells methods of swindling: His opera tions were not of an ordinary kind. He adapted his roguery to the different circum- stances of the victim. Our firm has never made any large checks payable to Bedel's order When the person was borrowing money through us, made the check pay able to the order of the borrower in every in- stance, and Bedell forged the inducements. We had no reason to suspect him until this discovery He was very competent man, and we were not aware of his extravagant habits. Had known that he had entered a policy shop he would have been dismissed without moments notice"
 Inspector Byrnes said that the discovery of Bedell's method of robbing had caused a general overhaulng of books in the large business houses of the city. A question which the inspector thinks will have to be settled by litigation is how far the banks upon which Bedells cheeks were drawn are responsible for failing to ascertain that the inducements were forgeries, and the names Hpon their face either mythical or falsely used.
 Bedell swas brought to the Tombs from police headquarters yesterday afternoon. He is about five feet seven inches in height. His eyes, hair and complexion are dark. He is lightly built, weighing perhaps 13O pounds His face is rather long and thin. His manner in court betrayed no nervousness. He came there to appear against Philip Goss and Joseph Emerson, the keepers of the policy shop at No. 190 Broadway, where he says he lost such large amount of the stolen money He says he played policy there from Jan. 1 1SS0 down to Sept. r, 1888.
 He stated that the exact amount of hi losses was S127, ,277.4S. He went to the plac, for the last time Monday last, when he gay, Goss S125 to play No. F in the Kentucky lot tery. In the event of winning he to re ceive S5, ,000. He also placed S25 on the ''gg 43-69-73 for which he to receive S5 0O if he won. Justice Smith postponed the ex animation until Wednesday at 3 D. m Elmer son & Goss were held in $5, 900 bail each am Bedeu taken back to police headquar ters and photographed.
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