Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-11
A STRANGE CASE OF CREDUL1TY.

There comes from San Francisco pitt
full story illustrating the gullibility and
innocence of some men, that if it were not
backed by apparently undeniable proof
positive, would be pronounced wholly i'm
probable. A farmer from southern Oregon
visiting San Francisco was induced to buy
into real estate Office business in that
city, that proved to be practically useless
Before he discovered that fact, however,
his partners introduced him to a man
named Hamberg, conveying the informa
ton at the same time that the latter wished
to exchange city property for a rural home,
and that the old man might strike bar
gain with him for MS Oregon ranch"
worth some $1,000 or $4,000. This man
Hamberg will be remembered as an indi-
vidual who went about the country giving
away lots in Southern California paper
town. 1t did not take Hamberg long to
show the farmer city property he would
exchange for the farm and a bonus of cash.
A bargain was struck the farmer received
deed to lot Hamberg neither owned nor
claimed; and he gave in exchange $500
cash, a check for $500 and deed to his
$4,000 farm. 1t appears that the deceived
man made no search as to Hamberg's title,
consulted with no legal adviser and took
none of the precautionary steps of pur-
chaser of realty. Shortly after the trans
action Hamberg disappeared, and the
farmer, on asserting ownership in the
lot, discovered that his grantor
never had any more title to it than to
the moon. He attempted to stop the
recording of the deed and the payment of
the check, but Hamberg had been too
quick for him, having gone to Oregon, re-
corded the deed, and sold the farm at a
sacrifice to an innocent party, and had
also cashed the check and left for Montana.
As last resort the ruined farmer, all the
earnings of his life having been swallowed
up by the transactions, appealed to the
detectives. As a result the real estate
office operators have been arrested and put
under lock and key, Hamberg has been
captured at Helena and an officer has left |
this State to bring him back to California.
1t Is improbable that the credulous old man |
will be able to secure the return of !
dollar of his money. 1t seems incredible |
that such gullibility can exist. Had the
story been dramatically presented and the |
amazing innocence of the victim depicted |
upon the stage, seven out of ten men would |
have pronounced it improbable. The |
idea that any man with ability to amass a |
moderate fortune, would turn it |
all over TO n stranger for |
real estate, without ascertaining from the
open records of the county whether the |
party proposing to sell owned the property. |
seems too absurd and preposterous for be-
lief. Yet here is the recital, so far as the |
old mans story goes, of precisely that i'm
probable character, and that certainly APP ,
pears, by the sale of the farm, the record
ing Of the deeds and the cashing of the
check, to be subStantiated.
Most estimates of human nature debit |
no man with being so unsuspecting as
the victim in this case proves to have |
been. But for the fact that this old farmer |
and his family are now destitute stripped |
by Eiilainy of the last of their worldly |
possessions, and that he is left in cid age |
to begin the battle anew, no sympathy
ought to be expended upon the unhappy
victim of the confidence operators. 1t
does not seem possible that the three men
under arrest will be able to explain away
the old mans story. The two office men
may slip through the meshes of the lav
on the charge OF being accomplices, by in
ability to show that they knew OF Ham
berg's plans of deceit-that is possible. and
it is barely possible that they may be in
nocent; bnt there would appear TO be no
chance whatever for the escape of the man
who received the bonus money and the
deed for the farm, sold the property at once.
poeketed the proceeds and left for distant
parts. The story will serve useful pur-
pose IN warning other gulIble people
against sharpers; yet it is perfectly Ger
tain that before very long time we shall
hear of other men being taken in and
done for " upon just as foolish repose of
confidence in unworthy objects. Not even
such pitiful case as that related will j