The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-08-15
FELL FROM GRACE.

Two Hitherto Respected Men Prove 70
be Forgers for Large sums-The Presi-
dent Of New York street Railway
Company kobs 1t of eI3O,OOO - a
Trusted Lawyer In Minneapolis Gets
Away with seq 900 Belonging % .
Wealthy Client
New YORK. Aug. s-Eben 9. Allen, for
many years president of the Forty second
Street 4 Grand Street Ferry Railroad Com
pany. is under arrest for embezz.ement
and false issue. Of the stock OF the COM
pany. His defalcations am unit to bo-
tween Sl.1. 900 and sl3p,o00. aud hts steal
ings having been going on for four years
or more. The story OF Aliens steaiines Is
extremely interesting and was learned
from confession which he made OF his
rascality both to Inspector Byrncs and to
the directors Of the road Allen had been
connected with the road, OF which
he was chief executive officer, for twenty
i've years, both as treasurer and president
About four years ago he became connected
In business with an inventor OF fire-escapes
and apparatus for hanging clothes upon
the roofs Of houses and put q large
amount OF money into the venture
After the loss OF the sum invested
In the fire escapes Allen became pressed
for money, and the thought that he could
raise . large amount on forged certificates
OF stock Of his company came to him.
He went to his Office took some blank
certificates of stock, filled them out with
numbers of stock already issued, forged
the signature OF the treasurer and
secretary, and sold them for genuine
shares Of the company's stock. This oper-
alton he has repeated Mt intervals during
the past four years until, according to his
own statement, there are outstanding
about sOa shares of these bogus securities.
many OF which are In the hands of inno-
cent holders Allen was taken to the
Tonbs police court Wednesday afternoon
and remanded for an examination
An alleged accomplice in these transac-
tions is Ferdinand w. Hoeie, who has fig-
ured heretofore AZ q partner with Allen In
has represented that he was engaged
Hocfie was arrested c. II o'clock Wednes-
day night
rTED AND FELL.
MrNNEApoLIs, Minn., Aug. II Frank
Collom. son Of the builder of the large Coll
lOm block. and one of the best known law
yers Of this city, has confessed to Forging
the name or John r Blaisdcll, q nioneer
millionaire OF Minneapolis. to notes and
papers valued at s...T.uOn Collom was the
trusted attorney Of Mr.. Blaisdell for sew
eral years.
About three weeks ago F. A. Chamber
lain. cashier of tn. Security Bank, met Mr..
Blaisdell on the street and asked him how
much Of J. +. Collom's paper he was on.
The capitalist replied that he had indorsed
his paper to the extent OF $1,000 ard was
very rpuch surprised to learn that
tho bank held three or four times
the amount 3amed An invcs,iga-
tion was at once begun, and great
amount OF fictitious paper was soon found.
Within very short period the Immense
sum Of s227, 600 in notes and other securi-
part Of which Mr. BlaisdeTs name
was attached Mr.. Blaisdell pro-
nounced the signatures forgeries The
bank and Mr.. Biaisde.l were equally in
terested. aud rigid investigation was at
once begun. The entire matter was put in
the hands of ex-County Attorney Frank
Z. Davis. The lawyer proceeded very
quietly. A private detective was Mt
once secured to shadow Collom, the sup
posed forxer. The books and papers were
turned over to Mr.. Davis and his associates
for inspection. An expert was secured to
examine tho signatures attached to the
different notes and securities, aud he soon
reached conclusion His verdict was
that J. Frank COLON was the guilty man.
The next move was to confront Attorney
Collom with the evidence OF his crime
This was done Tuesday. Collom was called
into the otficc Of Mr.. Davis. Here the situ-
alton was explained to him. Mr. Blaisd I'll
and several Of the bank officials were pres
ent The young attorney at once broke
down and confessed his crime in detail Hc
wept bitterly and begged his hearers not to
spare him.
It Is reported that collom's father and
other friends will come to his assistance. II
such proves to bo the case lit is probable
that the matter will be settled. The Security
Bank holds but $2S, 800 of the forged paper,
all of which Is amply secured. II appears
that Blaisdelps was the only name
out by reason of their holding forged
paper. The names of those holding the
spurious paper and tho amounts held
by each 50 far a. brought TO light are
as follows: Dean Brothers, Minneapo-
Lis, $4,000; H. n Peck, MinneaDo-
lis, sls.5oO: f. W. Peet St Paul,
$500: Frank rupert, Minneapolis, 1850;
Eustis Brothers, Minneapolis. SIS 600; Julius
Schult. Minneapolis, $4,000: total, sl0o,-
QUO. The gentlemen and firms mentioned
above are nearly all engaged in the real
estate and money -loantng- business just
what action these gentl9mep. will. take to
recover their losses conld not be learned.
c. J. lockwood. OF the nm OF lockwood
4 Collom. was asked II he could uceoant
for the action Of his partner. ,,HA ~.
piled: Il would have trusted Mr.. Col
lom, 90 far ~ honor goes. with all h1tte
or hope to have. l received my fiftl
intimation Of this trouble Tuesday aixht.
He has lived here twenty years and
during my business connection with him
have always found HIM reliable He was q
hard worker He neither drank nor used
tobacco in any form. | know nothing OF
his business matters, except that he ha.
owned good deal Of real estate"