New-York tribune., 1890-08-09
AFFAIRS IN BROOKLYN.
THE FLY ESCAPED THE WEB THIS TINE.
WOMAN WHO HAS swINDLED MANY WE'LL
KNOWN MEN FAILS IN HER LATEST
FINANCIAL VENTURE.

Mrs. Ellen Peck, who las swihded large number
OF persons by her clever confidence schemes in the
last few years. and who has been arrested ana I'M
prisoned number of times, has failed IN hcr "s'
undertaking, an attempt to sell land 70 r. ~ A!'cs'
a real estate broker at No. Al Courst. He' now
ever, discovered the real nature OF the trllSa"uCh'
and has recovered the money that he invested in the
land which she professed 10 own III Inc oouti'
Mrs Pecks record includes the successful swindlng
OF b. r. Babbtt the soap manufacturer, out OF
$50 900: John d. Grady, the diamond broker out OF
S2I 900 J. G. johnson, the jeweer. out 0f S1zooo
tie soimer Piano Company and various smaller
firms in variety of ingenious schemes
That Mrs Peck had made elaborate preparations
for her latest operation is shown by the fact that
while her husbands NAME Richard Peck, engineer, OF
No. 3O7 Putnam-ave., appears in the Directory, The
name Of Mrs. F. Eliza Knights, widow is put down at
the number, and under the latter name she mas
appeared in her operations 10 sell land 10
confding purchasers That Mrs Peck, ali1s Knight.
prefers TO deal with women appears from the ad-
vertsements she inserts in newspapers 10 attract al
tentiOn. she recently advertised a. follows:
LADY with 81 900 can realize $4,000 inside OF 90 asvs
"A no gush everything AL Address Mrs. L. ELIZA
KNIGHT, Brooklyn POstOnice.
Mr. Ayrcs saw this seductive offer and answered
It, asking an interview, thinking that the advertiser
needed money ana willing tO give bonus Of 5000
for the use of 81 900 for three months. Mrs Knight
invited him to call at her house in Putnamave. and
when he went there he found fascinating woman
of middle age who explained that she had been "a
widow few months, and that her husband left her
large amount of real estate which she converting
into cash. Part Of it consisted of 100000 acres Il
woodland in Lawrence County. Ga, which she was
anxious 10 dispose of to companies or individuals.
She offered Mr.. Ayres $50 for $1,000 ana toid
him that there timber worth $4,000 upon the
tract. A syndicate prepared to cut the timber
and turn il into cash. paying half the amount Tc-
Daglr a1ltZi1 ~
had so much Of this property she did rot know what
10 do with it, and that purchaser would be sure TO
make money and even If he failed to get the profits
on the timber, he could not lose the land, which
when cleared would be worth Sl5 an acre
Mr. Ayres closed the bargain after Mrs. Peck alias
Knight had shown him on map other tracts OF land
which she professed TO own in West Virginia. lie
returned few days later and paid $1,000 for 1000
acres and got his deed, signed f. Eliza Knight
the property being free from all incumbrance few
DAYS afterward he went to Mrs Pccks house to meet
a member Of the syndicate Nhich was cutting timber
her lands and while there, little girl came i'll
and addressed the supposititious Mrs Knight as
Grandma Peek" The woman made the little girl
keep still and sent her from the room, but the name
aroused Mr.. Ayres's suspicious lie remained
VINO wanted $500 deposited in cash. before undertaking
to cut the timber. Mr.. Ayrcs agreed to deposit the
money the next week. and he left the house Tecog
nzed friend going in They conferred later and set
foot an investigation.
eeding is claimed by John ii. Hall. who asserts
mat Mrs Peek cheated him out Of 1900 acres IN
Georgia and had sold 100000 acres out OF II.
Mr. AypS confronted Mrs. Peck with the facts in MS
possession secured the return OF his money. lio
retains the deed as a mementO OF the TRANSACTION
Another real estate dealer and LAWYER in Montague
st. recently near being vctmzed by Mrs.
Peck. She owns the house in which she lives. About
a year and a half she released from the Penn.
tentary, after serving OF four wears and hall
for trying to swindle prospective purchaser OF the
house oo-
A Tribune reporter called last evening at No. 3o1
l.,,f l,ial- hpt IA
Mrs. knight. Mrs. knight refused to be seen. IN
other woman, who said She va, Mr.. knlGlts sister,
said that her sister would and that no ad.
vertisemcnt had been OUt from that house. and
person.