The morning call., 1890-09-15
Il SUCCESSFUL IMPEEsoNArIoN.

The fraud by which an unknown female
managed to get eight thousand dollars out
Of Thomas Crane is one of the most in
genious cases of representation on record.
As long ago as in March last the lady in
question called on l. E. Wells. real estate
dealer Of Kearny street, aud asked him to
sell fer price set piece Of property on the
corner of Ellis and Franklin. She said that
she was Miss Emma L. Dick of , Fair Oaks
Street-there being, in fact, person OF that
name at that address. She left the property
in Wells hands for several months during
which period she called upon him frequently,
50 that he became well acquainted with her
face. If, during this period, it had ever oc
cured to Wells TO call on Miss Dick at her
residence, the fraud would have been dis
covered before any harm was done. This
risk the unknown female must nave con-
cluded to run. As it Glanced, Wells never
went near Fair Oaks street, and had no
reason to suspect the identity of his client.
One day not long ago he reported that be
could not effect sale at the price desired,
and his client then asked him to borrow
eight thousand dollars on the property. The
title being clear and the abstract wlthOu.
flaw the money was soon found. 1t was
furnished by Thomas Crane, who paid II
over in coin in the Office of his lawyers,
Moore & Moore. The latter drew the mort
gage, which was acknowledged before Ii.
A. Cobb, notary public who certified to the
identity of the mortgagor on the strength OF
Wells statement that she was Miss Dick
This was on Saturday, September 9th.
The following day was Sunday, and the
TWO following days were holidays. 1t was
thus not till Wednesday that the usual pub
LEGATION of the mortgage was made. 1t
reached the eye of Miss Dicks agent, W.
Burke; he Immediately repaired to his eli
ent's residence to institute inquiry, and the
whole thing came out. Meanwhile, the
fraudulent Miss Dick had had three days
start of the iolice to make her escape with
hex booty.
On the face of the circumstances the only
person who seems to be to blame is the No
tary Cobb. who certified tn the identity Of a
person whom he did not know, and who was
IN fact an mpostor. But we see notaries de-
this almost every day. As Cobb naively re-
marks: How could we do business if we
acted otherwise?" As the object of notarial
a Embellishments is to prevent impersona-
tons, people vii! be inclined to think that #
notarial business cannot be conducted with
out converting the necessary Identification
into a mere form, its usefulness is not ap-
parent.
In the East frauds OF this character have
frequently come 10 light Only the other
day the confidential clerk of Shipman, Lar
vogue & Barlow of New York managed to
raise large sum Of money by m0rtgaging
property, the title deeds to which happened
to lie in his hands. A still more curious
case occurred few years ago on Staten
Island a real estate broker received an or
der from lady who may be called Mrs. A,
and who resided at New Haven, Conn, to
sell house and lot which she owned on the
island. The broker found purchaser, who
happened to be also a lady, informed his
client by letter and in due course received
Il reply agreeing to tie sale on the terms
proposed. The New Haven lady stated that
her health was so poor that she could not
visit the island, but that if deed were for
warded to her she would execute it before
a notary on receipt of the money. The plan
was carried out, the money was paid over by
the next mail, the purchaser got her deed
duly acknowledged and moved into the
house.
Some weeks afterward Mrs. happened
to visit the island and drove past the house,
which she complained to companion she
was unable to rent. To her surprise she
found it occupied. Alighting she sought an
explanation Of this intrusion upon her prop
erty. The occupant replied that she had
bought the house from Mrs. A. Mrs. in
formed her that she had never sold it, nor
thought of selling it. Explanations followed
and the development of the fraud led to
lawSuit