Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-04-10
CONsPTRATORs IN THE TOLLS
The Story Of the Conspiracy TO Steal the
I,oring A Robertson Estate.

A BOLD SCHEME.
The story Of the Conspiracy 10 Steal the
Ioring A. Robertson Estate.
Developments are moving rapidly in re.
gard h. the well-laid conspiracy 10 steal the
estate Of the late Loring A Robertson II
New York. last Sunday Inspector Byrnes
Of New York city caused the arrest d BY
ron VI Cohen. who appeared A. the lawyer
for the "widow' ia the case. John r. Bak
er. another lawyer who was connected with
Cohen in the affair. Edward l. Studwen.
master carpenter. and the woman, CASSIE
Brooks who was procured t. impersinate
the widow. hut whose part ia the rase was
nothing more THAI being used Tor time A.
a tool II the leading conspiratOrs Another
man who l. wanted but who wisely stay
ia Stamford. Conn. taking advantage ~
the extraditiOn quarrel between Hovs. Hill
and Bulkeley. is James Daskam. an alleged
l real estate dealer Of that place. The men
| in the case we're all formerly from STAN
/ ford. Conn The story A. told by Inspector
/ Brynes's men in the New York Hsrald's a.
count is that Just after Mr. Robertson
death Daskam, Cohen aud Studwell we're
talking one evening Of how easy Il would
he 10 get hold of this property II some
/ woman should appear pretending 10 be his
widow. Daskam then said. III YOU eau get
me a bright woman who is smart enough b.
personate the widow we can take this mon
/ ey for ourselves Studwell said he would
/ undertake D. do this and two dsys later
/ brought n Cohens office a woman whom he
! called Mrs West. but after a conference
with her Daskam said she wouldn DO she
was ton old and not bright enough Fol
[ lowing this Cassie Brooks was brought by
I Dsskam in a carriage 10 Cohen's Office and
/ il was decided that she would answer the
! purpose. IAN you've got t. do. Cohen
/ told her. is 10 sign some papers ! will get
/ % for you. and every thing " ill be- all right,
/ and YOU will make a lot Of money A
/ day or two later Cohen sent for her and
she was trained IA writing her name as
| Helen Robertson. was told. how Robert
son looked, what his leading personal pc
| culiarities were, was promised a photograph
| Of him. and u bros'h inscribed From l,0r
| ing u Helen Cassie was reckless and
| well experienced IN ~icke,ne-s, but she
/ knew enough b know there va, danger IN
| such a project When she suggested this
| Cohen said
/ oh there'iI t- SINE littl- trouble -upra.-.-
! The hers will make a kick, but We 80 pat in q
I iasyet ~ very Respectable that he will stand ~
| the counsel nii thu other >d- Th- heirs arr u'th
I INK NHlt VI ~ tiisfH afhFr- aiN lurfF O. "a
/ lay ludg- who Is Que u the leirs. AMI h- lu"es
/ all the other h.irs aud they ui DO Iist uhat De-
.ay- IL is all right Then know man ehs D.,
| a lawyer 10 another state, Who Will handle thi.
matter 10 such a way that the heirs iil h. glad o.
I eth. Il will c"me out all right
she was also instructed in a set of sig
mails. movements Of COhen's head. by which
she would know when on the witness stand
10 court, when o. say YES Or no. and when
- keep still Following this at intervals Of
a few days Cohen drew up lot Of papers
VA the case, which she was brought - his
Office 70 sign. Then it was decided by Das
kan and Cohen 70 take the woman out Of
the state for a while and Daskam went
| with her 10 Philadelphia Here she was
kept ia his charge while the court proceed
/ ings we're going on Son there began 10
/ lie rumors uf trouble The heirs auI their
lawyers were beginning % give the bust
ness an uncomfortable look for the ronspira
tors. aud finally Cohen himself appeared
in Philadelphia, had an excited Interview
with the Brooks woman. told her the ~ hole
thing was coming out in some newspaper
and tried ~ have her sign a paper drclAr
ing that she was not Robertson widow. 50
a. to throS them OF the track but the
woman wouldn't sign She had had no
money she was mad with Cohen and Das
! kan, and knew ton much about the ways Of
the wicked world u he frightened by any
thing they might tell her soon after this
came the exposure IN the newspapers
| whereupon baskAm aud Cohen went 10
Evsrts. Choate q Beaman. attorneys for
the heirs, and made a statement Of the
case, clearing themselves, aud putting the
whole blame upon Cassie Brooks. on the
preteuce that she had deceived them into
the belief that she was really Robertson,
she went into great rage. and threatened
70 expose the whole thing, scornfully refus
ing Cohen's offer Of S2OO to keep still A
week ago last Saturday she sent word T.
Evarts, Choate u Beaman that she was
ready u tell everything she knew about the
affair. They had her brought 70 their Of
/ tice, aud her confession followed When
Inspector Brynes learned her story be at
once made his plans "a capture tue con
spirators and his game was baggei on sun
day, as already stated.
In connection with the arrest Of these
leading conspirators there follove Ell that IT
Mrs West who first undertook t. person
ate the Robertson widow. " Who will he
held a witness Cohen was held in
5000 bail The lawyer, John f. Baker.
previously mentioned as having some con
DectIon with Cohen in the affair. i not gen
] efally believed 70 nave had any guilty
knowledge Of what was going on The
Brooks woman is held for perjury Another
person who is held As a witness Is Harry
Belcher bar keeper at Tom Gould's dive.
who first suggested Cassie Brook, as the
right woman 20 use u put up this Job The
whole conspiracy has been uuearthed by Il
private detective named Louis Allen New
come, employed by Evarts, Choate a Bea
man
Broad hints are given Of the existence Of
still another arch consprator. the prime
mover in the whole scheme, whose name
has not been divulged It is iutimated that
he is resident Of Pennsylvania aud either
a relation Of Mr. Robertson or some one
who knew him
The Herald gave on Tuesday a sketch Of
the life of Cassie Brooks Her real name
Is Leigh. She went wrong at 10, forming
an acquaintance with rich mans son
which proved serious She has since lived
in various places, North aud South. spend
ing three years at one time in savannah,
Ga, with wealthy cotton planter Who Ike
came infatuated with her She finally took
the name of a ban ioist named Brooks Her
father is a respectable mechanic still living
in New York The only time she has been
home in all these years was year ago To
attend the funeral Of a sister who was killed
. nv falling Oue NJ a .pin1nxp