Evening journal., 1892-10-17
CONSUL RUIZ SWINDLED
Duped by a Shrewd Female
Sharp and Her Confcderates.
HEWAsHYPEOTIzED BYTHBTRAUD

Her as His Daughter and Then Bed
Him for over $50. .OoO-A Forgery at
Last Exposed the Villains schcnc.
Nrw YORK, oct 17-Totterng and gray
haired Consul General Domingo l.. Ruiz,
Of the republic of Ecuador, was arrested
on two charges of forgery and taken To- the
jefferson Market police court by Detective
Sergeant Thomas Hickey, of the central
Office.
During the brief proceedings before jus
tice Ryan the fact leaked out that Senor
Ruiz who Is in his dotage, has been for
some time in the hands Of a band Of con-
spirntors, who have ilcoced him out of S30,-
900. In their greed for more money these
rascals induced him TO indorse two
BLOOD notes bearing the forged signature
of Consul Gustayo Preston, Ruiz's ap-
pointee, who represents Ecuador ia Boston.
The principal in the conspiracy which hns
led 10 the downfall of the venerable consul
general Is said % be Mrs. Bertha Laws, Dis
adopted daughter, who lives Ga great style
lt No. % West End avenue A warrant
was issued for her arrest, and She was ap-
pretended and locked up in the Mercer
street station
The friends of Consul General Ruiz say
hat the old man WAS bypnotized by the de
signing woman, and has done her bidding
ior the past few years. II is also asserted
that Mrs. Laws is a shrcwd sharper. who
has lived in luxury at the old gentleman
expense.
a shrcwd sh@rpcr.
This woman first became acquainted with
senior Ruiz through an advertisement, at
the time his wife was i'm this country, while
his daughter was travelling ina Europe
He advertised for a housckecper. and
Mrs. Laws who was then plain Bertha
krundstat, of Stockholm, Sweden. an
swered the notice, and was soon installed
as housekceper. She quickly ingratiated
herself with the simple and kindly South
American, and in few weeks made him
believe that she was his daughter by wo-
man other than his wife
She seemed To- rejoice at the discovery of
her long lost father. She acted most alfec
tionatoly toward the consul general, who d.
IA his second childhOod-the scnor having
turned his seyenty-second year. She so
worked on Ruiz that he finally believed her
story, aud TO settle matters and avoid scan
dal IN bis family adopted the woman as his
daughter
This led to sort of an estrangemcnt
with his wife and children, and the consul
general took up residence with the house
keeper Next Bertha introduced the old
man to her husband William Laws, a
bookmaker and general sporting man,
who is said 10 be 40 present in ST. Louis.
Senor Ruiz was delighted TO find out that
his adopted daughter had married so WELL
it.lI las d.
until $4,000 of his good money had van
ished with surprising quickness The old
gentleman felt that 10 would never do for
his adopted daughter to be short of funds
and so last July, accompanied by Mrs
Laws, he went to Boston, where at 31
& Grand street he met Consul Preston. He
] told the latter that hc was hard pressed for
j $4,000, and as he had 81 900 he was anN-
L ious TO raise q loan of sa 600 to make mp the
I amount Preston was only too happy TO
I give him his note for 5000, as Senior Ruiz
y was q friend OF his and had given him the
appointment of Ecuador's representative at
s. he port OF Boston.
y The pair returned TO this city, and Mrs.
Il Laws introduced the old man 10 Simon Up
n stein. of s3 East One Hundred and Seventh
Il street. known 10 the police as q person who
i lad been engaged in shady transactions.
IL le cashed the draft and Mrs Laws pOck.
,ted the money.
But $1,000 was a mere bagatclle, and I'm a
ew weeks the funds gave out. More money
was needed, and as Ruiz did not know
where to get amy the consprators hit upon
q plan, expecting that il the truth cam,
lut the consul generals friends would pay
me forged notes 10 avoid the disgrace. But
I n this they made serious mistake, ano
he consul generals son and lawyer dc
'lare that they are cognizant of the con
piracy and know all concerned m it, an,
! propose to have them punished.
Consul Buiz's Story.
Senior Ruiz denies that he forged Consu
4 prcston's name TO the two $1,000 notU
which form the basis OF the prosecution
I Ills story Is that last August his adope.
laughter, In "a happy mood, showed hin
y De 81 Geo notes and said "that Mr. Pres
on must De real nice man. knowing
I he consul general was financially cmbar
fassed, he had sent them ON from Boston
She had found them, she said i'm am envel
Z lpc which had come by mail. Ruiz wa
only too happy to get money, and believing
fhe checks 60 be genuine indorsed them
/ One of these was negotiated by Epstein
who protected himself by q chattel mort
T.
residence ON West End avenue. The Sc,
md one was negotiated with "a man name
f r. Milo, who died on last Friday aud wa
buried yesterday.
Before making their WAY 60 Mr. Presto
he forged checks passed thrmgh the hand
u Ueyman Israel, owner of the bune
l Hotel Royal; Henry Pohalsk, of 90 We.
4 )ne Hundred and Nineteenth street au
/ he National Butchers and Drovers banl
4 When the check was pronounced a forger
: / Epstein iorociosed the mortgage and mad
s u seizure at the West f'nd avenue hous
I { Again the woman Laws, it is alleged, az
{ pcaled 20 Papa Ruiz TO save her froi
\ disaster He was unable to obtain am
more funds and the criminal prosecutiC
, which led 60 the consul general arrest w'
bcgun.
Owing TO Milo's death and theabsence'
e I important witnesses at the funeral a
y hearing was adjourned until Wcdnesda
Lawyer Price admitted that Consul Pre-
/ toms signatures 90 the checks were "a
h i gpric,S Ruiz was held ina 5000 BAIL II
II, I ON offered that sum in cash. but Justi
Ryan refused 90 accept 10. The money vi
{ lc deposited with the city chamberlain an
chen senior Ruiz viii he released
A Dig Blaze In Jersey City.