The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-10-21
THEFT OF 4 Town LOT.
A Dead Man Impersonated
to a Notary Public.
SHADY REAL ESTATE DEAF.
Land In San Francisco Conveyed bv n..,
signed Many Weeks After tina
rS' Owners Death.


These are harsh words. hn.
the title TO certain prenart,, SeaIch OF
Heights has disclosed the fact ,ho oa oernal
be applied with certainty 70 nsrss 10y can
have been or probably are still do,,, VINO VINO
ness in this city. The story she's ousi-
more bareIaced and daring scheme of will
lRiDy was never attempted by real-estate
sharks In this or any other part NJ tbs
country, and with ordinary precautions az
crime would certainly have been snoodiI,,
discovered. yet it has only inst haen -,
eartnea after lapse of upward of twslvo
years. we've
The perpetrators. IL still alive. have as-
capped detection hitherto, but now that tha
trail has once been struck the pursuit will
be hot. and to The CALL will be given the
credit of exposing the villainous schemes of
men whose criminal acts may vitIate the
titles of many of those ignorant holders Of
lands who fail to keep the titles to their
property searched or carefully read the
daily list of registered transfers OF real
estate.
Patrick MeManus was for many years
poor but honest and hardworking citizen of
San Francisco. He managed by dnt of
the strictest economy to support and edu-
cute his family, and also save suffi cisnt
money TO purchase three lots of land upon
the BeThal Raneho,or as 1t is now called the
BeTasl Heights.
an October 16. 1861. he acquired the title
10 lots rs loo anu 55S on the map OF the
portion Of the city in question, known as
gift map l. The deed was duly registered.
and on September 10. 1869. he sold lots I2S
and $50 to one George j. Browne, retaining
lot 55s ior himself. and during the last four
years Of his life he always talked of present.
ing the lot TO his favorte daughter, Susie.
On January II, 1879, Patrick MeManps
died, and was buried on the 18th in Lone
Mountain Cemetery. He left behind him
bis widow, Catherine c. McManus. who ia
still living in San Francisco. and five chill
dren-Eugene, Frank, Susie, Catherine and
Mary Ellen. The father died intestate and
Mrs. McManus thinking that the lot of
land on Bernal Heights belonged as of
right to her daughter Susie. for she held
the wishes Of her dead husband sacred, let
tine run on without giving second thought
70 the matter.
The years flew by. the daughter Catherine
married Frederick c. Keller, young trades
man Of 65I Broadway. and it is he who
in g lucky moment few days ago, in read
ing the Tesl-estate advertisements of The
CALL, stumbled upon one that startled him.
There, staring him in the face, was the an
nosIHUcnient that lot 558 OF the Bernal
rancho was to be sold by private contract.
Keller knew the number OF the lot, for his
wife and her mother had talked with him
about It and urged him to look after il, and
more frequently Of late since the death of
Susie McManus, which occurred several
months ago. They thought that the prop
eTty had better be sold and the proceeds
divided among the children, but still nothing
was done.
AS soon, therefore, as Keller had read the
advertisement be held a hurried consulta-
ton with his relatives and Immediately
caused q search of the title 20 be made. The
result Of the search astonshed him more
thu avci, aud he placed the matter in the
Bands OF Attorneys George and Cannon.
Who reverted it. They found that not
outstanding the fact that Patrick Nc
Asnus had died on January II, 1879, and
vas in bis grave two days afterward, a
deed puTp0rted TO be executed by the dead
man IN the presence OF Charles Z. Kelly,
the notary public of 2l3 SaBsome street, in
favor Of William Hale. q reai-estate agent of
Lick place, and recorded on March Of
The same year. nearly three months after
the death Of the holder of the fee simple.
There then was the forgery and fraud,
Tor the two boys OF the dead Patrick Nc
Aanus were only aged respectively 10 and
relations at all of the dead man who could
venture to sign his name, and there is not
The least DOUBT but that the perpetrator
& The crime, mingling with shady real
estate deals, had read Of the. death OF the
eWneF and srgu0S with himself to this
ssact. ''Iere is an illiterate man dead; he
owned this lot; none of his people will
ever bother about this unimproyed prop
eTty or search the title for years to come.
So / can easily help myself TO it, as with my
facilities l can readily find purchaser who
will ask no questions"
Anyhow there is the fact that this i'm
pudent fraud and forgery was committed
and the lot transferred 10y the bogus Patrick
McManus TO William Hale for the nominal
face consideration Of So. Hale In turn
decided the lot to one Anthony Blink on Sep
tent Der 10, 1879 for S200, while Blink shortly
afterwerd conveyed the property TO the
present registered owners, Fritz kayser,
one Of the prcprietors of the Coliseum
liquor saloon, go Market street, and Philip
KiOse. who resides at the Valencia-street
Hotel. 718 Valencia street. These gentle
men or their representatives now hold the
AeManus property.
HE first person connected Win the max
Ing Of tie forged deed seen was Charles 4.
Kelly. the notary. who atiested the sigma
tBre of tho fcrger who represented the dead
man, Patrick McManus. He turned up bis
books and found the entry made On harcn
l, 1873, and stated that McManus signed the
DEED 10 his presence on that day.
WHO introduced and youched LOT the
man ?" was asked.
We'll" was the reply. sit is so long ago
that cannot be positive. but have little
doubt but that 1t was Hale himself, Tor old
l0t Of business with him about that tlIne.
When informed that Patrick McManus
was dead and buried at the time that be had
acknowledged the deed 10 be executed by
him the notary became very much perturDeo.
He then proceeded to state that mere
after he would have nothing to do with
Hale. Kelly, however. could not even
by he aid of his books refresh bis memory
of the transaction. He showed consluera-
bic agitation. and begged the IepoLtel 70
see Hale about the matter without ooiay.
ana taol- -o.eession ~ the deed and prop
: personator " thhss deceased man. occupies an
oiilca al Lick place. at the back OF the
premises OF a MontgOmery-street firm.
a CALL reporter tried 10 find him several
times, but the answer made by the clerk or
person in charge of the office always was
That he was 'out Of town." Refusing TO
state the exact nature OF his business the
reporter at length wormed out the fact that
dale had nursery garden ever IN Berke-
ley, but il was uncertain when be would De
In The city. Finally a note carefully woIded
Was sent to Mr.. Hale by messenger, and the
eject was to bring Mr.. Hale to town that
evening. lie stated that he remembered
nothing about the transaction.
Il have bought so many OF these cheap
l3ts, said he, during the past few years,
both personally and through agents, that
really after nearly thirteen years u Is nm
possible to remember about one particular
Instance"
But are not you real estate people always
very careful 10 look into the title ana MAKE
sure Of the Identity OF the yender DeioIe
you buy land?" queried the reporter.
Not always" was the reply. Il never
bother as long as / know the title OF th9
land is all right. but in many instances l
rave ali 20 my statesmen and simply pay the
money and take over the deeds without ask
ing any questions"
When told Of the serious circumstances
surrounding the conveyance Of McManus'
and 10 him by a forged deed. and Notary
helys statement that it was probable thai
ne had identified the forger as McManus 10
nIs presence, be changed bis tone consid-
sIably. be reiterated his protestations,
however, that his memory was deficient.
and begged for couple Of days In which to
look into the matter,
lie Is still looking into 1t. He has made
10 report and cannot he found a his Office.