The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-10-17
Flseced Out Of $50, 900. All He Had, by an
Adopted Daughter and then Induced to In.
dorse Two Forged Notes of 81, 900 Each.
Illustration of The Truth of the Old Saw
"There's No Fool like an Old Fool"
Queer Defense of Mr.. White. Who. When Ar
rested for Larceny. Said He Had Been Prom.
ised $4,000 for Marrying His Accuser.
HE WAS OLD AND SHE WICKED.

Troubles Of Consul General Ruiz, Who Fell
Into tho Clutches of Bad Woman.
NEW YORK. Oct 16-Domingo L. Ruiz.
consul-general of Ecuador. South America,
was arrested yesterday on Q charge of
forging the name of Gustavs Preston. con-
sui OF Ecuador at Boston. to two notes of
$1,000 each. Consul-General Ruiz is Q
totterina, gray haired man of seventy-two.
The prisoner was taken to the jefferson
market Police Court to-day by Detective
Sergeant Hickey. His son was present In
court with Lawyer Price, who had been
engaged to defend him. During the brief
proceedings before Justice Ryan the fact
was disclosed that Mr. Ruiz, who is in his
dotage. has been IN tho hands of band Of
conspirators who have feeced him out of
$4,000. and in their greed for more
money induced him to Indorse the two
$1,000 notes bearing the forged sigma
ture of Consul Gustave Preston. The
principal in the conspiracy which
has led to the downfall of the venerable
consul-genersl is said to be Mrs. Bertha
Laws. his adopted daughter. A warrant
was issued and she was arrested to-day.
The friends of Mr.. Ruiz say the old man
has fallen ompletely under the influence
of this woman. and has blindly obeyed her
bidding for some years past. while she
lived In luxury at his expense. He first
became acquainted with her through en-
advertisement. His wife was In the conn
try and his daughter in Europe and he ad-
vertised for a housekeeper. Mrs Laws an
swered the advertisement and she was en-
Krundstadt, of Stockholm. Sweden. She
soon got into the consul-generaPs good
graces. and in the course of few weeks
made him believe that she was his dauah-
ter by woman other than his WIFE She
seemed to rejoice at her discovery OF her
long-lost father, and was very affectionate
to him. Mr. Ruiz. who is seventy-one years
old and In his second childhood. finally
adopted Bertha as his daughter. This led
10 an estran cement with his wife and chill
dren. and be went to live with the woman.
shorJ time after this Bertha introduced
her husband to her father He was Will
lam Laws. book-maker and general sport
ing man. who is said to be now IN st. LOUIS.
The father" was delighted that his
daughter" had married so well. and read
lily forgave her deception in representing
herself as unmarried. He continued to
lavish money on her until he had expended
SSO.9e0. nearly oil he possessed. Bertha
needed more money. and the old consul
general, acting under her guidance. went
to Bosom and ealled on Consul Preston
He told the consul that he needed 5000 to
make up o sum of $1,000 he was obliged
to pny. Mr.. Preston did not have that
amount of money at hand. but he cheerful
ly gave him his note for $1,000, as Mr..
Ruiz was q friend of his. and had secured
his appointment as consul for Ecuador at
Boston.
Then MT. Ruiz and Mrs. Laws. who had
accom- panied him to Boston. returned here.
and she proceeded to spend the $4,000. She
had introduced bIm to Simon Epstein. q
man who is we'll known to the police here.
and he had advanced cash on the note. But
IS. 600 did not last her long. and in few
weeks she needed more money. As Dir.
Ruiz did not know whore to get any. the
conspIrators concocted a plan to raise it.
believing that If the truth came out the
consul generals friends would protect
them to save him from dis dissracs, but in this zig
his lawyer stated in court to- day that they
were cognizant of the story, knew all con-
cerned In it, and intend TO have them pun
ished.
Mr.. Ruiz states that in August last his
adopted daughter came to him with the
two $1,000 forged notes. and said that Mr.
Preston was a real nice man." and know
ing the CONSUL general to be financially
embarrassed. he had cent him by mail the
two notes. Mr. Ruiz was only too happy to
get the notes. which he never suspected to
be forgeries. and at once indo dorsed them. One
of the notes was cashed by Epstein. who
protected himself by taking chettel mort
gage on the furniture in the house the con-
sul-general had furnished for Mrs. Laws.
The second note was negotiated by q man
named r. Milo, who died on Friday last.
and was buried to-day. Before the notes
reached Consul Preston thev passed
through the hands of Hyman Israel, the
owner of the burned Hotel Royal Henry
Pohalsk and the National Butchers and
Drovers' Bank. When the note Epstein
held was pronounced a forgery. he fore
closed the mortgage on the furniture in
Mrs. Laws's house. and caused the consul
generals arrest on the charge of forgery.
Giving to MrJMilo's death and the absence
of important witnesses at his funeral, the
hearing in the case was adjourned until
Wednesday. and bail was fixed at s2. 900.
The consul-generaPs son offered 50. COO in
cash. bnt the justice could not receive it.
Tomorrow the money will be deposited
with the city chamberlain. and Mr.. Rniz
will be released. His counsel admits that
the notes are forgeries. but denies that his
client committed the forgery or was cog
infant of it.