The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-03-08
They Forge Mrs. Cristy's Name
on a Deed.
AMOUNTS RAISED TEN TIMES
Carl TiedemaBn Wanted by the Police
for a Transaction Which In
wolves Many Swindles.

1uoNu yesterday, when a fictitious sale of
zeal estate for $500 and a mortgage for
$4,000 appeared on the Breviate of
Records.
The detectives had been investigating
the case until late at night, but failed to
discover any facts of Importance. Only
the bare facts, sufficient in themselves TO
show that an extensive fraud had been
committed. was before them, and for that
reason it was kept secret until yesterday,
when BOvee. Toy Il Co., agent for lady
whose name and property had been used
to operate the scheme. discovered to their
surprise what had taken place.
On Tuesday afternoon John G. Noonan,
Chief Deputy Recorder, told Chief Crowley
OF transaction IN the Recorders Office
which aroused his suspicious. According
to his story James b. Mulcahy, who keeps
cigar-stOre at 205 Larkin street. entered
the Recorders Office at II 80 A. NJ. and
spoke to him about papers he desired to
place on record. Mulcahy asked as a favor
that the documents be recorded that after
noon. because the party interested wished
to leave town Immediately. To accommo-
date him the papers were duly filed, one a
deed from Mrs. Harriet p. Cristy TO Horace
G. p att of the block bounded by Lake
and California streets, Fifteenth and Six
teenth avenues. the other a mortgage from
Horace G. Pratt to Alonzo Thayer for
$4,000 The amount OF the deed was
$50, 00O
Further developments disclose the start
ling fact that these records were fraudu-
lent, that a clever scheme had been sue
cessfully carried cut and possibly thai
somebody had been cheated to the extent
of $4,000
The papers were taken away from the
Hall of Records by Mulcahy, who gave
them to Adrian Egbert. clerk for Tiede-
mann & Carr. business agents at $50 Market
street. After that they disappeared. and
with them went Tiedemann & Carr. as
neither of these entrrprising agents could
be found up to a late hour last night by
several searching parties. The name of
Mrs. Cristy was forged, and there is good
reason to believe that Horace G. Pratt is
myth. But the identity of Alonzo Thayer,
who is supposed TO have been the victim,
was not established. In view of this
overpowering combination of circum-
stances the operators deemed it prudentto
hide or get away from San francisco as
fast as steam could take them.
The documents were signed and sworn
TO before Lee ID. Craig, notary public, but
he thought nothing of the matter In his
recollection the amount in the deed was |
$1,000 and the mortgage $500. These |
figures were quite reasonable. and as
Tiedemann, who procured the documents
and was known to Craig. introduced Mrs. |
"Cristy" and Pratt, the notary had no |
cause for suspicion. But before the docu-
mems were recorded the figures were
raised to $4,000 on the deed and $4,000
on the mortgage.
Why this change was made has been
accounted for by the fact that a deed of
mortgage OF large denomination when
manipulated by Tiedemann & Carr would
excite suspicious doubts, which in turn
might ruin the game. 1t was easier and
more satisfactory to run through the usual
channels an unimporlant transaction and
at the last n oment previous to recording
to raise the amounts. The person loaning
money. ii ignorant of city real estate bust
ness, could be duped by such method.
Deputy Recorder Noonan was made sus-
pcous by the part Mulcahy played in fl
ing the papers. Mulcahy claims to have
known Doc" Tiedemann for years in
political clubs and as politician. Null
cahy has held various offices in the CITY
Hall. but now keeps cigar-store on Lar
kin street opposite that building. His
friend Tiedemann called 10 see him and re-
quested him to give Louis Schloss. who
lOiters about the City Hall and is q visitor
of Mulcahy's stUre, permission to take
deed and mortgage TO the Recorders Office
and have them rushed through that dav.
Schloss did not come around so Mulcahv
went himself with the documents and had
them recorded. On his second visit he was
accompanied by Schloss. and this set the
Deputy Recorder thinking. Anyhow, the
papers were given to Mulcahy after beng
recorded. Schloss was given 81 so for his
work out of $50 piece which Tiedemann
left with the cigar-dealer to pay expenses.
Later in the evening Adrian Egbert
Iiedemsnn's clerk. called at Mulcahy's |
store and got the papers.
Yesterday morning Bovee, Toy & Co.,
the real-estate agents, read in the breviate |
OF records that their client, Mrs. Harriet |
Crisiy. had sold block o; land in Rich |
mond for $4,000. Mrs. Cristy had re-
turned from Europe only few days be- |
fore and had refused $4,000 for the |
property. She was seen at her home, |
1888 Pacific avenue. So TAR as she was
concerned the transfer was false, as her |
signature had not been written to the |
deed and she had made no sale
The name Horace g. Pratt was supposed |
to he iypogra hical mistske and should |
be Horace G. Platt But he knew nothing
of the matter
AloDzo Thayer. the third party, is from |
Lewiston. Fergus County, Montana, or at |
least Tiedemann stated so much to Notary |
Craig. AS the record has it. he loaned |
$4,000 at 9 per cent CD the bogus deed. |
The highest interest is per cent in banks, |
and for private loans per cent 1t is |
thought that Thayer was tempted by large |
interest to part with his money. or that |
possibly another motive prompted the |
scheme-to raise money on the mortgage |
by selling it for a comparatively small |
sum, or by disposing of haIf-interest in it. |
The woman who appeared before Notary |
Craig was about 40 years of age. of me-
dunn height. and wore dark clothing. Be- |
yond this meager description nothing was
known of her yesterday. She was accom- |