The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-03-03
TWO CLEVER SWINDLERS
Induced a West Hoboken Man
to Invest in a "Fake"
Oil Scheme.

Miss Hattie Baldwin of No. IA John street,
Newark, was arrested yesterday by Deputy
Sheriff George w. Bell, on complaint Of
William H. Becroft of No. 48 Spring street,
West Hoboken. Becroft claims that Hattie
Baldwin is the accomplice of one George
Kean, also of No. IA John street, Newark,
who defrauded him out of 50, 500. She was
committed to the County Jail in default OF
bail to await trial There is warrant out
for Kean also. but up to the present time he
has not been arrested He has skipped the
State and is supposed to be in Pittsburg, Pa
BEcRoFT's STORY
Becroft's story of the swindle is as follows;
-"George Kean came to my office on or
about May Is, 1893, and we had conversa-
ton on the manufacture and profits of
kerosine oil. On his representation and as
surance, he finally induced me to embark
with him in the manufacture of kerosene
oil, and other products obtained
from petroleum. From May 10,
1885, he solicited monies from
me at various times amounting to $259,l5,
ALWAYS assuring me that / should receive the
amount back when we would have the first
draw of oil off, He also said to me If called
upon him for the above money he would
make his sister, with whom he lived, raise
the money by mortgaging some OF her prop
erty she owned in East Orange. On February
II last | ascertained that what he told me
was false. He told me that his sister Hattie
Baldwin, was widow. This is false; her
husband is alive and resides in East Orange
at the present time He said that she was
his sister and that her maiden name was
Hattie Smith, but some time ago she eloped
with Kean. / have also discovered that she
never owned any property in East Orange
or any other place, but the property repre-
hyyh is
by her mother-in-law, Mrs Baldwin.
MoRTGAGED HIS PROPERTY.
sThis George Kean, by his false represen-
tations induced me to increase the the mort
gage on my property in West Hoboken,
whereby realized 81 800 in cash, on the as
surance of Kean that he would raise like
sum and place it in the business. This
amount was to be raised by taking a mort
gage on the property represented as belong
ing TO this sister of his Hattie Baldwin,.
He also induced me to spend money in the
purchase of material to form a
plant to manufacture oil in Harrison, on
which plant I was at work to
finish when Kean disappeared. On January
25 gave him 81 900 with the understanding
that the money should be used in the pur-
chase of machinery for the plant He said
to me at this time that he had ordered the
machinery from a man who would
make it much cheaper, but want
ed money to buy the material
By various excuses he put me off until Feb
ruary 10, when he disappeared with the
money. By inquiries | ascertained that ne
had never ordered any machinery whatever,
and | then learned that Kean, through his
false statements and representations, did,
with the assistance of Hatty Baldwin, delib-
erately swindle me-"
BALDWIN WILL SEEK A DIVORCE.
Mr. Baldwin was IN Judge Wilson's court
this morning, and said he would immediate
" make application for an absolute divorce
from his wife Hattie, who, he claims, not
only helped Kean in his swindling, but was
also his mistress. -4.-.sss4..--..
The case VIII come up as soon as Kean is
arrested.