The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-10-11
ROPER ON THE RACK.
Tells What Niee, Generous
People the Syndicate
Officers Are.

~
In he trial of Osman w. Roper. the
manager of~the swindling Mutual Lana
and Building Syndicate, in the Court OF
| General Sessions yesterday afternoon,
Prosecutor Winfield had the pleasure OF
prodding ex-Judge Roderick b. Sey-
/ mour, whose connection with the synol-
cate has placed him in a position that
is embarrassing. to say the least. MT.
James w. Donelan, a clerk for beoie'
MCGEE & Bedle, who was present at
Roper's examination before Justice Potts
and who took stenographic notes OF the
proceedings, was called TO the stano.
| The prosecution intended to contradict
testimony by the notes, but the defense
objected to allowing the notes to be read
and Donelan was excused for the time
being.
Police Justice Potts was next called TO
the stand. He said that he recollected
when Roper was before him, but did not
remember that any checks were submit
ted as evidence. "If 1 remember cor
rectly," he said, /" it was stated that
the checks were in Plymouth and could
be produced if the case were brougnt pc,
shown the check dated April 3, with
which Renshaw paid his first installment,
and asked If he had ever seen H., ne
replied that to the best of his knowleoge
he had not.
Ex-Judge Roderick B. Seymour was
next called. He said that he was the
counsel for the syndicate, INC w wnen
in Pennsylvania replied:-"After the loan
was made to William. Thorpe ne gave
a judgment note for $4,000. The q
McGuken and was entered on the BOOKS
in his name. Thorpe p~urchaasd the
property from a man named Geaeke.
The judment note was equal to a mort
gage n we issued execution to the
Sheriff of Lucerne county. The properly
was advertised for sale and | as u
The syndicate did not have money
enough to pay the first mortgage, so
negotiated with Mrs. Tyler for the loan
of 81. 500. She agreed and gave me tne
amount necessary to make up the Slo,,,
600 from the Second National Sank, ana
it was given to me in the form OF checks;
I went to Lucerne county ana we pa
against Gedeke's attorneys. The prop
erty was knocked down to us and the
money was used in paying the purchase
PROTECTION FOR MRS. TYLER.
Il concluded that the safest way for
me to protect Mrs. Tyler would be t3
have the deed made IN ner name. l
by she agreed to give me the deed as
soon as the syndicate paid her the amount
due her. 1 then was to TURF the deco
over to the syndicate. The property IN
question was worth $4,000"
When asked if Renshaw ever attended
a meeting of the directors, Mr.. Seymour
to attend a meeting of directors, and
when it was granted him he came on.
/ asked him If he had promised to pay
to any of his patrons loans on any t eert
a rival corporation has sent an agent
to Plymouth to compete with him and
that the syndicate should make a loan
at once. Renshaw never told me that he
wanted the loan for himself or thai he
had paid any dues on the loan. | eX-
planned the position of the syndicate
exactly as 1t stood" Z
There was no cross-examination.
The sleek Roper was next called, and
as he stepped up on the stand he grim
ned as tn 9soq teafif to s as oll nUw IS l ivy
at No. 100 York street. I have lived there
four years. 1 am the secretary and treas
urer of the Mutual Land and Building
on December 10. 1890, in this city and
filed the certificate of Incorporation.
After the organization our first act was
improving it. We invested considerable
money in property in West Virginia. /
issued the stock myself to the Water
mann w Land 4s. a and sba asmO repre g9mRaHy a
cash value of $245, 800. This transaction,
however, was not carried out, as the
question Of legality was raised and we
been properly entered on the books. My
shares were also cancelled"
When asked in regard to the salaries
of the officers he said:-"The President
and Vice President received $500 each
and the Secretary and Treasurer 50, $780,"
He produced the original resolution of
the the syndi cate id to PROVE cont, this assertion RGnerl.
were not to be paid until the syndicate
was in a financial condition to warrant
it. was giyen shares, but ooY When no !
continue much longer l had them cam
Were these shares issued to you and
the syndicate affairs?" asked Prosecutor
Winfield.
No, sir replied Roper, "we could vote
TODAY's TESTIMONY.
This ended the testimony for the day.
The case was resumed at half-past ten
o'clock this morning with Roper on the
stand. The thread of yesterdays clos
ing testimony was taken up and Roper
said:-"None of the shares of the syndi-
cate were ever held by the officers SO
that they could control them"
the end of each year," he was asked.
Because they had lapsed," he re-
Why were new shares issued immedi-
ately after?'
"Because," replied Roper, the new
SnareS were TOT salary. L purchased a
great many shares from the members
without having a transfer made or the
books. | never had one cent more than
what the books show. Every cent 1
received was entered on the books"
Roper's ounse then tried to show
how the .syndicate's business was carried
or exactly like that of building and loan
associations, but Prosecutor Winfield
objected, and Roper's counsel had to
take a new tack. When further ques-
toned Roper said;-"Renshaw came to
other man. He brought a check in pay
ment of dues. for shares. He said his
friend wanted to secure a loan of 50, 800,
and that he must have it in three months
/ told him we could not do business
that way He never gave me $3.50 for
himself and never applied for a loan of
s., 900 either for himself or for his wife.
IL ! never ! told him that our syndicate had
of land in Pennsylvania which was
worth $4,000. I never told him that we
held a mortgage of SIS, 900 on the We'll
don Building or that we held mortgages
amounting to $22, 000.'
"D0DE" MORRIS GOES TO PRISON.
u-H-n D--.~L 49, -