The morning times., 1895-08-18
FRAUD IS THEIR TRADE
Real Estate Sharps Investigated
by the Times Bureau.
WOMEN THEIR BEST VICTIMS
Property Sold for Which the Agents
Could Not Convey Title ii nd Had no
Authority to Sell-Criminal Pro-
ceedings VIII BE Instituted If Set
element Is Not Effected shortly.

The shady transactions OF some OF the
real estate agents aud land syndicate
promoters OF this city are about TO get them
! into serious trouble There are some
black sheep in every flock, and this is
true even OF that great number OF men
| who are engaged in doing a strictly legiti-
mate real estate business in Washington
or late The Times bureau of legal advice
has been keeping its own counsel, but
il has been quietly Investigating several
/ cases which bear prima facie stamp OF
fraud the victims in every case being
women who have unf ortunately but
vague notion or syndicateS, trusts, mort
gcs, quit claims, and such other material
as the fraudulent agent has in common with
the genuine opulent real estate broker
Of + street
This real estate business II the hands
OF sharper dealing with wome and other
uususpecting persons is a prolific source
OF fraud, and ii is being developed that
the Shystcrs who do these devious tricks
are considerable in number
FEW SAMPLE CASES
Among the simplest cases now in the
hands OF the bureau are the following:
real estate agent represented himself
to a prospective lady purchaser as therepre-
sentative OF a syndicate which had con-
tract TO purchase land or, at any rate, had
nor yet finished paying Tor it This agent
succeeded in selling lot to the lady for
5000 She paid about $50 cash and 81 @ per
momhuptothelaStpa payment, which was $50.
Thesu gentlemanacceptedth thc S5Oand
assured her that She would Immediately
have deed TO the property. This assurance
he gave the lady over a year ago ana since
thai time he has almost succeeded in keep
ing out OF her way The owners ofthe prop
crty have regained possession of it, for the
syndicate represented by this agent has
long ago gone out of existence, and it is
simply not III the power OF the agent To
comply with his undertaking.
This is one ofthe cases in which the bureau
viii institute criminal proceedings if "A
settlement is not effected within a short
time
Another instance of these peculiar trans
actions il that of a lady who was formerly
employed by the government, but who has
now left the city. she undertook 10 buy
lot on the inStalimcnt plan from a man
who claimed to DE the special agent or
the owner OF the property She paid him
the sum Of SI7O
ANOTHER LADY SWINDLED.
Shortly after she had made her last pay
ment the lot which she believed to be
hers was sold by the real owner 10 another
lady. This owner denies that the agent
ever had any authority To represent him
as to tins particular lot and states that
none of the money paId 10y the first lady
was ever paid 10 him. The real estate
agent has so far failed TO reimburse the
lady what she paid on the lot
In the third case a man bought a lot
on subdivision north Of The city from
one or these trckSters, the agreement
being 10 meet the purchase money by
monthly instalImcnts His time for re-
ceIviug the deed has long since passed, snd
more than two months ago he was promised
a deed within sixty days. He has not re-
ceivcd the deed
The mere reading of these cases viii be
sufficient TO warrant the statement that
the perpetrators OF this robbery ought
TO be punished either by criminal pro-
ceedlngs or by civiISuit The Times Bureau
lawyers think the cases cited sufficient 10
make public example OF these men vino
obtain money ON false pretenses.
4 have come TO the conclusion" said
one of the attorneys in these cases yester-
day, THAT the amount Of possible good
litigation which does not reach The law
yers' offices is larger than that which does
reach such offices"
In very many cases now before the
bureau it is shown that people have suf-
fered long and IN silence have submitted
TO oppression and imposition of the most
shameless character when they have had
plain and easy remedy at law Itis Just
such cases As these that find their way
TO the bureau OF legal advice