St. Paul daily globe., 1895-12-16
BORROWED FARM
CLEVER sWINDLERS IMPOSE ON
THE TITLE INSURANCE.
COMPANY.
SECURED $500 IN COLD CASH
BY FORGING 4 MORTGAGE ON
PROPERTY OWNED BY +. ii.
Ii. SCHMIDT.
Charged With Being the Accom-
pIice of Her Husband in the
Crime.

Clara Rogers was the name given
by demure little woman brought to
the central police station Saturday
morning by Inspectors Hoy and Law
renee. She is held pending an in
vestigation, and, if possible, the ar
rest of her husband. The specific
charge to be placed against her will
be forgery. Accompanying her to
the station is pretty three-year-old
girl.
\ local title and insurance COM
pany is mourning the loss of $500 in
cold, hard cash, secured by means of
a clever swindle, it is claimed. The
woman is alleged to be a party to
the transaction, and TO have commit
ted a bold forgery. The swindle it
self was planned and carried out by
her husband, it is said.
The woman's name is Mrs. John
IIine. Until Saturday she and her
ed at 319 Bryant avenue north. Mrs.
Hine was arrested Saturday morn
ing, after a brief investigation by the
two detectives. Hine himself has
deserted his wife and baby, leaving
the woman alone to face the crime
to have led her.
Frederick H.B. Schmidt is the name
of a well-to-do old gentleman who
resides at 116 Twentieth avenue
north. He and John Hine were quite
friendly. Schmidt was the possessor
Medicine lake, and desired to dispose
of it. Hine told him that he was ac-
quainted with people who would pur>
chase the property, and so represent
ed the case that Schmidt gave over
to him the deeds and abstracts.
Hine next appeared before the Min
nesota Title Insurance and Trust
company, where he represented him-
self, so it is alleged, as Frederick
H. B. Schmidt, sole owner of some
valuable farm property, which he de-
sired to mortgage. The company was
willing to place a mortgage on the
property, if it was as represented.
The bogus Schmidt had the abstracts
and everything looked all right. 1t
was agreed to send repre- esentatives of
the company out to inspect the prop
erty and the buildings.
Hine went to the real Schmidt and
secured from him his horse and bug
gy, and drove down to the Oneida
block, where he took the agents out
to the farm. They found it entirely
satisfactory, and were to place a
mortgage Of $500 upon it.
The mortgage on the property was
duly drawn up, and it is alleged that
Hine forged the name of Frederick
H. B. Schmidt to it. Also, it was nee
essary that Mrs. Schmidt should sign
the mortgage, and Hine brought
down Mrs. Hine, whom he introduced
as Mrs. Schmidt, and she, it is al
legged, forged Mrs. Schmidt's name.
Cash amounting to $500 was then paid
over and the mortgage duly record
ed.
All this time the real Schmidt sup
posed his friend was negotiating a sale
for him. Insurance on the farm build
ings lapsed last week. The title in
surance company desired them to be
properly protected, and consequently a
representative was sent to the real
Schmidt's residence, at 116 Twentith
avenue north. The agent introduced
himself to the real Schmidt and then
proceeded to ask about the fire insur-
ance.
Schmidt demanded to know, after a
short conversation, What the --
business was it of the title insurance
company anyhow if the buildings were
not insured?"
The agent replied that his company
had but recently loaned Mr.. Schmidt
$500 on the property. The real Mr..
Schmidt replied that the agent was a
-, well, was not telling the truth. He
was Frederick H. B. Schmidt, and had
not mortgaged his farm to anybody,
and wasn't going to. The agent saw
! the horse and buggy and replied that
there was the horse and buggy that
! Schmidt had driven him out to inspect
| the property in. Then it dawned upon
! the real Mr.. Schmidt and upon the
agent, too, that some one had been
| badly duped.
Investigations followed, and superin-
| tendent Smith was consulted, and de-
! tailed Detectives Hoy and Lawrence
upon the case. Hine, however, had got
wind that trouble was brewing, and he
is said to have completely disappeared
Saturday, leaving his wife alone to
| face the accusation. Hines house was
under police surveillance Saturday
night and yesterday, and the detectives
watched every outgoing train, but he
could not be found, nor could they get
any trace of him. Hine was formerly
an insurance agent and resided or
| Twentieth avenue north, being a neigh
! Dor of Schmidt's, in which way he be-
came acquainted with him.