The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-20
THE STRAW BOND BOOM.
TWO CLEARING CASES ARE BEING
INVESTIGATED BY THE
POLICE.
FORGERY AND PERJURY COMMITTED
BY Two MEN BEFORE
JUDGE SLACK.

The police are investigating two straw
bond cases, in one of which, at least, both
perjury and forgery are involved.
HI. B. Skinner, an ex-bellboy at the
Baldwin Hotel, was arrested in Kings
County last September on the charge of
keeping his wife in house of i'll fame.
The case was tried in the Superior Court of
that county, and the jury failed to agree.
The second trial was fixed for Novem-
Der 8.
Skinner was anxious to be released on
bonds, and he told the Sheriff that as he
was stranger In Kings County he would
have to get bondsmen in San Francisco.
This was agreed to, and on October 80
Judge Slack was waited upon by Attorney
John A. Harris and two men whom he in
troduced as bondsmen for Skinner
The bond was for $3.50, and the two men
represented themselves as William q. Lin
dop, decorator, AZ South Park, and August
Schmidt, baker, SIS West Mission street.
The former qualified ON the property sos
Baker street and the latter on the property
where he resided. Judge Slack sent the
bond to Kings County, and it was in
dorsed by Judge Jacobs.
When the case was called in the Superior
Court of Kings County on November 8
Skinner failed to appear and his bond was
declared forfeited. 1t was forwarded to this
city, and Attorney ODonnell began suit to
recover the amount from the two bonds
men. Lindopa and Schmidt were more than
surprised, and lost no time in waiting upon
Attorney O'Donnell. They declared they
had not signed any such bond and never
heard of it till served with the papers in
the suit.
Attorney O'Donnell took them to Judge
Slack, and the Judge at once said they were
not the men who swore to the bond before
him.
The facts were laid before Captain Lees
and he had Skinner arrested. He sent a
dispatch to the Sheriff of Kings County,
and received reply yesterday that an Off
Ger would leave at once to take Skinner
back
Attorney Harris had an interview with
Captain Lees. He said he was asked by
Jack O'Connor to get Judge Slack to accept
the bond. He did not personally know
the two men who qualified on the bond,
and had no reason to believe they were
other than they represented themselves
to be.
The efforts of the police are now being
concentrated to find the two men who COM
| mltted forgery and perjury.
The other case is that of Edward Smith,
waiter. who was arrested for burglary on
| September "a. j. 7. Cognet Police Court
| practitioner, on October 10, applied to
| Judge Joachimsen for Smith S release on
$1,000 bonds. He had two sureties with
him, George H. Green and Rebecca Jacobs.
Green swore that he owned lots 2, 3 and in
! the LandregaD Tract, Berkeley, worth $4,000
and mortgaged for $3.50. Rebecca Jacobs, an
elderly woman, swore she owned lots q
and y in blocks B and G, Lorin Heights,
Oakland and 100 acres in MERGED County
valued at $4,000 and nortgaged for $500.
The bond was accepted.
When the case was called in Judge
| Joachlmsen court Smith did not appear
and his bonds were declared forfeited.
Green pleaded for time to find Smith, but
| after month or two having failed to do SO
| the bond was handed to Attorney O'Don-
nell
He commenced an investigation on Mon
| day and yesterday reported the result to
| Captain Lees. He said he found that
/ Green was hanger-on around the Police
| Courts He had examined the records of
| Alameda County and ascertained that the
| lots described by Green stood in his name,
! but that suit involving the title to them
! was III progress, and anyway they were
not worth over 5000 with a clear title.
Besides, they were mortgaged for $3.50,
| Slo0 more than their actual worth.
Mrs. Jacobs gave her address as 2115
| Powell street, but she did not live there
nor was she known in that neighborhood.
| No one by the name of Rebecca Jacobs
| owned any real estate III Alameda County,
and there was no such property as that
described in the bond.
Sarah Jacobs owned some fine lots on
Peralta Heights, and upon the deed George
| II. Green S name appeared as a witness to
the signatures. 1t is therefore supposed
she IS the woman who qualified as Rebecea
JACOBS, and acting on this supposltlon At
torney, O'DonnelI attached the property
yesterday. 1t is worth about $1,000 and is
| mortgaged for $4,000.
Green and Mrs Davis are not new to the
! bond business. They were the sureties on
the bond of J. II. Black. the diamond rob-
Der, who was arrested in Sacramento and
jumped his bonds. Suit has been COM
menced In Sacramento County against
Green and Mrs. Jacobs on this bond.
The Grand Jury will probably be asked
to investigate the system of accepting
bonds, with the object of suggesting
remedy against professional and straw
bondsmen going on bonds.
"a DOLLAR SEEMS A COOP DEAL OF MONEY in
these hard timeS.n Yes hut if Won have Cough,