The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-12-31
SLICK SWINDLER STARR.

His Real Estate Operations Came to a Sud-
 den Stop-Endeavored to Swlndle Mrs,
 Frances ID. Payne of Westvine-A Pron!-
 nent Boston Man Lost S6O,00O by Him
 Ills Whereabouts Unknown-Said He
 Was Going to start a Bicycle Factory.
 Recent developments have shown that the transactions of John w, Starr, who | came to this city with his family from | New York last october, were fraudulent | and that he had previously been con cened in fraudulent schemes on | larger scale even than those he at | tempted here, He said on coming to | New Haven that he was looking for a | site for locating a bicycle factory, and l after few days said that he had de- cided upon the old New Haven Nut company works at the corner of Main | and Tryon streets, WestVille, the prop erty owned at present by Mrs. Frances D. Payne and her daughter, of West | vile, but then owned by Samuel Hodg~ kinson who came here from Ohio who under the firm name of the Yale Steel company attempted 10 make steel wire | there. After Iiodgkinson vacated and the property was deeded back to Mrs, Payne starr agreed to give her $i,000 | for it, but when the time came to pay the money he could not use it. He stat ed that he was a member of the Cam bria Iron works. and had business con nectons of a high order in Boston. | He wanted to sell the property so badly | that he offered to take a bond for the | deed, and give a note secured by bonds, | but later he backed out of this propoei- | tion and wanted a deed. c. E. ThOmp- 1 son, the Orange street real estate deal CT who was handling the property for 1 Mrs. Payne refused to let him have a | deed unless the money for the property was paid. About two weeks ago Starr 1 again urged Mrs. Payne strongly to sell and she was ready to make any reason | able concessions Starr finally agreed | to give a note endorsed by Luther R, | Whippe of Boston for the full amount of the property, and would secure the note by $6000 worth of Edwards, H., Water works bonds and besides would give Mrs. Payne a mortgage for the full amount of the purchase price. MT ilOllllSUl. tllE dSFiAAt IAN4 lHNA AA- " N'b l that the deed be not executed until the note and the bonds had been investigat- ed, but Starr said that he must have the deed on a certain day, and threat ened to throw up the transaction, if the deed was not given to him This was finally done, and the mortgage was at once taken to the town clerks office with instructions to record it as soon as the warranty deed was presented. Il few days the deed came to the office ac- companied by q mortgage deed accord ing to which the property represented as being without encumbrance had been l transferred to F. Brooks of Boston, Clerk Brethauer at once notified MT. | Payne and refused to record the docu- merits MT Thompson found on going 10 Boston that the note and bonds given were worthless. He called on MT. Brooks. who Is president of the Lowell and Nashau railroad. The matter was explained to MT. Brooks, who after in- vestiga ton admitted that he had been swindled out of $i0,000 or S50000 by Starr. The latter had been arrested and placed under bonds, and in order to get released turned over the Payne property deed with it's detail of fac tcry buildings, etc, which looked big, and Starr claimed that it was fully worth $10, ,000 In addition. to this Starr turned over his alleged interest in his fathers estate in New Jersey, which he claimed was valued al $25 00o.
 On inves tigation Mr. Brooks had just found that the Starr estate had been settled years ago. MT Brooks added that this deed was another of Stars schemes.
 President Brooks, who is several times a millionaire, has agreed to settle the matter without delay and in order to make clear record, new deed is be- ing drawn transferring the property back to Mrs. Payne. Mir Thompson, who has always been suspicious of Starr, had arranged to have Town 4 Clerk Brethauer enioined from record ing any transfer which Starr might at tempt to make, so that Mrs. Payne's interest was in no way jeopardized,
 Starr and his foreman, who was to be employed in the bicycle factory, left tCwn about two weeks ago. Starr had an abundance of water works bonds a. his command and it is believed that ha has inviegled several prominent financial men to these enterprises. He started negotiations with Attorney Bur- ton Mansfield for the land adjoining the Payne property, and by the Ann M. Mix estate, but did not go very far with them. He was a glib talker and appeared to be thoroughly familiar with the bicycle business
 Town Clerk Brethaur's prompt action in this and other matters shows that he is thorough and alert official and Agent Thompson has demonstrated his kcenness in protecting the interests of his client.