The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-05
SAYS HE WAS SW|NDLED.
A Fresno Farmer SWears Out
Warrants Against Three
Land Dealers.
HIS VERSION OF THE STORY.
Surprise That Paul Pelton Met With
When He Went to See His
Sonoma County Lands.

Warrants are out for the arrest of John
H. Cummings, P. Lassen and l.. w.
Snelle on charge of overreaching Paul
Pelton, Fresno farmer, in land deal.
The warrants are sworn to by ]. F. Pelton,
father of Paul Pelton, who is actively at
work with Attorney James III. Greedy try
ing to recover the 1000 out of which they
claim the young man was duped. Cum
mings is we'll known as a Spectator in
lands. Lassen and Snelle are members of
real-estate hrm.
Before the shuttle in land holdings Paul
Pelton owned eighty acres of improved
property near Fresno valued at $4,000 and
mortgaged for $4,000; also 100 acres in Te-
hama County valued at $4,000. Both places
were we'll stocked with farming imple-
ments.
According to Pelton's story the trio
worked off on him valueless $4,000 mort
gage on the Rancho de la Miseria in Sono-
ma County in exchange for his two good
holdings. Pelton charges that other per-
sons are implicated in swindling him, but
he cannot reach them at present. A good
abstract was first obtained of the Sonoma
County land and to this forged transfers
were added, so Pelton says, which COM
pletely deceived him and those to whom
he went for advice.
Pelton dates the point of deception on
the abstract at the place where Cummings
got a quitclaim deed of the property of
Attorney W. II. Allen for $40. Allen at
that time claimed to hold power of attor-
ney to sign for R. B. Knapp. On the same
day, May Is, 1898, Cummings sold the place
to W. r. Mccarthy. Pelton declares en-
phatically that Mccarthy is fictitious
person. Notary Higgins, who witnessed
his signature, insists, however, that Attor-
ney Allen brought him to the Higgins
office and properly introduced him.
Anyhow, according to Pelton, the same
day that Cummings sold the property to
Mccarthy the latter mortgaged it back to
Cummings on two notes, one 1000 and
the other for $4,000. Pelton says that no
money passed between the parties on any
of these transfers. He declares further
that Cummings never saw and does not
know anything about it.
1t was this $4,000 mortgage that Pelton
accepted two months ago in trade for his
Tehama and Fresno properties. About the
time he made the transfer Snelle, who was
helping Cummings in the business, told
him that the mortgages were perfectly
good as he himself had once held the
$1,000 mortgage.
When Pelton with the $4,000 mortgage
in his pocket went up to the Rancho de la
farmers there laughed at him. The ranch
had been divided up over twenty years be-
fore and they all held clear titles to their
places. Pelton took what he called the
forged abstract to the Recorders office and
the places where the false entries and false
seals were attached were pointed out to
him.
Pelton claims that Cummings and the
others have sold his property, so he has no
method of reaching them except in
criminal action. The matter was taken to
the Grand Jury, but it was deemed more
expedient to swear out warrants.
1t is said that Allen was mixed up in a
similar case once before. He has since dis
appeared. so Pelton says. When the
transaction was under way, Mccarthy was
represented as a wealthy Arizona miner.
According to Pelton, it was afterward adj
mitted that there was no such person.
The $4,000 mortgage that has caused all
the trouble has been on record for over two
years, but nobody paid any attention to it
on account of the way In which it was
entered.