The morning times., 1896-11-25
he OPERATED IN FORTUNES
Stephen Dutton Oh Trial for Swindling
The Godfreys Of Washington.
HIS RECORD TURNED UP
He Is Charged with Swindling wash
ington Women Out of $4,000.
Other Transactions Disclosed
Show That He Tried to Get Huge
sums from Syndicates.

New York, Nov 24.-The operations Of
Stephen A. Dutton, who is now on trial in
Part / of the court of general sessions
charged with having swnlied Mrs. Mary
Alice Godfrey and her daughter Lily Alys
Godfrey, OF Washington, ID. c., out OF prop
erJy in that city worth $55,0oo, turn out
to hare eNce!leu in magnitude anything at
tempted by the big swindlers' syndicate,
with which he operated in ut least one
TRANSACTION.
Button came to this city from Chemung
county about four years ago Ind introduced
himself 10 tile business world here as the
owner of large tracts of timber land there,
in which lie declared Senator David Is.
Hill was also interested He also de-
c.ared that Senator Hill had been his
counsel many years ago before the latter
came into political prominence.
BUYING PROPERTY WITH WIND.
About the timA that Dttoun carGe here
work was commenced on building the
docks and warehouses of the Brooklyn
Dock and Warehouse Compa ny. at the foot
of Twenly y-fifth and Twenty-siX streets,
South Brooklyn. He secured contracts TO
furnish some of the material for this WORK,
and when he was not paid he filed a
mechanics lien against the property, which
he afterward brought suit IN the supreme
court of Kings county to fotclose.
during the progress OF TINS Suit he con-
tracted to buy up all the outstanding claims
against the company, except one for $3.50
Uuu, which was Ieii by the Holland Tr.ist
Company. as representative Of the bond
holders He gota Judgment, nd the sheriff
sold the property He bought ii in, but
decree OF the court provided that before
the deed to the property was delivered
the claim of the Holland Trust Company
must be cancelled. ~
button then entered into contract with
the Holland Trust Company to pancel the
Indebtedness within certain time. He
failed To Ito ST., and the time was extended,
but he defauited again, but he never en-
tered into possession of the property, which
is still held by the Holland Trust Company.
He did have partial possession for a short
time, but he was promptly dispossessed.
Armed with the court decree, however,
he has ever since been trying to mortgage
the Brooklyn property for 5000 900, rep
and intended to pay off the claim of the
Holland Trust Company.
HETTIE GREEN DREW OUT.
Het,ic Green agreed To loan him $500 900,
but discovered the deception in time, and
drew ont Of the transaction. II. o. Have
meyer agreed to a loan of 5000 900, and
actually deposited check for 500, 900 in
the office of his counsel, William II Stay
ton. MIR. Stayton, however, made an in.
ves,igatiOn of buttons standing, and the
deal was called off.
Dutton succeeded On the strength OF the
Havemcycr transaction in obtaining S1O,
900 from Horatio y. Twombley, VINO died
a few months ago. He represented to Mr..
TwoInbiey that he needed the money to
satisfy some small claims gainst the
Brooklyn property which interfcred with
his title. and that when these membranes
were removed the Havcmcyer loan would
be completed.
AIR Twombiey advanced the 81 0 900, re-
ceiving as security a mortgage on the dock
property 10 which Button had no title.
Nota cent Of the money wasappledto pay
ing OFF judgments or CLEARING up the title
tn the Brooklyn property. The check found
its way into the bank account of Henry
DAILY. jr., who received -, 900 of it for
legal services rendered to Dutton; and the
remainder went into Dntton's private purse.
MORTGAGEDAN HOUSE.
Another transaction which will further
complicate Duttun's legal troubles was the
acquisition OF the house at No. 1877 West
Seyeuty-first street, in which DuttCn and
his wife now live. The house belonged To
Miss EStel!e l. Schuyler, whose father.
Spencer ID. Schuyler. is president, of the
Maxim Torpedo and owder Company, and
the personal representative of the Cramps
in New York In May. 1895, Cora l.. Dut-
ton, his wife, entered into a contract with
Miss Schuyler to purchase the house for
S52, 800. The contract provided for the
payment Of this sum in various Install
ments, the buttons to enter VI on the oc-
cupancy of the hGuse on payment of SO, 1875,
but the deed not to be delivered until the
full amount was paid.
The only payment made was the first, of
"a 1DC The Ilut 1afn
payments OF $4,000 and $50, ,OG0, but owing
to Miss Schuyler's absence i'll Europe they
have been allowed to occupy the house un-
disturbed. On her return next month, how
ever, proceedings TO eject them will b.
begun.
Notwithstanding the fact that the decd
for this house has never Ecen in buttons
possession, hc raised S5, coo by mortgage
on il a few mcnthsaPO. He represented to
Isaac Hirsch that he was man of immense
wealth, that he owned the Brooklyn dock
property, large tracts of phosphate land in
Florida and lum Der land in the A Adirondacks
and great property i'll Washington He
took Mr.. Hirsch up and showed him the
beautiful house, which he declared belonged
TO his wife, and induced Mr. Hirsch to dis
Count his note for 5000, giving as security
mortgage ON the house, made by Mrs
Dutton. When the note fell due Mr. Hirsch
discovered that Dutton was insolvent with
numberless unsatisfied judgments against
him. orthistransaction Ma agistrate Brann
held DuttOn few weeks ago, and he is
now awaiting trial for grand larceny in the
first degree.
TRIED TO swINDLE THE STATE.
The most daring of all Dutton's schemes
was an attempt to swindle Attorney General
Hancock and tie State Insurance Depart
ment. The Commercial Alliance Insurance
Company in which DuUJOn had acquired an
interest. was in the hands of a receiver and
on the verge of dissolution. DuttOn went
to the attorney general and offered to
execute to the superintendent of insur.
ance a mortgage for $500, 900 on the Brook.
.lyn dock property, on which he proposed
that the State OF New York raise funds
to be applied to settling up the troubles
OF the insurance company. The attorney
general investigated Dutton's title to the