The herald., 1897-03-14
CLEVER FORCERS BAGGED
Police Detectives Make q
Good Capture
A BOGUS REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION
Impersonated a Property Owner
and Signed a Deed
MAN AND WOMAN CAPTURED
William Clark snd His Ingenious Scheme
for Quickly Making Money
He Overlooks Vital Point and as q Result
Is Landed In Jail
MAN AND WOMAN CAPTURED
William Clark snd His Ingenious Scheme
for Quickly Making Money
He Overlooks Vital Point and a. q Result
Is Landed In Jail
His Female Accompllce cenfesses Her Part o
the TrsnsactIon-Loag Hunt for Mys-
terious and Unknown Woman.
Clsrk's Former Record

On Wednesday afternoon last at the
corner Of Second street and Broadway,
William Clark was arrested by Police
Detectives Auble and Hawley and land
ed in the city Jail upon a charge of forg.
cry Yesterday a woman named Anna
or Agnes Douglas was taken into GUS
tody by the same officers at her room In
the lodging house, No. 142z North Main
street, and Joined Clark behind the bars
as an accomplice in one of the boldest
swindling schemes which has been
brought to notice in this city in a long
time. Bach of the prisoners is held for
the forgery Of the name OF Miss Harriet
Douglas to deed purporting to convey
lot on Grand Avenue to Clark, upon
which deed he afterward attempted to
raise loan of $1,000. and nearly suo
ceeded The scheme worked by the
couple Is not new, but because of It's
very simplicity and the danger Of dstec-
ton is seldom tried.
Clark is about 80 years Of age. and has
at different times posed as a real estate
agent, few months ago having an Of
fee at 124h South Spring street. He has
made his residence with his father in
the suburb of Florence, about three miles
beyond the end of the Vernon electric
line. OF late he has spent much Of his
time In the county recorders office, look
Ing over the property lists. and his
scheme of swindling was undoubtedly
Matched and developed with care.
THE METHODS ADOPTED.
On February 25th, last, Clark appear
ed in the Office of o. A. Stassforth, a
broker and money loaner, and, produc-
ing a deed, said that he desired to ne
gotiate a loan Of $1,000 upon the within
described property. The deed purpoSted
tc convey to Clark lot 23 block l, of the
Mason tract, the lot being situated on
Grand avenue near Thirtieth street, and
had been executed by Miss Harriet
Douglas for the consideration of $2500.
AS everything appeared regular on the
surface. and as the property was such as
to justify loan Of the amount asked,
ME- Stassforth announced that he weuld
Accommodates him, provided the deed
was passed upon by an abstract COM
pauy. To this Clark agreed, and deliv-
cred the instrument to the Title Guar
antee and Abstract company, Mr. Stass-
forth at the same time depositing wi..i
the abstract firm $1,000 to be turned over
tc Clark on the perfection Of the neces~
snry papers, should the deed prove oil
right. 'et
THE SCHEME DISCOVERED.
1t was some days later, on the 4th of
the present month, that Mr.. Stassforth
ascertained that Miss Douglas was a
resident of New York city and that the
agent for her property here is Robert
McGarvin Of the firm of McGarvin &
Bronson. On consulting with Mr. Nc
Garvin about the deed presented by
Clark, 1t at once became apparent that
forgery had been committed, the
sigha ture to the document being unlike
the writing of Miss Douglas, as shown
by letters received by Mr.. McGarvin
from her. Notification Of the discovery
was at once given to the police and the
case placed in their hands.
HUNTING FOR THE WOMAN.
From the start it was evident that to
be able to prove forgery the actual
signer of the deed must be found, and
for this reason Clark was not immedi-
ately arrested. The signature to the
document had been witnessed by j. C.
Oliver, notary public, and on inter-
viewing him. 1t was found that Clark
had called at his office, in company with
a middle-aged woman, who had repre-
sented herself as Miss Douglas and as
such signed the conveyance. Mr.. Oil
yer was able to give but general de-
scription of the woman, and as 1t was
like hunting for a needle in hay stack
to locate her through such means, Clark
was allowed to come and go unmolested
in the hope that he would eventually
lead the detectives to her side.
CLARK'S MOVEMENTS SHADOWED
Meanwhile something must be done
to allay any suspicion he might enter
tain because of the delay in transferring
f6a nm oVa oa1 d.
picked in the deed, and he was notified
by the secretary Of the abstract COM
pany that new instrument would have
to be procured before the transaction
could be contaminated. Clark was not
a whit disconnected and said that he
could secure another and correct instru-
ment, and would do so at once. Meet
ing Mr.. oliver on the street on Friday
afternoon, the 9Th, Clark told him that
the deed had been found faulty and
that the next day he should call again
with Miss Douglas to execute a new
document. 1t was on this same after
noon that the detectives took up his
trail and for the next five days, until the
arrest on the 10th, shadowed him night
and day, his every movement being
watched. A complaint had meanwhile
been sworn out in Justice Young's court
charging Clark and one "Janes Doe"
with forgery. the warrants being given
to the detectives. so that they were pre-
pared to make the arrests at the first
moment that the woman could be To-
caed.
A SECOND FORGED DEED.
Saturday the 9Th wasf raw ard
windy day, and although a sharp look
out was kept at divers Office for the
guilty couple no one came. Clark re-
naming at his fathers house in the
country. During Monday and Tuesday
he went about town but never made a
move to approach e woman and the de-
tectives were exhausting themselves
running down clues which each time
proved to be worthless. On Wednesday
morning last, however, he called on Miss
Douglas. made arrangements with her
and in the afternoon stole a march on
the officers. He had promised Mr..
Oliver that the new deed should be exc
cuted before him aslpotary. but instead
went to the ONCE OF Samuel Prayer.
where Miss Doutlas signed new deed
and once more disappeared. An hour
later Clark showed up et the abstract
onloe with ~ dee4 and ~ no further