The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-19
MADE FAKE ABSTRACTS
HOW THE LUCASES BORROWED MON
EY ON IMAGINARY PROPERTY.
Indianapolis Concerns Caught by the
Huntington Loan Agents-SOn
Caught in Arizona.

A dispatch received yesterday announced
that F. L. Lucas had been arrested at
Phoenix, Ariz., upon requisition of Govern
or Mount, the arrest having been effected
by w. w. Lowry, representing the In
diana Mutual Building and Loan Associa-
ton, of this CITY,
f. L. Lucas is the son of T. L. Lucas,
of Huntington, and both are implicated
in extensive real-estate frauds at Hunting
ton. The son got away some weeks ago
and the father disappeared more recently
Altogether their shortage amounts to be-
tween SIS, 900 and $1,000 The Indiana
Mutual Building and Loan is in for 81, 500,
which it has good chance of getting back,
and a Fort Wayne association is caught
for 1880. The indianapolis agency of one
of the big insurance companies is caught
for $4,000, but it has put in no claim and
is swallowing it's loss right manfully. The
Indiana Society for Savings was in for
small amount, but Lucas was under $4,000
bond to it and Secretary Bookwalter sue
ceeded yesterday in having the bondsmen
straighten the matter out His association
quit making loans outside this county three
years ago and this is what saved it from
heavy loss, for Lucas had done a large
business as its agent.
The father and son conducted a general
real estate and loan business and such
high standing did they have IN business
and church circles that fraud was made
easy for them. When Lucas applied for. a
loan of $4,000 to the Indiana. Mutual he
asked for the loan on property in the
If Colonel Bryant and another prominent
and wealthy citizen there would sign the
appraisement the association would loan
up to half the value, Lucas drove these
gentlemen out to view some lots in Has
fingers addition and they appraised them
at So, 500. 1t was lncOnVenient to I'LL out the
appraisement form in the carriage, so the
to his office and filled it out for the Front
street addition" at $500 and the loan was
made. be made out new plat, IN which
these lots We're shown as in the Front
street addition recorded at Page 1870 of
the plat book of the county. The plat book
contains but seventy pages. Lucas owned
ton has brought suit to have it's mort
gage reformed, though people who subse-
quently purchased them from Lucas have
filed intervening petitions
The loan of $4,000 made by the 1ndianap-
oils loan agency of an insurance company
was upon a purely imaginary farm in Wa
bash county, for which Lucas had made
out very complete abstract. 1t has no
recourse.
The Fort Wayne association was caught
upon loans made upon property situated In
the bed of the old Wabash canal very
valuable propert- upon which Lucas built
houses without having. a shadow of a title
to the property. Just before the elder Lucas
left Huntington he went about and Dor
rowed a couple of thousand dollars in lots
of from $25 to $500. He is a man sxtyfour
years old and has beea clerk and auditor
of Huntington county.
The great mystery about the affair is
what became of the money. The family
lived very plainly indeed and neither father
nor son had any expensive habits. A letter
was found among the fathers papers from
the son asking for money, so he evidently
had none and it is said that the father had
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