The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-09
RECEIPT 1 FORGERY.
Vice Chance llor Pitney Files
an Opinion in the Flem-
m~ing-LawIess Case.

TRENTON, jan. s, 18Sz.-Vtce Chan
celior Pitney has filed an opinion in the
foreclosure suit brought by Mrs. Sarah
y Flemmfng against Peter Lawless ana
which was reported last week In "The
Jersey City News" Lawless presented
a receipt for alleged payments OF monies
70 Mr. Fiemming, which the opinion de-
ciares are not only 9 forgery but that
had been manufactured by
q use of chemicals and acids.
The Vice Chancellor adds to the opinion
OF the experts employed On the case by
ofering his own suspicious on which he
reaches the startling conclusion that
Peter LaWless. a well known citizen of
Jersey City, or Somebody associated with
nam Ia the real estate transaction, had
resorted to a very ingenious scheme to
defraud the plaintifrs husband.
The suit Is for the foreclosure of a
mortgage on land In Jersey City, and the
qhesuon involved is whether Peter Law
less, the m~ortgalgor, paid to the late
james Fiemming the sums of $1,6S5 and
sz,oVu on account of h principal debt.
~ is claimed that four payments had
Deen made and that subsequently an
omnipus receipt had been given by Mr..
r1SmHlng 20 Ihe legal representatives of
MT. LaWless. A bill was filed on De-
cember 20, 1895, asking for the production
OF all the receipts. on the ground that
the omnibus receipt was a forgery. A
lawyer by the name of o. Sullivan, rep
resenting Lawless, testified that he
brought the four receipts to Jersey CITY.
but he met a friend and became exceed
ingly sociable. and while intoxicated lost
the receipts. Two men were produced
tnaf swore they found the receipts and
believing them useless DESTROYED them
Inc failure to produce the four receipts
ana the general appearance of the omni-
Dus receipt led to it being given over to
experts, who declared it a manufac-
tured document. The Vice Chancellor.
IN his opinion, says that the Sig
nature Of James F1emming. who was a
ments was linked over with India ink and
rhe whole ape subjected to a bath conn
poser o. a mixture of some acid of chic
Iane, probably a chloride of tin and sui
pnurac acid. the Result of which was to
entirely obliterate all tine writing except
the signature; then it was dried and ironed
ana the body of the receipt typewriter
LOT une fun amount of over $1,000.
The Vdce-Ghancedlor said he would not
decide whether the fact brought ONT in the
evidence that anxither document offered
BY Lawless in a New York suit, which
the referee declared a forgery, should
have the same force as an evidence of
conviction, but rest his conclusion en- the
evidence in this cslse. The Vice-Chancel-
iors decision has mo criminal import, but
4 decides that the two payments of 81, 6S5
and ~, 500 We're not made, and that a great
fraud has been cemmitted.
conclusions were filed yesterday by Vice
Chancellor Emery in the case of ]. Elmer
Nelson, administration of Rebecca Covert.
deceased, against j. Elmer Nelson, admin
istrator OF Lewis Covert, deceased. The
parties are frean Freehold.
Nelson brought the suit as administrator
OF his wife against himself in the capacity
OF administrator of the husband, to deter
mine the viii of Mrs. Covert. A number
OF questions concerning legacies and be-
qltestsSof the will are decided by the con-
illusions.