The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-09-03
4 MISSING LINK
HOT DARWIN's, BUT ONE MORE
IMPORTANT TO POLICE
THEY ARE AFTER BUNc0ERs
Who Borrow Money on Dead Wives
Jswelry-Mrs. Henry Anderson
q $4,000 Victim

Frank A. Marcher, charged with frauou
lsntly obtaining loan OF Sl,luo from f1en''
7. LOOMS on fake Jewelry, was aFraisne.
before Judge Smith yesterday morning
b,t as the attorneys for the defense oe
sired further time in which to prepare
lengthy demurrer, the date of his trial VII
M, he set until later. This class or or
fenses has been the subject of almost un'
ooosiny compaint in the district attorney
office and there is much to indicate sha'
crooksd work is being carried on by a
systematic and shrewdly conceived plan
wherein a dozen or more operators arr
concerned. The police and detectiVe oe'
partment have long been at work on the
various cases coming 10 light, put nave
always been foiled in an attempt 10 prihs
the opera tives to justice because Oh an IN
ability to establish the connecting INK oe-
tween the borrowers and The appraisers.
Their plan of operation has invariably
been to advertise in the want columns OF
the Los Angeles papers for loan. Inen
thew call on those who answer the ao,
tell a pitiful tale as to their financial con-
dition and the circumstances under winch
they are driven to thus "humiliate' them-
selves. AS security for the loan sought they
offer certain jewelry, usually the former
property of dead wife or relative and
therefore such as they would under no cir
cumstances part with permanently. II
their victim be shrewd enough to ask for
an ADVERTISEMENT OF the security, the OPP
orators always, by some means or other,
choose their own appraisers When the
evidence necessary to establish their con-
nection with these appraisers is secured.
there will be such an awakening as Will
surprise even those who believe themselves
we'll acquainted with the circumstances.
These appraisers always value the goods
at a price away in excess of the amount
of the desired loan, and with feeling Of
perfect security the victim makes the loan.
It will, OF course, be understood that the
operator loses all that sentimental interest
In his dead wife's" trinkets and the goods
are never redeemed.
A Recent Case in Point
One of the most remarkable instances
where this plan was carried out success
fully is in the case Of Mrs Alice T. Ander-
son, proprietor Of the Barker lodging
house at 4491s South Spring street, and wife
of Henry Anderson, teller in the Mer-
chants National bank. Mrs. Anderson's
first experience was with N. H. Mclean.
This member Of the quartette of WORTHLESS
who have succeeded in fleeing the woman
came 10 her the latter part of April with a
very reasonable story. He was the pos
SCISSOR of certain jewelry. a part OF which
he represented belonged TO his deceased
wife. So far as is known the man has
never been married. but this little canard
III a1ca
all right. He offered as security for the
loan he sought certain watch. ring and
pin, the first being represented as a chrono-
meter of very fine make and the others
being held as of great value because of the
diamonds with which they were set. Nc
Lean wanted a loan of 800 on the collateral
security he rendered and which he esti-
mated to be worth 5000. Its market value
was nothing. however, as compared with
the especial esteem in which he held wha,
had been his wife's property.
Mrs. Anderson knew very little about the
value of the jewelry, but Mclean was pro-
fuse with assurances of his good standing
and mentioned as his closest friends the
Nordlingers, the foreman Of McGrath's
wall paper house on Broadway, Nolan &
Smith and Fire Chief Walter Moore
Mrs. Anderson suggested that the jew
elry be appraised and mentioned Nord-
linger as the appraiser. Mclean objected
to Nordlinger, claiming he had had quar-
rel with one of the boys. Then Conrad
was mentioned and also objected to by Nc
Lean. Edward Gerson, the lis North
Spring street jeweler, was finally agreed
upon and an hour later Mrs. Anderson met
fol OF hot ia lat
the jewelry and Edward Gerson made the
appraisement, first asking if he was 10 be
paid for 1t. Mrs. Anderson replied. II
would not ask you to work for nothing"
Mr.. Gerson then made avery careful test,
after which he told Mrs. Anderson, accord
ing 10 her statement, that there were 1O1s
carats of diamonds in the lot and that
all the jewelry was worth from 81 900 to
81 $50; that loan of 500 was perfectly safe
on II. He advised, however that Mrs. An
derson should ask the opinion of Leopold
B. Cohn, the pawnbroker at $50 North
Main street, In the matter, stating that
Cohn was a shrewd buyer and had great
deal of experience In such transactions.
Laying His Wires
Mrs. Anderson then started to McGrath's
IL.
Mclean followed and went with her. He
took part in the conversation with the fore
man he had given as reference and Mrs.
Anderson was rather impressed that the
man said no more than he had to. The only
information ELECTED from him was that he
had known Mclean for a number of years
and that he knew him to have great deal
of jewelry From there they started for
Cohn's on North Main street, where Nc
Lean desired to prove that he had been in
possession of the watch and pin for long
time. When but a short distance up the
street Mclean is said to have run back to
McGraths and telephoned TO Cohn from
there Ha then caught up with Mrs. An
derson just around the corner of Second
and Broadway.
When Cohn's was reached Mclean
asked the senior member of the
firm If he remembered him. Mr..
Cohn said, mo, sir" The junior member.
COINS son, stepped out from the rear of
the store. He remembered Mclean and
identified him as the man who had pawned
watch and pin there about a year before
Mrs. Anderson then went to the court
house. examined the record and found no
mortgages or claims against the jewelry
In the afternoon she met Mclean at her
attorneys office, this necessary documents
were made out the loan was granted and
the jewelry subsequently delivered to Mrs
Anderson al Gerson's. This loan Is rot yet
due, but no interest has been paid on II and
Mrs Anderson states that Mr. GerSo, ~ Az,