Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-12-12
0smer w. Roper is Charged
With Wholesale SwindIing.
SHREWDER MAN THAN MILLER
re Is the Head and Body of Four Distinct
Corporations. Which Exist Only on
Paper. He Took in Everything,
Paid Out Nothing,
(By TelegrapIh.)


NEW YORK. Dee ll-Osmer w.
Rcner, u Newark n j.. was arrest
Cd today by United States Marshal
Snow and several deputies and cimmjtt
ed 70 Jail in default of $1,000 bonds
The charge is based upon an aileea-
ton tha, he was using the mails for
swiEdi;ns purposes. The authoa.i ,iAs
claim that his scheme was far ana
away better than 'Aliller's Franklin
syndicate in that he took in plenty uf
money and seldom or never paid our
any except for running expenses. ,rhey
have fifty complaints drawn up against
HIM and say THAT fifty more ure flclt
and that they can get thousands OF
them If need be. The swinalle, as rhev
say it was. has been in orper;rtion for
sin years. ....
Itorer's business required a llages
force G. clerks. stenographers and
typewrightcrs and he did an enormous
mail businesamsa.
HIS SCHEME, !A'LLURLE7G.
Ii is claimed that Roper is the Realty
Corporation Company of New Jersey.
the Realty Loan and Trust Fund Com
ps,ny, the Realty Loan and Title Com
EanS and the -Four Per cent. AIo1tg-
age Company. The authorities say the
though regularly Incorporated. ana
that in each Roper was the person con
cerned.
Inspector Snow says Roper's schemr,
was alluring, and that his victims are
in every state in the nation and en-
brace all classes He says that even
churches and lawyers have been taken
in by Roper.
9ne personal charge of Investigating
ltoper's affairs. the four concers were
worked in pairs. The method is al
legged 70 have been, something on this
line: The reality corporation com
pany sent out alluring circulars all
over the country. The stationery was
mcs't elaborate and SO gotten hp as to
E'sceive even business men The body
or each circular stated MAT The COM
pany was in Il position to obtain for
any person with property, a loan OF
any amount cf money at per cent, or
| even, less.
FLEEEING FOR FEES.
,,, Mnen "a response aqf came asking Tor
was sent asking for more particulars
and Calling for a fee of SO to cover APP
Fralsemene costs. In due time the
victim received "a conrlnunf c,ation APP
proving the loan as far as the reality
corporation was concerned, but re-
curing a certificate ct search and title
guarantee from the realty land and
title fur:l BY the time the company
executed Its fees the victim mad paid
in frcln $40 to $50. according to the
abstract of transfers, furnished by the
would-be borrower
After this plan had been worked out
and every Clollar possible had been
extracted, the loan would be approx
ed.
Then the victim would be taken ia
hanG again. The details OF the borrow
ing would be laid before him. lit was
eNplalnelI THAT every month the money
taken I'M from interests repay1neEts,
etc, was put up at auStion under rules
similar TO those of building and loan
associations. and that the money WAS
loaned to the highest bidders
'RlETlCRlS WHERE IELAV7Y.
The bid mad to be filled out and cash
OF an amount equal to SIS on a $500 was
required to accompany the bid There
We're few applications for less than
$1,000. and most OF the victims want ed
several thousands and the returns were
heavy. T.
After the passing of the date whcn
the sale OF THE money was supposed
to take place, the victim received an
other neIte The company was sorry.
but he lad been outbidden by others
and every dollar sold had been dis
posed of alt a better rate than he hal
offered. III a victim made a demand
fer the return Of his money he received
blanks which he had no fill out He
could not get the fees back. but per
certage Cs the five per cent. deposit
would he returned. usually TO- Is or 70
per cent. at the expiration of 70 months
from the receipt OF the blanks and -
on.
Roper will be given a hearing on
Thursday.
wAather FcracNat