Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-12
CLEVER SWINDLING SCHEME
Postal Authorities Claim TO Have Unearthed
Gigantic Mail Order Fraud
VICTIMS ARE LOCATED IN EVERY STATE
Osmcr W. Roper of Newark, y. j.,
Charged with working scheme
So AIlurinR lie Caught the
Churches and Lawyers.

NEW YORK, Dec 1l,--Osmer w. Roper
of Newark, n. J. was arrested today by
United States Marshal Garside, Postofilce In
spectcr w. b Snow and several deputies
and committed td jail in default OF $4,000
boni Tho charge IL based upon all allega.
tion that he was using the mails for swind-
ling purposes. The authorities claim that
hi scheme wal far and away better thau
Miller'u Franklin Syndicate, in that no took
in plenty O. money and seldom, IL eve;,
paid any out, except foi running expenses
They have fifty complaints drawn ur
against him aud say Gfty more are filed and
that they can get thousands Of them II need
be. The ewindle, as they say II was, has
been in operation for three years Roper s
business required large force of clerks
stenographers and typewriters and he did
an enormous mail business,
1t 10 claimed that Roper is the Reality
Corporation company o. New Jersay, the
Realty Trust and Loan company, the Realty
Loan and Title company and tho Four Per
Cent Mortgage company The authorities
cay the companies existed only on paper,
although regularly incorporated and that in
each Roper was tho only persoQ concerned.
Inspectors now say Roper's scheme was so
allurin, tha: his victims are in every state
III tt, nation and embrace all classes. He
says that even churches and lawyers have
been taken in by Roper.
Concerns Work in Paris.
According to the inspector, who has had
personal charge of investigating Roper's
affairs, the four concerns were worked in
pairs. The method is alleged to have been
something on this line:
Tho Realty Corporation company sent out
alluring circulars all over the country, the
stationery was elaborate and so gotteu up
as to deceive business men. The body OF
the circular stated that the company was in
position to procure for any person with
property the loan of any amount of money
at per cent or less. Money was repre-
sented to be cheap and plentiful in Newark
and not only good terms as regards interest
were offered, but easy terms as to repay
ment and renewals. If the person receiv
ing the circular should not want to bor-
bow, he doubtless knew of some friend who
dL. Would he hand tho circular to this
friend or send the friends name to the
company.
When response came asking for money
and offering security, a reply was sent ask
ing for more particulars and calling for a
fee of $40 to cover appraisement costs. In
due time the victim received a communi
cation approving tho loan SO far as the
Realty Corporation company was concerned,
but requiring a certificate of search and
title guarantee from the Realty Land and
Tito fund BY the time this company exc
cuted its fees the victim had paid in from
$40 to $50, according to the abstract of
transfers furnished by the would be bor-
roTC..
After this plan had been worked out and
every dollar possible had been extracted the
loan would be approved. Then the victim
would be taken in hand again. The details
Of the borrowing would be laid before him.
1t was explained that every month the
money taken in from interests, repayments
etc, was put up at auction under rules sim
liar to those of building and loan associa-
tions and the money was loaned to the high
est bidder. How much would the borrower
be willing to bid 1t was left to himself
and an idea was given him that the money
was easily obtained. The bidding occurred
monthly and was open. The bid had to be
filled out and cash to an amount equal to
So on each 500 was required to
accompany the bid. AS there were few ap-
plications for less than $1,000 and most of
the victims wanted several thousands the
returns were heavy,