The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-12-29
A
ROPER HEARING.
Typewriter Swears He Die
tated All the Get Rich
Quick Concerns
Letters.
ROGERS AFTER SEARS
Wants to Charge Him With
Observation-Disclosures Says
It Is an Immense
Swindle.
Especial to ssThe Jersey city News."l'

Especial to .The Jersey City News."1
NEWARK, Dec. 2s, 1s99.-It developed
At the examination before United States
Commissioner Whitehead yesterday, In
the case of Osmer w. Roper, charged
with using the mail for fraudulent pur-
poses. through the medium of the REAR
ty Corportioan of New Jersey and sinl-
liar concerns, that efforts have been made
to bring about criminal proceedings
against others interested with Roper.
It was asserted by witnesses who were
waiting to be called to testify that Joseph
G. Rogers, of Paterson, who is vice PRES
ident of the Realty Corporation. had
tried to have a complaint of embezzle-
ment taken against Norma c. Sears, sec
retary and treasurer of the Four Per
Cent. Loan Company, until shortly be-
fore Roper got into the tolls on Decem-
Der II.
At the hearing before Commissioner
whitehead last Friday Sears was the
chief witness. He was called by United
States District Attorney ]. Kearny Rice
to testify for the prosecution, but under
cross-examination by Frank E. Bradner
made some admissions that correspond
with the allegations which Rogers en-
deavored to make the basis of q complaint
of embezzlement.
Sears, among other things, acknowledges
that a few weeks before he severed his
connection with the Four Per Cent Mort
gage Company, he transferred a piece OF
property. in Roselle, n. J., owned by him
to a man of the name of Brady. h con-
sideration was nominal. Sears then ad-
yanced to Brady, on his own authority,
etno -. o an. I1o,1r. Dor Cant Gnmn3nYS
funds. as a loan on the Roselle property.
Brady then paid to Sears the $40O, as the
purchase price of the property.
Rogers. who knew of the transaction
prior to sears's disclosure on the witness
stand, went before Justice of the Peace
Ramp to swear out a complaint against
Sears on the strength of the alleged mis-
appropriation. He explained the circum-
stances to Justice Rapp, but the later SEM
him to Prosecutor Riker.
Justice Rapp said that Rogers had been
to him for the purpose of proceeding
against Sears on the charge of embezzie-
ment. He had sent Rogers to the Prose
cutor because he was not sure OF the
propriety of taking the complaint. he
had. however, sent for Sears, ana the
story told by the latter was OF such a al
ferent character that he decided not to
act in the matter.
Roper was brought down from the
County Jail where he is held in default
Of s., 900 bail by United States Deputy
Marshal John Garside, at IL o'clock, yes
terday.
He was represented at the hearing by
his counsel, and United States District
Attorney ]. Kearny Rice acted for the
Government. Postofiee Inspector Snow,
who worked up the case against Roper,
was on hand with several witnesses for
the prosecution.
Miss Short, a typewriter, was called as
a witness to show that Roper dictated
the communications sent out for the
Realty Corporation and the other get
rich-quick concerns with which, 1t is al
legged, Roper was connected. The prose-
cution also summoned her to identity Ro-
per's signature and to testify to her con-
nection with the concern.
Eugene Hilton, a New York bookkeep-
er, who was employed by Roper to write
up the books of all the concerns, was
called by the Government to tell about
the usine transacted. He was paid SIG
| a month for coming to Newark each sun
day to write up the books.
He had stated that he kept the books
for the Realty Corporation and the other
concerns also, and hat he told Ross Fos-
ter. who was connected with n of the
| concerns for q time, that there was a
shortage in the finances of the Four Per
| Cent. Loan Company. Roper had stated
| that loans had been made on about TWEEN
ty-six pieces of real estate in New Jer-
sey, and the prosecution called Hilton to
show that these loans gradually dwindled
until there were loans held only on about
eight pieces of real estate.
Hilton told about a rubber stamp OF
his name as manager of investment de-
partment" of the Four Per Cent. Mort
gage Company. Roper, he said, used to
use the stamp to sign circular letters with.
That in itself he didn't mind, but he
thought that it might lead to those who
applied for loans to make checks payable
to his order. He didn't want the respon-
sibilIty of that and so objected to the use
Of the stamp. AS far as he knew, Roper.
he said, had respected his request not to
use the same.
Postoffice Inspector Snow said today
that the Roper case is developing into one
of the biggest alleged swindling cases the
Government has discovered. He is re-
ceiving daily many letters from all parts
of the United States from persons who
white tina they sent money to the New
ark concern to get oans. They say the
loans were not made, the excuse being