The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-02-23
INGENIOUS FRAUD
Deed of Property Used to
to Secure Bogus
Mortgage.
OWNER KNEW NOTHING OF IT
When Demand For interest
Was Made Mrs. Wilson
Consulted the Chief.
OWNER KNEW NOTHING OF IT

Mrs. Catherine Wilson, of Irvington,
who owns considerable property in this
city, answered an advertisement last
April, which appeared in New York pa
pers, requesting the owners of desirable
Jersey City property for sale to commune
cate with the advertisers. Mrs. Wilson,
in her reply to the advertisers. told in de-
tail all about the property she wished to
dispose of, and a few days after she re-
ceived call from a man who introduced
himself as ]. D. Shaw. He was the ad-
vister. gentlemanly. well-dressed man of
much ability as a conversationallst He
asked for and received detailed descript-
ions of the property, and he drove close
bargain as TO price. Then the deal was
eonsummated up to the point where de-
posit was given by the prospective pur-
chaser TO bind the bargain. He asked for
the deed of the property, so that he might
take it to his lawyer to have it searched.
a short time after the deed was returned
by mail to Mrs. Wilson, with a lettsr sta
ting that Shaw had made another pur-
chase. and had decided not to take Mrs.
Wilson's property as offered.
Soon after Mrs. Wilson learned that
there was new mortgage on the proper
ty she had offered to Shaw, of which she
knew nothing. Her investigation brought
no satisfactory results, and she consulted
Chief of Police Murphy.
The Chief assigned two of the detec-
tives to the case and they unearthed
well laid and lucrative scheme of fraud.
1t appears that after Shaw had procured
the deed confederate took it and went tc
a firm in New York which makes a spec
iaIty of procuring loans on real estate.
With him was woman whom he intro
duced as Mrs. Catherine Wilson, the
owner OF the property. The woman was
well dressed and looked the part. AS is
the custom in such cases the loan nego-
tiations referred the proffered deed to a
lawyer in this city to be searched. The
lawyer in the case was Rynier J. Worten-
dyke. He made the search and reported
to the New York firm that the deed was
clear and the property owned by Mrs.
Catherine Wilson as told in the deed.
The loan firm paid $3.50, and it was given
a mortgage on Mrs. Wilson's property.
Then the deed was returned to Mrs. Will
son, and she was unaware of the mort
gage un6il the demand for interest was
made.
Chisf Murphy issued a circular, a copy of
which was sent TO every police depart
ment in this country and Canada.
The chief learned from Capt. Titus, of
the New York Detective Bureau, yester-
day that from men answering descriptions
Of the swindlers of Mrs. Wilson had been
arrested, and that these men were en-
gagged in such transactions as that
through which Mrs. Wilson and the loan
concern were swindled. Themen gave their
slames as Fred. H. Roeder, John P. Cave
nagh, Oscar Lichenstadt and Leopold S.
Oppenheimer. Lawyer Wortendyke, with
Detective Doyle and Patrolman Robinson,
went to New York yesterday to identify
TIE prisoners if possible. Mr.. Worten-
dyke Identified Roeder as the man he did
business with. The. prisoners were all held
in default of $1,000 bail to await examina-
tion this afternoon. Efforts will be made
to bring the men to this city for trial, if
possible.