The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-08-30

BUFFALO. N. Y. Aug. 29.-The dis
covery of a forged mortgage and the
charge that Frank " La Bountie had
embezzled 100000 from his employers
have produced another Buffalo mys-
terry. Frank v. La Bountie was a SIS
a-Week clerk before heswas accused of
stupendous embezzlement. Now he is
recognized as Napoleon of finance, is
helping his employers to straighten out
their business, and assuring them that
they will make rather than lose by his
transactions, and a syndicate is ready
to back him with scapital to carry for
ward his realty schemes. The devel-
opments are so remarkable as to
almost change public opinion regarding
the young man. Some of the big bust
ness men of the city are on his side
and are advising him to stand for his
rights and not turn over all his prop
erty to his old employers. The public
is losing sight of the criminal COM
plant against the young man in it's
admiration for his clever business abi1:
ity, and even the firm which made the
complaint has taken no steps to pros
ecute him. 1t is freely predicted that
not only will La Bountie never be ar
rested and punished, but that he will
put his ability tosgood and legitimate
use and become one of the leading
business men of Buffalo, able to write
his check for large sums. using his own
name; rather than forged fictitious
names, as he did in his peculiar trans
actions.
The story of La Bountie is an inter-
esting one. On the modest salary Of
$62.50 a month he was the confidential
clerk of the law firm of Wilson &
Smith, and transacted the business of
that firm, amounting TO s1,500,000 a
year. He had full control of the trust
funds handled by the firm and was re-
garded as anyexperf in such matters.
Yet he was3content to work for the
firm had no suspicion of his elegant
home and his living in a. style that de-
manded ten times his salary. He used
the trust funds committed to hiSfcare
in his own real estate business and
had weeks ago been accused of having
appropriated more thanahalf a million.
Dorchester road, one of this city's
finest and most exclusive thorough
fares, was planned, laid out and lined
with splendid homes lbycthis man. He
built houses costing from $4,000 to
$4,000. and sold them at good profit.
His Dorchester road was looked at with
approving eyes few weeks ago by the
delegates to the annual convention of
the Outdoor Art association. which was
held here. They said twas one of the
finest thoroughfaresis they had ever
seen. 1t connects two of Buffalo's most
exclusive thoroughfares-Bi park
way and Richmond avenue. 1t is
about sixty feet wide, asphalted and in
the center has a continuous flower
garden, about whoch is a high coping,
and along the way, at frequent inter-
walls there are fountains.
The houses which line the eXclu-
sive thoroughfare were quickly bought
up by wealthy homeseekers. none Of
whom knew that the wan who was re-
sponsible for beautiful Dorchester road
was the SIS week clerk in the law
office of Wilson & Smith. La Boun-
tie told them that he was representing
Eastern capitalists, who were investing
great sums of money in Buffalo real
estate.
Besides his Dorchester road scheme,
which grew and became profitable, La
Bounties founded the American Cabinet
company, cabinet making concern.
which employs $50 men,. He built
scores of model cottages for the work
ingmen and their families, and made
the manufacturing businesss-and the
houses yield him good returns BY de-
grees he was paying back the money
which he took from his employers
trust funds. The shortage now amounts
to about 100000. and as soon as La
Bountie was found Que he made clean
breast of his populations and set about
turning his property over to the firm.
until it now has about all he owns and
which he says is far in. excess of what
he took.
La Bountie figured on being able to
make full restitution from the profits
of his real estate and manufacturing
business before his employers found
him out. Then he would have had this
great property for his own. He took
no one into his confidence, not even his
wife. She believed he was represent
ing Eastern capitalists until a few days
ago. When he made confession it
was almost impossible for her to be-
lieye him. ,
The La Bounties naintained an expen-
sive establishment. had a $4,000 house.
with furnishings that cost about as
much more. and no man. was more re-
spected in the Richmond Avenue
Methodist church than he. Quite re-
Gently the pastor: of the church, the
Rev. S. M. Beller, D. D.. appealed to
him for a donation to the church. He