The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-26
He WINS Arrested I'm Cincinnati by
Captain Gerber and Brought
to Indianapolis.
STORY OF CLARA ROBERTSON
SHE ADVANCED THE MONEY FOR A
LOCAL BUSINESS VENTURE.
Claim Made that the Man Defrnuded
Her-Met i'm E1kton, o., and En-
gaged to BE Married.

Robert Robertson, formerly in the real
estate and rug and carpet business i'm this
city. was arrested by Captain Gerber at
Cincinnati yesterday and brought to In
diaRapolis in the. afternoon and locked up
in the county Jail charged with embezzle-
ment and forgery. The requisition papers
reached Captain Gerber in Cincinnati Thurs
day, and Robertson, 'who was In the employ
of Lowry Gobel, large wholesale carpet
dealers, was located and arrested. The in
dictment was returned by the June grand
jury and of course was not made public un-
til the warrant was served.
The crimes for which Robertson was ar
rested are the alleged swindling of Clara
Robertson, 1929 Churchman avenue former
ly of West Elkton, o., but who has lived
in this city for the past two years, and an
alleged forgery of a $500 note purporting to
have been signed by Mrs. Robertson.
Robertson, who is smooth looking and
makes a good impression, became &C
quainted with Clara Robertson In West Elk
ton, o., about three years ago. He was at
that time in the employ of the carpet firm
of Lowry & Gobel. of Cincinnati. and had
gone to EIkton to sell large carpet to the
church of which Mrs. Robertson was a
member. She, 1t is said. was the COM
mittee to make the purchase and In this re-
lation met Robertson. The acquaintance
soon ripened into love on her part at least.
WOMAN OF MEANS.
She is a woman of some means, and later
Robertson borrowed $500 from her to start
I'm the real estate business in this city, He
accordingly came to this city about two
years ago and opened a real estate office
in the Law building under the firm name
Of Hoover Robertson. Letters were fire.
quently exchanged between himself and
Mrs. Robertson In one of them he spoke
of Indianapolis as an excellent place for
investment and said that real estate in this
city was particularly good one. She was
finally induced to send him several thou
sand dollars and an apartment house was
erected on North street. After this he told
her that inasmuch as they were to be mar
ried in the near future they ought to have
home, and the property on Churchman
avenue was purchased for $1,000 Robert
son even went so far to have a telephone
put in the house. After the home had
been provided, in another letter he repre-
sented to her that the owner of the adjoin-
ing lot intended to erect a livery barn, that
this would be great nuisance and would
materially depreciate the value of her prop
erty, and the only way to prevent this
would be to buy the lot. Mrs. Robertson
consented, and sent him $50 and later 81. 200.
however,
cash payment of 500 and gave a note for
the balance of the purchase money. 1t is
said. After this he sold ten feet off the lot
to another property owner to be used as
driveway. receiving sl55.
CAME TO INDIANAPOLIS
Last August Mrs. Robertson became sus-
picious and came to Indianapolis to look
after her property and learned that Rob-
ertson was no longer In the real estate
| business as she thought, but was engaged
| in the rug and lace curtain business In the
Pembroke Arcade. He had Informed the
commercial agencies THAT the firm was
Robertson & Co. and that the company was
| ment he was enabled to get good rating and
| got credit for stock amounting to $4,000
| At the time Mrs. Robertson came to this
/ city she consulted Attorney Edmund FOL
/ Ter, who advised that Robertson's stock be
| attached. In some manner Robertson got
/ information of the contemplated step, the
| business was sold out and when the papers
were sent to be served another proprietor
| was found in charge.
h 1t was about this time that Robertson
presented a note for $500 to the Capital
| National Bank. supposed to have beer
| signed by Clara Robertson and a ninety
| day loan was negotiated. Sixty days aftel
| this, before the note became due. he ap
1 peared at the bank with telegram pur
| porting to have come from parties in Gin
| cinnati, which read: Draw on me FOL
$500, full amount of note" On the strength
| OF this fake telegram and the statement
| days he obtained draft for that amour
| and gained possession of the note. Tha
| was the last seen of the note and Rob
| ertson shortly left the city.
iail made the statement that the note hat
| been paid.