The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-16
ONE ERNST MORTGAGE
SOLD FOUR TIMES
St. Paul Borrower Doesn'tknow
Whom to Pay-Dld Someone
Else Forge Securities?

his arrest upon a charge of forgery
and embezzlement, the financial
troubles of Banker Casper Ernst con-
tinue to grow, and it IS now an ac-
copied fact that nothing short OF the
most thorough kind Of an investiga-
ton will result in untangling the mess
in which he finds himself
Creditors by the score have, since
the arrest of the banker, been buslly
engaged in an Investigation of the Sc
curities given them by Ernst, or some
one who had access to his business af-
fairs, and the farther they proceed
with the investigation the more APP
parent becomes the fact that many of
these securities have been duplicated
and are worthless.
Forgery appears to have been prac-
ticed in a wholesale manner, and thou
sands upon thousands Of dollars worth
of alleged securities now in the pos
session of creditors probably are not
worth the paper it is written upon.
The ENHANCEMENT into which Ernst
has apparently led his clients gives
promise of enough litigation to keep
the courts of Ramsey county busy for
a long time to come.
A story which came to light yester-
day illustrates the resources Of Ernst,
or some one acting in his name, in
endeavoring to accumulate a large
amount Of money with small capital.
One Mortgage Sold Four Times.
A st: Paul man mortgaged his home
to Ernst two years ago for $500, CIV
ing a mortgage and notes in addition
as security. During the past two years
the interest and considerable of the
principal of the mortgage has been paid
to Ernst, who was supposed to hold
the mortgage and notes.
Within the past two or three days
this man has received letters from four
different parties, living in different
parts of the country, in which the mort
gage was instructed not to pay any
of the money to Ernst. Each letter
contained the startling information
that the writer held the mortgage and
notes given by the mortgage, upon
which nothing but the interest had
been paid.
This state of affairs would indicate
that this particular mortgage had been
duplicated at least three times, and
that each duplicate had been disposed
of as the genuine document. This is
said to be but one of many such in
stances which have already been
brought to light.
Apparently Had an Assistant.
The latest rumor in connection with
the Ernst affair, the development of
which promises more sensations, is that
the reason the grand jury did not go
farther into the investigation of the
Ernst case at the time it was first
taken up was because the evidence in
dicated that some one besides Ernst
had had part in the alleged crooked
dealings.
Persons in position to know say
there will be more arrests in connec-
ton with the case before the grand
jury gets through with the matter.
While the grand jury thus far has
made no investigation except as re-
garding the charges preferred by
Father John B. Metzler, an investiga-
ton OF a. private nature is said to have
shown that all of the alleged forgeries
which have been brought to light were
not made by Ernst.
Handwriting experts have carefully
examined the forgery of County Au-
ditor Krahmer's name to mortgage,
and declare that it could not possibly
have been the work of Ernst; that if
he had knowledge of the crooked work,
the actual signing of the forged name
was made by some other person.
Several rumors are afloat as to the
possible identity of the person who is
alleged to have acted in these deals.
and it is regarded as likely that when
the grand jury resumes it's investiga-
ton of the case evidence will be forth
coming which will result in the indict-
ment of other persons.
Many Creditors Here to Investigate
So far as the creditors of Mr. Ernst
are concerned, but little Roadway is
being made towards realizing any
thing out OF. what assets the banker
might have. There are now in the
city more than twenty-five creditors
from other places, but there is little
for these creditors to do but to wait
for a settlement through bankruptcy
proceedings, which have already been
commenced.
Mr.. Ernst, unable to secure bonds
men, is still in the county Jail, where
he declines to make any statement of
the condition of his affairs. He is
scheduled for arraignment in police
court again Thursday morning, but it
is possible that the arraignment will
again be postponed until after the case
has been disposed of by the grand
jury.