Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-02-20
OLD GAME WORKED
Ex.State Senator Titus, of Mus
catine, 5unkoed Out of
Cool Sc, 900.
BITES ON A FORGED DEED
Taken Into Camp by a Pair of Sharks
Two Weeks on the
Job.

noon received notice to watch for two
suspicious looking strangers coming
from Muscatine, who worked as
slick" a confidence game there as
has been perpetrated in this part of
| the country within the past few years.
EX-State Senator George NJ. Titus.
of Muscatine, is the victim, and the
game was that Of getting loan to
be used as part payment for farm,
| the deed fer which had been secured
| through a number of clever forger-
les. 1t took two weeks to work the
game, and when yesterday afternoon
United States deputy marshal loom
ed up at the Office of Mr.. Titus and
inquired about the character of the
men, they were already several hours
| out of town with the $4,000 safe in
their wallet, and bound, ostensibly.
for the tri-cities.
The first part of the story begins
several weeks ago, when two men,
both well dressed, tall, quiet and
smooth takers, visited various real
estate dealers in Muscatine and
agreed TO purchase the Virgins farm.
located in the northwestern part of
Muscatine county. They gave their
names as O'Brien and Beck. the for
mer being typical Irishman, claim
ing to be the father-in-law of Beck
| The consideration for the farm in
question was placed at $4,000. and
as they only had $1,000 in cash. they
desired to make a loan of $4,000. Mr.
| Titus is a dealer in real estate. and
| they went to him anC1 ordered an alb
stract and deed of the land they were
about to purchase. This was accord
| ingly drawn up in the regular form.
Visit to virgins.
Four days ago the two men left the
city with the abstract anG deed. os-
tensibly to go, as they stated. to the
Virgins farm near West Liberty TO
complete the deal. Yesterday after
noon both men returned with the
deed which bore the signature of Mr..
| Virgins, attested by Irving Evans, no
tary public, who is also cashier of the
bank of Downey, Iowa, located a few
miles on this Size of West Liberty.
With this formidable instrument.
which to all intents and purposes was
the genuine thing. they repaired to
the Office of Mr.. Titus and asked the
loan of $4,000 that they might pay
the $4,000 asked for the farm in full.
The men were recommended to Mr..
Titus by j. H. Eversmeypr. d we'll
known real estate man in Muscatine.
Before giving the loan Mr. Titus man
ageG to slip out and interview a num-
Der of other real estate men on the
safety of allowing the money. and re-
ceived the answer that the men were
without doubt everything they repre-
scented themselves to be. Upon this
| recommendation Mr.. Titus wrote out
a check for $4,000. which was turned
over to the alleged purchasers of the
Virgins farm.
The check was promptly cashed at
a Muscatine bank. At this point the
men drop out of the story. They
have not been seen since.
Mr.. Titus Wakes Up.
1t was few hours after the check
had been written that United States
deputy marshal called at the Titus
office in Muscatine and remarked that
he wished to see Mr.. Titus upon
matter that was not quite clear to
him. He had been watching two
strangers in Muscatine for the past
two weeks, and was satisfied that
there was something in their move
ments that merited an investigation.
They were good-looking men. the one
Il little older than the other. and APP
parentIy of Irish nationality; both
well dressed and to all appearances
prosperous farmers. He had heard
that they had had business dealings
with a number of real estate men in
the city and prominently with Mr..
Titus. Did Titus know the men. and
if so. what was their character and
occupation?
Mr.. Titus was able to answer one
of the questions. Yes. he did have
business transactions with them. and
had only a few hours before written
out a check for $4,000 on a farm that
they had purchased through him.
Was he sure of their identity?
Disclaimer by Evans
That was the question. As every