Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-10-27
A FORG[R GETS $4,000
Clever Scheme Worked In
Dubuque by Which Swindler
Gets Big Sum In Cash
STRANGER MAKES HIS ESCAPE
Coal and Ice Dealer of Dubuque the
Victim of the Fraud Which Was Ac-
cidentalIy Discovered by the County
Recorder - Sheriff in Hot Pursuit
Other News of Interest.
SPECIAL TO 'mes-Republican

|! s.l SlneT NEWS OF INTEREST,"
SPECIAL TO Times Republican
Dubuque, Oct PA very clever
and bold forgery has been discovered
at the office of County Recorder Nc
/ Govern, after the forger hal start OF
tiles with $4,000 cold cash, belonging
to Tom j. Mulgrew, the coal and ice
/ dealer When the forgery was found
i-out an information was filed against
the forger. who is stranger, and Sher-
lift Dunn kept the wires hot for time
sending out description of the man
to the police Of all the large cities.
The money was obtained on forged
deed to a farm of 200 acres belonging
to James 3. Conlin, of Cascade, who
is brother Of ex-Sheriff I. j. Conlin
OF this city and was the elimination
of negotiations that have been carried
on thru A. P. Abeln, the abstractor.
for the purchase of the Conlin farm in
Prairie Creek township. About ten
days ago a stranger giving his name
as John B. Hoover and his residence
as Marion, Linn county, called on Mr..
Abeln and made inquiry relative to the
purchase Of farm. He was informed
that the Conlin farm was for sale and
negotiations were begun at once with
the property. Hoover finally induced
Mr.. Conlin to lower his price to $13,500
and paid down a nominal sum to bind
the sale. The property was not entire
ily free, Mr.. Conlin's mother having a
life interest in the place and Mr.. Con-
Inns sister, Mrs. Mary A. Lane, hav-
ing mortgage on it for small
amount. Last week Mr.. Conlin's moth
er gave him a release of her life In
terest, which was filed with the coun-
ty recorder
tIoover's Plan Of Operation.
Hoover informed Abeln that he
would need about $4,000 in addition to
what he had to pay the purchase
price Of the farm and Mr.. Abeln
agreed to arrange loan for that
amount, taking q mortgage on the
property. On Monday Hoover called
at Abeln's office and stated he wanted
to close the deal and that as Conlin
was not in the city he would take the
deed and the release for the Lane
mortgage out to Cascade, pay them
the money and secure their signatures
to the papers. Mr.. Abeln had the nee
essary deed and release OF mortgage
already drawn. and gave them to
Hoover, who ostensibly started for
Cascade He called at Abeln's office
Tuesday morning and presented to
Mr. Abeln the deed signed by James
E. Conlin and Jane e. Conlin, both
papers being acknowledged before
James w. Beatty, notary public. Mr..
Abeln then had Hoover execute a
mortgage on the property for $4,000
in favor Of Rufus Brewer of Buch-
anan county and together Hoover
and Abeln called at the county record
er's office and filed both the Conlin
deed, the Lane release and the Hoov-
er mortgage in favor of Brewer"
Hoover then received the $4,000 in
cash and that was the last seen of him
by any of the parties concerned. Az
though the mortgage purported to be
in favor OF Rufus Brewer" it is
known that Tom Mulgrew advanced
the $4,000 and is the real mortgage.
Discovery Of Forgery.
The deed and other papers were filed
with the county recorder at 1880 q. m.
on Tuesday. The commercial agencies
made the usual report on the papers |
and this report was received Wednes-
day morning by the Cascade bank. 1t |
that James Conlin called at
the bank during the day and someone |
spoke to him about the sale OF his
farm. He replied that he had closed
deal for dts sale but that the papers
had not been signed. He was informed
that the commercial papers stated that
the deed had been filed with the coun-
ty recorder on Tuesday. Mr.. Conlin
with County Recorder
McGovern and learned that deed OF
The farm purporting to be signed by
himself and wife had been filed and
he at once denied having signed such
/ paper and pronounced the signatures
IS forgeries. He was told that the
Iced had been acknowledged before j.
W. Beatty as notary public, but when
Mr.. Beatty was sought for information
IN the subject he pronounced his sig
nature q forgery, denying having ac-
any such paper. The re-
ease of the Lane mortgage is also a
'orgery.
How Seal Was Secured.
Mr. Beatty, however. throws some
light on the methods used by the for
ger. About ten days ago, or about the
same time that Hoover located" the
Jonlin farm, Mr.. Beatty recollects
having Acknowledged a power of at
orney for Hoover, signing the same
Ind affixing his rlotarial seal. 1t Is
believed that Hoover had duplicate
Ieal made from this paper and thus
lad Mr. Beatty's signature for the
purpose of forging it to the deed,
which bore an excellent forgery of Mr:.I
3eatty's signature and also his seal.
Ioover which is OF course a fictitious
lame, is described as a fine appearing
nan of about As years Of age, weighing
bout 225 pounds we'll dressed, smooth
ace with prominent gold filled teeth.
coMsTock BROUGHT BACK.