Los Angeles herald., 1905-01-27
GIANT SW|NDLES
ARE UNEARTHED
GROVES INDICTED BY JURY IN
PORTLAND
NOW FACES MANY CHARGES
District Attorneys office Brings to
Light Fraud Transactions.
Connection With Brooks
Alleged

With an indictment hanging over
him in Portland, charged with wrong
doing in Cincinnati and held in Los
Angeles accused of perpetrating many
swindles, A. f. Groves, according 80
the officers, is guilty of crimes almost
innumerable.
Deputy District Attorney Fleming,
who is in charge of the prosecution of
Groves, announces four swindles un-
earthed yesterday-two in Whittier
and two in Los Angeles.
According to dispatches from Port
land, Groves was indicted there sew
eral years ago for gigantic frauds. 1t
is asserted reward of $4,000 was Of
fered for his arrest.
The reports which are being received
from all parts of the country indicate
that Groves has been engaged in the
most extensive and systematic forged
deed swindle ever unearthed in the
criminal history Of the country.
Nowhere, say the officers, does q
record in the criminal procedure of
modern times divulge the equal of this
case, and Groves apparently stupen-
dous manipulations along illegitimate
lines has become an unsolvable enigma
to the most astute defenders Of the
law in California.
Many Complaints Made
Discoveries relating to his alleged
CROOKED" handling of dormant titles
have not alone startled the officers of
the law in this county and state, but
reports are almost hourly received from
far-away states.
The reports from Cincinnati indicate
that Groves resorted to unusual meth
ods in that city, but no record is said
to exist, wherein it is shown he re-
sorted to a systematic deed swindle
there.
The district attorneys office was in
communication last night with the au-
thorities at Sestties Wash.s Sficro it Is
reported Groves operated extensively
in an ilegitimate practice.
Groves succeeded In getting a f1cti-
tious suit through the state circuit
court at Portland and in obtaining
uCSlCC uPoH II II 10 odid wac III q
fair way to make a fortune by fraud
ulent means when the plot was discov-
cred. Groves was indicted. but he
succeeded in making his escape, it was
thought at the time, to Mexico.
He went to Portland in the early
'90s, when the boom was on in that
city, and Immediately hung out his
"shingle' and advertised himself as
an attorney. He was seen in court oc-
casionally in the trial of small cases.
His wife was an accomplished wom-
an, according to Portland officers, and
lar women in Oregon.
1t is further alleged by Portland Of
ficers that soon after his advent into
Oregon, the attorneys of the Portland
bar began to distrust him.
Minor offenses Charged
He was once or twice charged in the
courts with minor offenses, but sue
ceeded in making satisfactory explain
ations and thus escaped serious con-
f1ict with the officers of the law.
land tells of Groves life there:
'In November, 1895, Isaac Meyer, an
old resident of Portland filed a suit in
the state circuit court to quiet title
to a large amount of property in Port
land and the vicinity which the COM
plant said was owned by the plaintiff
and others who were making adverse
claims.
1.-The defendants TO the action includ-
ed some thirty prominent citizens
Later a summons was returned, signed
'G. C. Sears, sheriff, by c. B. Spencer
deputy, showing that all the defend
ants named had been personally
served with notice of the suit.
"On January 1S, 1896. on motion Of
Attorney M. j. MacMahon. Judge
Stearns in the circuit court granted
decree in favor of Meyer, the decree
having been entered by default. none
of the defendants having answered TO
the suit.
"At that time mortgage suits We're
numerous where no defense was en-
tered and default decrees. sometimes a
dozen in a single day, were no unusual
occurrence. This case, therefore, was
not noticed particularly and the decree
was signed by the judge of the oregon
court without his having made an ex-
animation of it's contents. The abstract
companies also passed the case without
comment.
Fraud Discovered
Discovery Of the alleged fraud was
made by Attorney u. s. G. Marquam,
who one day while making an examin-
alton of the county records concerning
piece of property mentioned in the
decree entered by Judge Stearns of the
Oregon Circuit court wondered how it