Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-12-13
LAWYERS HIS
SPECIAL PREY.
Smooth SwindIer Doing a Land
Office Business in Coast
States.
OREGON ATTORNEY DUPE0,
Novel Means of Obtaining Money I'm
der False Pretcnscs-- Scheme
In Detail.

A sleek swindler is travelling through
out the coast states OF Oregon. Cali
fornia and Washington, who has
graft that for being really smooth Is
All right. This fellow goes TO the Of
fee Of some reputable attorney and
employs the attorney to make coll
lection for him, giving as the name of
the debtor some reliable farmer living
at some other postoilice than the law
yer. and claims that the farmer owes
him the sum of $3.50, or such sum as
his fancy dictates, and tells the attor-
ney that he and the farmer have had
trouble over the account; that the
farmer has,offered $3.50 In settlement.
and that he, the swindler twho, by the
way. says he Is farmer and gives the
the lawyer to write to the alleged debt
or to leave his premises, He instruets
the lawyer to write to III alleged debt
or that II he does not pay the $3.50
forthwith he Will bring an action for
its collection. He then informs the
lawyer that he Is going to town In
an adjoining county, and viii return in
a few days and see what has been done
in answer TO the letter. A day or so
after he leaves, the lawyer receives a
letter signed BY the name OF the alleged
debtor, IN which the information Is
conveyed that he. the debtor, has re-
ceiyed the letter, and that he well
knows his liability to the swindler, but
that they have auarreled over the
amount, as 1t should not be over $3.50,
but that rather than have a law suit ne
il willing to compromise the matter,
and will pay the sum OF 5000, for
which amount he sends his check, pay
able 70 the order of the lawyer, and in
structs him to get settlement in full
of the matter for that amount or re-
turn the check to him, as he will let a
jury settle the matter before he will
pay any more than that sum.
| ACCEPTS THE OFFER.
In day or so the swindler returns
and the lawyer informs him OF the re-
ceipt Of the letter and the check and
the offer TO compromise for $500. After
a proper amount of hesitation he
agrees 10 accept the sum offered. and
pay the lawyer a small fee for the col
lection, and the check being payable TO
the lawyers order. he takes II to the
bank and endorses IL and gets the mon
ey and pays the amount agreed upon.
and the fellow departs after profuse
thanks for services rendered. The
check, on reaching the farmer through
his bank (Which Is In a different town
to the residence of the lawyer Is pro-
nounced TO be a forgery, and the trans
action as described BY the swindler Is
pronounced myth. the farmer claim
ing no knowledge OF the affair. and in
vestigatlon showing there Is no party
by the name given by the swindler In
n % 20
was situated.
Either by a forged order on the far
mer's postmaster or by verbal request
a his postofiice the swindler gets pos
session of the letter written by the
lawyer demanding the payment, and Il
never reaches the farmer at all. and
the swindler having 10 begin with,
made himself familiar IN some manner
with the farmers signature and the
bank he carries his account in, simply
writes a letter to the lawyer purporting
10 come from the farmer and draws a
check for the 5000, makes his offer OF
compromise for the farmer. of course.
forges the name of the farmer TO both
check and letter, and mails II to the
lawyer, and In due time turns up at
the office of Me lawyer for the offer OF
compromise to be made to him. OF
course, after he Is paid he drops out
Of sight In that locality.
OREGON LAWYER DUPED.
This trick was played ON lawyer in
southern Oregon early in December.
1905, by a chap OF which fair descrip-
ton follows:
He was fully six feet tall, slightly
STOPPING shoulders, dark complexion
and smooth shaver: front teeth very
a rlrl la al ,,1,
$50 pounds, and was neatly dressed in
dark clothes, with soft black cloth
overcoat and soft hat: wore overoOat
buttoned while In the lawyers office
each time; smiles readily and has the
appearance of being a preacher or
teacher or doctor rather than a farm
er; mild talker and uses good Lam
guage. The prosecuting attorney is
anxlonsly waiting news of the mans