Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-04-21
Stranger mpersonates a Linn
County Land Owner and Bor-
rows Several Hundred
HE GAVE MORTGAGE ON LAND
Abstracts and All Other Necessary Pa
pers Wore Furnished and tho Money
Secured at tho Bank in the Name of
Well Known citizen-Attorney Was
Deceived.
Special to Times-Republican:

Special to Times-Republican
Cedar Rapids, April 21.-One Of tbs
smoothest games ever worked in thi:
city, has just come to light, and willis
every effort has been made to land the
fellow who worked the game, not ever
the slightest trace of him can be found
and the probabilities are that he Is
hundreds of miles from here, probab-
| ly working the same graft in othe,
parts of the country. At any rate the
victims of the swindle have given ur
all hopes of ever locating the fellow
and have decided to charge the amount
up to profit and loss and experience.
1t was during the last days of Feb
ruary that farmer looking fellow
called at the office of one Of the lead
| ing firms of the city that do a con-
siderable business in loaning money
on real estate, both farms and city
property. He introduced himself as
George III. Waterbury, who lives in the
north part of this county, the owner OF
sixty-five acres Of land, and said he
desired to make a loan of $500 on the
same. He talked knowingly of the land
and of the people living in that vicin-
ity said he was a widower, gave good
and plausible reasons for wishing to
make the loan and as the loan was an
exceptionally good one, the firm said
they thought there would be no trou-
BILE in letting him have the money,
providing he would execute the proper
mortgage and furnish an abstract Of
title.
The fellow had prepared for just
such an emergency as this, for previous
to visiting the firm to negotiate the
loan, he had visited law firm In thu
city. gave them a description of the
land. spoke of the different persons
who had owned the land. talked very
knowingly about all matters pertain
ing thereto, and said he wished to en-
ploy them to see that proper abb
stract Of title was prepared and make
an examination of the same. This had
been done, and when the money loan
ing firm mentioned this part of the
transaction, the fellow asked il the
Judgment Of the law firm relative to
the efficiency of the abstract would be
satisfactory. He was assured that IT
would be. Accordingly the law firm
was called up by phone and inter-
rogated relative to the abstract.
The law firm notified the firm loan
ing money that the abstract on forty
acres of the land was all right, and
that the abstract Of the balance of the
land was apparently good. but that it
was necessary to secure a few affi-
davits to complete 1t. The abstract
contained over 100 entries, and as ev-
erything appeared to be all right, the
fellow was told that he would be adj
vanced $3.50 and that the other $50
would be given him as soon as the ball
ance of the abstract was perfected.
This was perfectly satisfactory to the
assumed Waterbury. Two checks ag-
gregating $3.50 were handed to him,
after he had executed the mortgage.
Going to the bank with the checks
he was unable to secure the money on
the same without Identification. Re-
turning to the office of the law firm,
he showed the checks to the attorney
who had looked after his business and
said: Come on. let us go down to
the bank and get the money, and will
pay you for your services" The at
torney accompanied him to the bank,
thus virtually Identifying him. When
the checks were presented this time
for payment, the money was forth
coming. He then turned to the at
torney and handed him $50 and plac-
ing the balance in his pocket, walked
away, promising to secure the neces-
sary affidavits in few days in order
to perfect the abstract.
About a month after this, not hav-
ing returned, or sent the affidavits,
the attorney one day dropped letter
to George H. Waterbury, asking him
to come in and give him the neces-
sary information. In few days
George Waterbury did call on the at
torney But he was not the man, al
He wanted to know who had been bor-
rowing money and giving a mortgage
on his land. He knew nothing about
the affair." of course, and had heard
nothing of the matter until he received
the letter from the attorney. The firm
loaning the money was Immediately
notified of the swindle and steps were
at once taken to ascertain if possible
what had become Of the swindler.
That the swind1er was an exceeding
ly clever fellow was at once apparent.
That he knew Mr.. Waterbury we'll was
evident, for he dressed and made him
self up in manner that would even
deceive a casual acquaintance of Mr..
Waterbury. He held his head high,
wore glasses. long flowing reddish
mustache, and talked very much the
same. He had perfect knowledge of
the description of the land, it's location
and features, knew considerable about
the neighborhood, and knew the per-
sons who had owned the land previous
to Mr.. Waterbury's ownership. In fact
he was thoroughly posted. and it is
not at all surprising that he should
have succeeded in negotiating the loan.
Those who have been working on
the case since the discovery that a
swindle had been perpetrated and who
believed they had clues at different
times, have come to the conclusion
that the fellow working the game was
a professional swindler, and that this
was not the first trick Of the kind that
he had turned. They also believe that
he left the city Immediately after Sc
curing the money, and that it was not
long until he had travelled several hun
bred miles.