New-York tribune., 1905-08-04
RICH AND POOR LOSE.
BELCHER GOT 100000.
Victims Ready to Prosecutc-Much
IncrminaiiRg EudcRce.
ERr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. !

Paterson. y. J., Aug 3.--The Investigations of
Prosecutor Emlev into the affairs of William H.
Belcher, the stin missing Mayor. show that his
debts will amount to AT least 100000 DEBTS
amounting TO $4,000 have already been discoV-
cred and Prosecutor Emey is not much below
the surface Of affairs
The svmpathv which was given TO Mayor
Belcher when his financial troubles first became
known has now given way to anger and disgust
1or the unlawful iinanciering of Mayor Belcher
has left a cham of victims and an amount iaF
jn excess of any estimates heretofore gwen
The Mayor was looked upon as highly moran
citizen. He was elected TO office as reform
candidate. and suspicion of wrohsooihe ii'u
ever been directed him prior TO Monday wheh
he disappeared under cloud ACCORDING 10
The latest estimates he has fieeced friends ana
clients out OF sums aggregating not less than
100000.
Assemblvman Wright has been engaged by the
Department of Banking and Insurance TO make
Il search of all the mortgages and deeds anect-
ing the Manchester Building and Loan Associa-
,ion of which Belcher was president and counsel.
To-day half a dozen fraudulent mortgages were
uncovered and the inquiry along this line has
Just begun.
Nearly all of the Mayors personal and political
friends who had cash to spare are involved to
the extent of thousands of dollars, most OF
which was lent without any security The day
he left Paterson Mayor Becher borrowed S1.oOo
from ]. Willard De Yoe, whose law office adjoins
Belchers Prior that time he had got $1,000
on personal notes from De Yoe. Thomas +.
Morgan. A grocer. recently advanced the Mayor
$4,000 without security.
Yes. and am ready to give him $4,000 more
II he needs it" was the only comment of Mr..
Morgan tonight
Mr.. Morgan is one of the few men in Paterson
who still have faith in the missing Mayor.
Mr.. Belcher's loans from lawyers and others
having an Office in the Savings Institution Build
ing where BelcheY has his office, alone aggre-
gate over $1,000.
George II. Burke deputy collector of internal
revenue and perhaps Mr.. Belcher's closest
friend. heard that the Mayor was seen or Tues
day walking along the canal towpath in the di-
rection of one of his farms at Mdvale Mr.
Burke believes that the Mayor, worried over his
financial trouble has wandered into the noun
tains above Haskell.
Accompanied by John Pool, a hotel keeper in
that vicinity who knows the country we'll he
made a search through the mountains. The
search consumed whole day, and Mr.. Burke
returned 70 Paterson tonight. He said he had
heard or seen nothing Of the Mayor. and he was
sure that none. Of his family or his friends knew
anything of his whereabouts
1t is believed by some that the Mayor is with
his wife on his way to California where he has
? brother in afiuent circumstances
At = meeting tonight Of the directors of the
Mutual Building and Loan Association IT was
decided TO call in all psssbooks. The notice to
The shareholders will be accompanied by blank
recent To be signed by the secretary. This de-
cision was brought about by the knowledge that
money had been regularly paid as dues TO
BeIcher at his office that the dues we're credited
h,ltD not ont he
of the association.
II is believed that FeIcher collected hundreds
Of dollars that never found their way to the
associations treasury. 1t is believed that the
largest individual loss through the operations
Of Mayor Belcher has been sustained by Mrs
Henry Latham. widow. Belcher had charge
OF the Latham estate. vaued at S15.00O. Mrs.
Latham frequently asked for settlement. but
Belcher invariably managed to put her off Mrs
Latham believes that the estate is lost TO her
The estate of the late Congressman James F.
Stewart is also involved 1t is valued at $4,000
and the heirs believe that nothing has been
left Of it
Each hour brings fresh revelations of the
Mavor's s7vindIing transactions The bank Off
ciaIs from whose institutions about $4,000 was
obtained by Belcher fraudulent securities
appear to have been compensated. They declare
that they have intention of bringing crimi-
nal proceedings against him. but ii has been
learned that there are scores of other victims,
some of whom Entrusted all their savings to Bel
cher. and now find that they the owners of
worthless securities. These victims only
waiting an opportunity TO make complaints at
any time.
Alphonse Maneve. a hard working man. and
his wife saved 81 900 by depositng $40 monthly
IN the Manchester Building and Loan Associa-
tion. When the shares matured they suggested
that Mayor Becher. who president OF the
association invest the money for them. Becher
gave Maneve a fake mortgage property in
East 30th-st. The search indicated that the
title came from Catherine Van Wrinkle who
sold the property to George : Berdau. Berdan
turns out to be mythical person. Attached TO
the mortgage was fake search. on which the
name Of ex-Tax Receiver Chester ID. Ely
forged. The mortgage bears the forged sigma
ture of County Clerk John J. Slater. The stamp
on the bogus document Belcher had made for
the purpose This stamp found yesterday
at BeIchers Office. II is a square rubber af-
fair. and red ink used in making the i'm
preston. In this il would appear that Belcher
had been guilty of two serious crimes-first
that of robbing Janeve out Cf 50 900. and the
other of falsifying and forging public documents
Aaneve had laid the matter before the prose-
cutor. and viii make criminal complaint.
Another mort gage transaction has been
brought 10 light Belcher gave a mortgage on
The property Of the Meserve Land Company. OF
which he president. TO the Manchester
Building and Loan Association. of which he was
also president. II for $4,000. No knows
who got the money. and il is presumed that it
went into Belcher's pocket. The fake rubber
stamp was used in this case and the name of
the late county clerk. Winfield, was forged al
though the mortgage recorded. II
was found by Bank Examiner Conklin among