New-York tribune., 1905-06-18
The TRAIL OF MIDDLETON.
Every Step Shoes Him Prince of
PLunderers.

Evidence is growing that Willoughby Middle
ton had business relations with many of the
large business houses of the city. On June o.
the last day he was seen by the people who
interested in the New York Realty Corporation,
Director Herbert Richmond talked with him be-
fore he set out for the office of the McVickar
Gailard Realty Company. Richmond says that
Middleton negotiating with Mr.. Alexander,
Of this concern. for the disposal of his option
on the Garth estate, in White Plains. Richmond
states that Middleton could have sold his option
on the property for which he had paid $1,000,
to Alexander for S26 000 had re nc. found 1t
necessary to disappear.
Denis A. Spellissy, lawyer for the directors of
the corporation, has a letter from Middleton to
Forrest H. Parker president of the Newly York
Produce Exchange Bank. This letter was writ
ten February 20, and asked Mr.. Parker to
send Middleton 1000 at once, so that he might
invest it in the Mount Prospect property at
White Plains. The letter appears to be one of
a series. Mr.. Parker said last night that he had
never been in correspondence with Middleton
and knew nothing of him, beyond the fact that
he at one time had a small but unsatisfactory.
oount at one of the branches of the bank
Middleton appears to be considerably In debt
to the Westchester County branch of the Law
yers' Title Insurance and Trust Company, which
was employed frequently to investigate titles to
lands that the real estate man never had the
slightest intention of purchasing.
The origin of the rurnor that Middleton had
taken out life insurance policy of S1,000,000
may have to light In a correspondence be-
tween the real estate and Robert H. Hardy,
general manager of the Mutual Life Insurance
Company. By the letter 1t appears that
agent obtained MiddletOn's promise TO take out
such policy. When the company began to
make inquiries into the sources of Middeton's
income, he wrote to Mr.. Hardy that he consid-
cred himself insulted and would go elsewhere
for the policy.
To dazzle competitors and prospective victims,
according to Mr.. SpeIlssy, Middleton had the
titles of properties investigated. He never had
the means to carry out his bluff but he man
aged to obtain the benefits of his stratagem, and
his business Of fraud expanded.
1drs. G. H. Williams a clerk of the Realty
Corporation, said yesterday that she knew that
the Knickerbocker Trust Company had given
Middleton funds with which TO pay his en-
ployes. She says she has seen the schedules
Mrs. Williams said that Middleton had turned
over to the trust company certain pieces of
property as security. This property did not be-
long to the real estate
One of the companies esta bIished by Middleton
was the International Association of Physicians,
which had as its object the treatment of pa
tients in their homes. He made the sec
retary and treasurer of this organizat ation which
never transacted any business poor widow.
Mrs. n. u. Wangton VINO had trusted him
with a few dollars TO pay out in the form Of
instalmenJs some lots that she had purchased
from the New Netherlands Realty Company
Middleton pocketed the instalments which
amounted TO S12 month. and Mrs Wellington
lost her property and earnings
Another letter that appears in Middleton's pa
pers is written to the State Commissioner Of
Charities and purports to report on a guardian
NE rir ter hat he iS
the direction of a law which was shown on
investigation to be the Consolidated School law
The writer announces that his charge, Marion
Helen Lamar. of Charleston. W. Va attained
her majority on January Z. and that he had
forthwith placed in her hands $4,000. which
he had In trust for her. The girl was said TO be
living at Old Point Comfort, Va.