The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-14

willoughby Middleton, the smooth Eng
lishman who IL believed to have swindlet
scores Of persons by selling them lots il
White Plains which he didn't own, turn
out to have been an ex-convict. He serve,
seven years in the penitent'ary at Kings
ton, Ont, for bigamy. Just where h,
is located at present a lot Of people would
like to know.
Middleton appears to have worked
get rioh quick scheme in which the bal
was not stocks or cotton, but real estate
Some people in White Plains have beer
much surprised lately to learn that Middle
ton had been giving deeds to parts Of thei
property. They first learned OF 1t wher
some Of the victims went up to see thu
houses they supposed Middleton was build
ing on the lots they had bought. They
found the houses were air castles and thei,
deeds lot OF waste paper.
| Apparently, Middleton started the game
nearly year ago. not long after he got on,
OF prison. He Ia said to have come to this
country about ten years ago from England
! where he was a servant. 1t ia said that ir,
this way he got to know something about
| the English families and used his knowl-
edge to pose at times as Lord Middleton
and also as Lord 1nniskillen. He was In
Winnipeg for a while, in the fur business
He was arrested in Toronto for bigamy,
after he had married the daughter Of a
contractor there. He had wife In this
country at the time and thought he could
make good by remarrying her, and did
so in Detroit. but the Canadian authorities
had him arrested just the same and he got
seven years in Jail.
About year ago two ministers wrote to
Robert Cahill of the Cahill Electrical Con-
structon Company. at 1874 West Fourteenth
street, and asked him if he couldn't do some
thing for an Engishman who was about
to be released from prison and whom, they
said they had converted. Mr.. Cahil ia
greatly interested in the Salvation Army.
He got later letter from Middleton him.
self in which he frankly told of his trouble
and OF his desire to lead new life. Cahill
gave him job as a salesman for his con-
struction company
He hadn't been working two months
before Mr.. Cahill discovered, he says, that
MiddletonI religious professions were a
sham. He found that the man was boast
ing that he was an English lord, so he fired
him. Middleton was foxy enough some
time before this TO get a letter of recon-
mendation from Mr., Cahill, and the latter
never got the letter back
While working for the construction COM
pany Middleton met lot of architects. 1t
is SAID that he got some Of them to help
him start the New York Realty Corporation.
About all there was to this was the Office in
125th street He is said to have got Horace
Richmond a builder Of White Plains, to
hy fhaf ha
should build all the houses that the lot pur
chasers would have erected. He formed
the Manhattan Construction Company for
this purpose. He put advertisements In
the newspapers Offering lots in White Plains
as charming home sites and gilt edged real
estate investments. The returns appear to
have been quick. ......... -
Scores OF perso ns Of moderate meant
appeared with sums ranging from 500 to
81 600. Middleton took them up and showed
estchester avenue, only a mile from the
station. al improvements, no assessments
and so on. Nobody ever thought Of finding
out whether ne owned the land.
The contracts, in all cases provided that
all the money the investor had was to be
paid for the lot and that sl5 month should
be paid until the house was completed.
No deed was to be given in most cases
until the instalments had been paid on the
house. In few cases Middleton did give
the United States Guarantee Company
The lot buyers were go disarned at this
that they never thought of having the title
investigated. Some even thought houses
were being built, they say.
Middleton did get an option on the p
paid 81 900 Whether he sold any lots of
this isn't known. At any rate, ne seems
to have regarded it $ his property.
Letters came, TO light yesterday which
would seem to show that Miss Helen Gould
believing him to own the estate. had asked
permission TO give a children's entertain
ment there Miss Gould and her secretary
are away on trip. so they could not give
their version of these letters. copy
was found Of one letter addressed to Miss
Gould at Ardsley and dated May 25 1t
read:
DEAR MIss ,GorLp; thank you for your
cooperate with YOU in the entertainment
the use OF the park for. the purpose. and in
giving the permission | wish you 10 under
ton Day. but for every other day in the
will write this evening to Miss Dunnell,
telling her that have given you PERMISSION
to use the park at all times If she objects
she give w her lease, leaving the
W but kind t0 resa n9c wi" be quite
WlLIorGHBY MIDDLETON.
Another letter found in Middeton's
trunk was addressed to Miss Dunnell,
telling her to allow Miss Gould to use the
park. Il hope this will be satisfactory to
you. If not ] am more anxious to assist
Miss Gould than for the rent from you,
was what he said in this letter.
The Garths are living on the estate. It
was said there yesterday that while Middle
ton had an option on the property, il was
not his to use, and that they did not know
of any such arrangement. No letter from
Miss Gould was found and Middleton may
have written the letters for advertising
purposes.
He is said to have told some Of his friends
that he intended to give a garden party
in honor of his sister, Lady Flora Hamii-
ton" IL any invitations have been sent
out for this, which is said to have been
set for tomorrow the Garths do not know
it. and Middleton never has appeared to
make any preparations for it. According
to one story. Middleton said that Mrs. John
Brewer. the wife of an architect, who lives
at 800 Riverside Drive. was % act as hostess
at this party. Mrs. Brewer and her hus-
band are out of town. A representative
of Mr. Brewers said he doubted that they
had had anything to do with Middleton or
even knew him.
Middleton is described as being a rather
man, smooth shaven with much
of the manner of an English butler He is
and years younger than the |
lt-tz.. A.A,-