The Washington herald., 1907-05-20
BANKER THEIR VICTIM
SharperS Sell Bogus Mining
Stock for $4,000.
STORY REVEALED BY ARREST
Trusted Clerk of Brokerage House
Introduces Country Banker to
Walter Mcbride. Who Engineers
sale of Gold Mine CPrtfhcatPs.
Swindle Kept Secret Two Years.

New York, May 1s-With the arrest.
late Saturday night, Of young man who
has fallen far from the straight and mar
row path Of proper finance. there came
/ 10 light a story Of rottenness in queer
mining stock deals that leads 10 a nest
OF swindlers.
The prisoner is Leonard J. Mosnegs.
thirty-fve years old. who up 20 the be-
ginning Of 1905 was a trusted employe
with the stock exchange house OF Atwood.
Violette & Co.
James Spear, president of the 81 Law
renee County Nation9l Bank. at Canton.
y Y, had an account with the broker
age firm, and often called there He
got acquainted with Nosness, who was a
sort Of outside man for the house. An
other man. with an account with Atwood
Niolette e Co. was Walter Mcbride.
whose photograph adorns the police gel
leries Of three or more cities Nothing
was known Of McBrides affairs AZ the
brokerage concern. he having but a small
account with the firm.
Mcbride managed 20 get Mosness to in
trodpce him 20 Banker Spear upon one
Of the visits Of the country banker 10
this city According % a long statement
that Mosness made after his arrest to-
day. Mcbride had scheme for disposing
of stock in the Gold Temple Cripple Creek
mine in Colorado. Mosness was 10 get
. per cent Of McBride'g profits for steer
The Introduction to Banker Spear took
place early in January. 1865
Gives Glowing Account.
In a short time Mcbride went to Canton
and called on Spear. He praised highly
his mine. and told Banker Spear that the
stock was fuctuatinE az prices from S165
to s. on the Philadelphia Exchange. and
that an engineer, who had some stock in
the mine. was not wise 10 existing condi-
tions and would let # go at SO cents.
Mcbride referred Spear to Mosness. the
clerk at Atwood. Violette & Co. and
then Mcbride. according to the state
ment the prisoner made to-day. wired
down here for M0sness 10 meet him at
Ogdensburg. Mosness did so, and the fol- |
lowing morning the pair Joined Banker
Spear, who, with HIS family, was bound /
for Florida. This was on the morning /
Of January Il. 1906
Spear was told Of the wonders Of the /
new lode at the Gold Temple Cripple 4
Creek outfit all the way to this city. He /
stopped off here TO think IL over. and
listened to McBrides engaging conversa-
ton at the Murray Hill Hotel that night. /
The next morning all hands started away
1n the Pennsylvania, and Banker Spear 4
was persuaded TO get Off at the Quaker 4
City. He sent his family on to Florida
'or their winter outing. In Philadelphia /
ne was introduced to Alexander Halter.
we'll known TO the police
Mr.. Halter knew a lot about Gold Tenn
Die Cripple Greek stock. Banker Spear
vas subsequently introduced to Secretary
Hayden, of the exchange, who said there
vas a great demand for the stock, but
hat, strangely. there appeared none will
ng to sell Banker Spear finally went TO
Prescott. Ontario, Canada, with Mcbride
md MOsness
Bargain Promptly Struck.
The mining engineer who wasn't wise
nd wanted to get rid of his stock was \
net there. He was willing to part with
ONE 50.000 shares at a figure around 50 ]
ents and Mr. Spear paid $4,000 in drafts
n the Chase National Bank. New York.
0 the ignorant engineer. whose name. by
he way. was John Daily Banker Spear
lso gave Mcbride 5000 commission for
is work in arranging the zeal. The ,
RATS were quickly cashed.
Meantime, Banker Spear had sent his
tOck certificate 20 Fiscal Agent Halter
! Philadelphia This was an ordinary
rOceeding. Halter was to have had tho
took properly transferred on the books {
rom Daly's account TO that of Spear I
pear went on to Florida The Chase :
ank people became suspicious when the ,
RATS were so quickly cashed and started
II inquiry, which resulted in the unearth-
lg of the swindle.
MIR. Spear is a rich man. owning vast [
mber lands, but II was said at the time c
lat he didn't want anything to occur
lat would embarrass his bank. 6
The record Of Mcbride was shown to G
anker Spear. who seemed greatly sur
-ised. According to Barney McConville.
ie banker has yet to receive his certif-
ties of stock from Fiscal Agent