The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1907-05-21
TRUSTED
YOUNG M A N r E L L
FROM GRACE.
Queer Mining Stock Deal
Exposed.
Was to Get Twenty-Five
Per Gent For Find
ing the Easy
Ones.


New York, May 19.-With the arrest
late on Saturday night of young man
who has fallen from the straight and
narrow path of proper finance there
came to light story Of rottenness In
queer mining stock deals that leads to
nest of swindlers operating in q
manner which makes the famous
sick Engineer" game of Larry Sum
merfield and others, almost pale into
significance. The prisoner is Leonard
J. Moisness, 30 years old, who up to
the beginning of 1905 was a trusted
employe with the stock exchange
house OF Atwood Violet and compa.
NY James Spear, president Of the st.
Lawrence bank, at Canton, N. Y, had
an account with the brokerage firm
and often called there. He got ac.
quainted with Moisness, who was a
sort OF outside man for the house. An.
other man with slight acquaintance
with Atwood Violet and company was
Walter Mcbride, whose photograph
adorns the police galleries Of three or
more cities. Mcbride managed to get
| Moisness TO Introduce him to Banker
/ Spear on one Of the visits Of the
country banker 10 this city. Accord.
| ing to long statement Moisness made
after his arrest today. Mcbride had a
scheme for disposing Of stock in the
Gold emple-Cripple Creek mine, in
Colorado. The mine, so MdIsness
says, Mcbride described as wonder
A new lode had been discovered and
fortunes were TO be easily maze.
Moisness was to get 25 per cent Of Nc.
Brides profits for steering him up
against men with money. The intro.
duction to Banker Spear took place
early in January, 1905. In short
time Mcbride went 10 Canton and call.
ed on Spear. He told the banker Of
an engineer who didn't know that the
new lode had been discovered, and
that the engineer would no doubt let
his stock go at q bargain. Mcbride
referred Spear to Molsness, the clerk
at Atwood Violet and company. and
then Mcbride, according to the state
wired down here for Moisness TO meet
him at Ogdensburg. Moisness did so,
and the following morning, the pair
Joined Banker Spear, who with his
family was bound for Florida. This
was on the morning OF January II,
1905. The next morning all hands
started away on the Penna and Bank
er Spear was persuaded to get of at
Philadelphia. He sent his family on
to Florida for their winter outing, He
was introduced to Mr.. Alexander Hal
ter in Philadelphia, also known 20
the police officials and other places.
Mr.. Halter knew lot about Gold Tenn.
ple.Cripple Creek stock Why shouldn't
he? He was the registrar md fiscal
agent for the whole shebang. Quite
naturally Banker Spear sent word TO
his family that he had been delayed
for a time by business affairs and of
he went TO Prescott, Ontario. Canada,
with Mcbride and Moisness. The silly
old mining engineer was there all
right. He had the stock in addition
10 hls brown breeches and jaw full OF
tobacco. lie was willing TO part with
some 10000 shares at a figure around
80 cents. and Mr.. Spear coughed up
s4G, 600 to the ignorant engineer
whose name, by the way, was John
DAILY. Mr.. Spear paid DAILY the money
in two drafts on the Chase National |
bank, OF this city.
rko Thaga National hauR 10 Mr. I
Spears banks correspondent In this /
city. Banker Spear also gave Nc
Bride $4,000 commission for his work I
In arranging the deal. This was only .
A preliminary and Mcbride was to get .
more. Very soon after the transaction I
in Canada and after Spear, Moisness /
and Mcbride returned 10 this city, Her
bert Walker. a young lawyer, who I
came 10 this city from Chicago, depos- /
tied the two drafts that Engineer DAILY /
had received. with the Mutual bank at |
street and Broadway. |
Walker within three days aft
Pr depositing the drafts, had drawn all |
1f the amounts In cash by check. In
he meantime Banker Spear had sent
mis- stock certificates to Fiscal Agent
Halter in Philadelphia This was on
ordinary proceeding. Halter was to
nave the stock properly transferred on
The books from Daly's account TO that
1f Spear. Spear went to FLORIDA. The
Chase bank people became suspicious
when the drafts came back so quickly
md started an inquiry. The bank Of
icers looked up Gold Temple Cripple
Creek and the report they sent to Mr.
Spear didn't please that person very
much. Incidentally, the police were
lotifed. This Police Lieutenant Nc
Jonville, OF the Central Office. commu-
iicated with the district attorneys
,ffiee, and Assistant District Attorney
iaryan has had the case under inves-
igation ever since. Lawyer Walter
lad occasion to leave the city shortly
Ifter drawing out the cash In the Mu-
ual bank, and Mcbride and Moisness
nade themselves scarce, Spear was
ent for by Assistant District Attor-
ey Garvan and told what he knew
bout the transaction. He didn't want
0 press the case right on for reasons
oncerning his bank. According to Nc
,onville, the banker has yet TO re-
eive his certificates OF stock from