The San Francisco call., 1907-02-09
TRIES To SELL ON
FORCED DEEDS
Robert Bonsall Is Arrested
After Effort to Dispose
of Land Owned by Women
PROPERTY VALUABLE

OAKLAND. Feb. S.-Detected in the
act of attempting to effect the sale
OF two pieces of property to which
he held no title. Robert Bonsall was
arrested this afternoon and faces
charges Of forgery and obtaining
money by false pretenses. Previous
10 his attempt TO sell the lots. which
are at Twenty-sixth and Linden and
Sixteenth and Linden streets. Bonsall
filed for record two deeds bearing the
forged signatures of Mrs. Adelaide NJ
Case and Mrs. Anna Cook. the owners
OF the property by which the lots were
purported to have been transferred TO
him.
Securing the receipts for the deeds
Bonsan entered into negotiations with
F. J. Taylor Of the firm of Taylor
Bros & Co. and the latter accepted a
contract for the sale Of the two lots.
TAYLOR gave Bonsall r check for 800
10 bind the contract. out then, owing
10 the peculiar actions of the reputed
owner OF the property. instituted an
investigation. which resulted in the
arrest Of the alleged forger.
SEARCH SHOWS FRAUD
Taylor after securing a contract
for the sale Of the property. placed
the matter in the hands Of the StockeT
& Holland Abstract Company. that
search might be made Of tire records.
The first thing TO attract attention
was the fact that the signatures on
the deeds were reputed TO have been
acknowledged by Wv. w. Williams.
notary public" R. B. Stocker was
unable to find any record of the ap-
pointment of such a notary. nor is
there any record OF such an appoint
ment in the office of the County Clerk.
Suspecting that something was
wrong, Taylor and Stocker visited the
Offices of Harry L. Holcomb. the agent
of Mrs. Case. and secured a document
bearing her signature. When this
was compared with the signature on
the deed fled by Bonsall il was seen
AT once that the latter was a forgery.
Taylor notified the police at once of
the attempted fraud and shortly after
ward Stocker met Bonsen on Broad
way. The latter went into the Office
OF Kreiss & Horswill. 1910 Broadway.
Stocker notified Taylor Of the where
abouts Of the alleged swindler and
Bonsan was placed under arrest by
Captain Of Police Petersen.
BONSALL BECOMEs MIXED
At the Central Police station Bonsall
made a number Of conflicting state
ments as to his alleged purchase of the
property and after becoming badly
tangled up refused to talk further He
refused TO give any informa ton con-
cerning himself or to tell who "Wil-
iams." the supposed notary public
was or where he could be found The
police express the belief that Bonsall
himself forged the acknowledgements
as well as the deeds.
When he first offered the property
70 Taylor Bonsall placed a price of
$500 on that owned by Mrs. Case and
offered the lot owned by Mrs. Cook for
$4,000. Taylor declares that both the
properties are worth much more than
this. H L. Holcomb, who holds q con-
tract for the sale OF the lot owned by
Mrs. Case. declared that he had never
been notified OF the sale Of the prop
erty. Mrs Case formerly resided at
the Crellin Hotel. but rome time ago
she removed to Berkeley. later going
TO Los Angeles. II is said that she
has since returned to this city and
efforts are being made TO locate her.
Search is also being made for Mrs
Cook.