The San Francisco call., 1908-11-17
Peter Van VIissingen COnfeSses
Criminal Fiuanciering for
Twenty Years
Four Hours After Arrest he Is
Sentenced to Term in
Penitentiary
Justice Breaks All Records in
Furnishing Businessman
of Chicago

u si3CkGO, Nov. I6.-Peter Van
Alissineen. real estate dealer
J for years cIsssed among the first
Of ChicagO's prosperous and repu-
tahlc busfnes ssmcn. today confessed to
basins obtained through forged deeds
aad nosc~ more than s7OO.090. and 4
frr, hours after his arrest. on his own
urgent appeal 10 he punished. was sen
tcnccd so fhe Pcnitentiary. The arrest
thc indIctmenf. she confession and the
scntcare were the work Of less than
fDur hour~. Taken in the midst OF
business from his Office desk AT IL
Washington street. shortly after the
loon aour Van VlissiDgen. a venerable
looking man. appeared before the court
and iu tcars confessed that for from Is
% 20 years Dee had been securing money
through the sale of forged documents
and that though he had bought in many
~ these spurious documents without
detection al least p people would lose
an aggregate or more than S700 600
through the paper which ne had not
get redeemed. In forging notes. he
declares. he had perfected an unique
device. This consisted of plate glass
desk top so arranged that by an cleo
iric light thrown up from beneath he
could readily trace from originals
forged signatures on to worthless
4
tcnce the prisoner made no effort 70
defend himself. but only requested that
his punishment be speedy.
His term. in the penitentiary was
fixed as indeterminate from one TO "A
years
Van NIissingen. who is about 45
years old, was married August 4, 1897.
10 Miss Jessie Roosevelt Blend. who
was described At the time as a distant
relative Of President Roosevelt The
bride was a daughter of Wilton c.
Roosevelt
SUSPECTED BY VICTIMS
The special charge which led up to
the spectacular arrest of Van VHssin-
gen tsslay was made by two men who
had bought forged mortgage notes.
They are IT. J. Lefens and William o.
seipp. who have Offices in the same
building as that occupied by Van Wis
singer. To the notes for s4.5o0 held by
them were signed the names Of Joseph
and Bertha Grossman. AS was GUS
tomary Van Vlissingen copied the
forged papers from originals which he
disposed Of TO other buyers. Lefens
and seipp said they first became suspi-
lIous Of the notes last Saturday. but
TOOK no action until today.
Consulting with Assistant States At
torney Barbour they decided to delay
no longer. The rapidity with which
the case was handled after the consul
tation with Barbour is shown by this:
A SWIFT PROSECUTION
1870 p. m.-Van Vlissingen con-
cronted in his Office by a detective and
kcd to go to the office in the criminal
court building.
D.. m.-Arrives at states attorneys
office and. after being told of charges.
cenfesses
3I5 p. m.-Grand jury. which had
been presented with the evidence, re-
tarns indictment
4.I5 p. m.-Prisonor brought before
Judge Windcs and hearing begun.
4. >. H.-scntence pronounced.
5.l5 p. m.-Vau NIissingen locked up
ia county JAIL preparatory to being
taken to Joliet. probably tomorrow.
The notes on which Van vlissingen
was indicted were not due until 1911
and il was believed that. as in many
previous instances. he intended to pay
them up before they could lead to
disclosures
ROSE FROM OBsCURITY
Van vlissingen was born in Holland
and came with his family TO a suburb
of Chicago. When a boy he was en-
ployed BY a financial firm which has
since developed into the Chicago title
and trust company, to which his attor-
a eys have now made an assignment Of
lis affairs. Van vlissingen grew up
IN the, financial end Of the real estate
business and up 10 the present was re-
garded as most successful in that line
IIe was publisher Of the Real Estate
News and vice president and director
Of the Cook county real estate board.