Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-11-20
DISPOSED OF IN
RECORD Time
FOrger Sentenced Within -Four
Hours After His Arrest
LEADER IN CHICAGO BUSINESS

LEADER IN CHICAGO BUSINESS
Real Estate Dealer Had Secured More
Than $1,000 900 Through Sale of
Forged Documents During Past
Eighteen or Twenty Years, Having
Perfected a Unique DEVICE For
Tracing Signatures
Chicago, Nov. 17.--Peter NanNlissin-
gen, a real estate dealer, for years
ciassed among the first of Chicago's
prosperous and reputable business men.
has confessed to having obtained.
through forged deeds and notes. more
than 100000, and Il few hours after hi,
arrest on his own urgent appeal to be
punished, was sentenced to the pen
itentiary.
The arrest, the Indictment the con-
1ession and the sentence were the work
of less than four hours. Taken in the
midst of business from his office desk
at l12 Washington street shortly after
the noon hour, Nlissingen appear
ed before the court and in tears con
fessed that for from eighteen to TWEEN
ty years he had been securing money
through the sale of forged documents
and that though he had bought back
many of these spurious instruments
without detection, at least twenty-five
people would lose an aggregate Of
more than 100000 through the paper
which he has not yet redeemed.
In forging notes he declared he had
perfected an unique device. This CON
sisted of plate glass desk top. so ar.
ranged that by an electric light thrown
up from beneath he could readily trace
from originals forged signatures onto
worthless paper.
Throughout his arrest and sentence
the prisoner made no effort to defend
himself, but only asked that his punish
ment be speedy. Asked if he had any
thing to say before sentence was i'm
posed. Van Vlissingen replied, bowling
his head:
"Only that l believe in my punish
ment at once" His term i'm the pen
itentiary was fixed as indeterminate.
from one to fourteen years.
NanNliSSingen. who is about a.
years old, was married Feb. 4. 1907. to
Mrs. Jessie Roosevelt Blend who was
described at the time as distant rea.
tive of President Roosevelt. The
bride was Il daughter of Wilton c.
Roosevelt and had been divorced from a
man named Blend. NanNlissingen had
been bachelor. living at the Calumet
club. He was known as being of a
phianthropic disposition, giving speciai
attention to the welfare Of boys.
The specific charge which led up to
the spectacular arrest of NanNlissin-
gen was made by two men who had
bought forged mortgage notes. They
are Il. j. Lefens and w. c. Seipp. who
have offices in the same building MS
that occupied by NanNlissingen. TO
the notes for $500 held by them were
signed the names of Joseph and Bertha
pIOSSHluH AS WIS customary. an
Nlissingen copied the forged papers
from originals, which he disposed Of to
ether buyers. Lefens and Seipp said
they first became suspicious of the note
last Saturday, but took no action until
yesterday.
When confronted in his office by a
detective, VanVlissingen made no ef-
fort to conceal the truth. "Why am
wanted at the state attorneys Officer"
he asked
Because of some charges of for
gerry" replied the detective.
Very WELL" replied the real estate
dealer. II am afraid the charges are
true" He then put on his hat and
coat and followed the detective In
Assistant State Attorney Barbour's Of
flee he made full confession and
signed the following:
Chicago. Nov. 16. 1908.
This is to certify that alone am
responsible for all the Irregularities
that have occurred in my Office and that
no one in my employ, or ever at any
time in my employ, has any guilty
knowledge OF the Irregularities that
have occurred at any time.
"Peter NanNlssingen."