Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1908-11-20
CONFESSED GREAT FORGERIES
CHICAGO REAL ESTATE DEALER
OBTAINED 100000 BY FRAUD.
Inside Of Four Hours He ls Indicted,
Tried and Sentenced to
State Prison.

SulCdBO, ILL., ISlST van NiiSSluBSIb
real estate dealer, for years
classed among the first of Chicago's
prosperous and reputable business
men, on Monday confessed to having
obtained through forged deeds and
notes more than 100000 and a few
hours after his arrest, on his own
urgent appeal to be punished, was
sentenced to the pen. The arrest, the
Indictment, the confession and the
sentence were the work of less than
four hours.
Taken in the midst of business from
his office desk at 172 Washington
street shortly after the noon hour,
Van Vlissingen, a venerable looking
man, appeared before the court and in
tears confessed that for from IS to 20
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 25 persons
would lose an aggregate of more than
S700,000 through the paper which he
has not yet redeemed.
In forging notes, he declared, he
had perfected an unique device. This
consisted of plate glass desk top, so
arranged 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 pun
ishment be speedy. Asked If he had
anything to say before sentence was
imposed, Van Vlissingen bowling his
head, replied:
"Only that be given my punish
ment at once"
His term in the penitentiary was
fixed as indeterminate from one to Ia
years. Van Vlissingen, who is 65
years DID, was married February 4,
1907, to Mrs. Jessie Roosevelt Blend,
who was described at the time as a
distant relative of President Roose-
welt. The bride was a daughter of
Wilton c. Roosevelt. She had been
divorced from man named Blend.
Van Vlissingen had been a bachelor,
living at the Calumet club.
He was known as being Of philan-
thropic disposition, giving special at
tention to the welfare of boys. Some
years ago he took under his protec-
ton julius Wiltrax, 10 years old,
whose father had been accused of
murder. The boy at first had been a
witness against his father, who was
sentenced to 25 years imprisonment
for the alleged murder of Paul Pasz-
kowski, IL years old. Later the Wilt
raX boy repudiated his first testimony
and the father was released. This
led Van Vlissingen to take interest in
the boy and publicly announce he
would try to make of him a reputable
citizen
The specific charge which led up to
the spectacular arrest of Van Vlissin-
gen was made by two men who had
bought forged mortgage notes. They
are T. ]. Lefens and William c. Seipp,
who have offices in the building occu-
pied by Van Vlissingen. To the
notes for $4,000 held by them were
signed the names of Joseph and
Bertha Grossman. AS was customary
Van Vlissingen copied the forged
papers from originals which he dis
posed of to other buyers. Lefens and
Seipp said they first became sus-
picious of the note last Saturday, but
took no action until Monday. Consult
ing with Assistant States Attorney
Barbour, they decided to delay no
longer.