Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-17
ACCUSED, TRIED,
SENT TO PRISON
IN FOUR HOURS
RICH CHICAGOAN C0NFESSES
TO 100000 FORGERY
APPEALS FOR PUNISHMENT AND
GETS 1T QUICKLY
Admits That for Twenty Years He
Has Obtained Money by Fraud
ulent Deeds and
Notes

TBy Associated Press.l
HICAGO, Nov. 16.-Peter Van Wis
singer, a real estate dealer ror
~ years classed among the first OF
Chicago's prosperous and reputable
business men, confessed today having
obtained through forged deeds anu
notes more than $10O,OOO, ana IeW
hours after his arrest, on his own
urgent appeal to be punished, was SEN
fenced to the penitentiary.
The arrest, the indictment, the con-
fession and the sentence occupied less
than four hours. s.,
Taken in the midst of business 1roIiI
his office desk at 172 Washington
street shortly after the noon hour,
Van Vlissingen, venerable LOOKING
man aDpeared before the court ana
I'm tears confessed that for elghueen
or twenty years he had been obtalllns
money through the sale of forged qoc5
uments and that, though he hau
bought many of these spurious docu-
ments without detection, at least
twenty-five persons would lose an ag
gregate of more than 100000 through
the paper Whihc he has not yet re-
Had Unique Device
In forging notes, he declared, he had
perfected unique device. This con-
sisted of a plate glass desk top, SO
srrapged 9 that by an electric light
thrown up from beneath he could
readily trace from originals forged
signatures onto worthless paper.
Throughout his arrest ana sentence
the prisoner made no effort to DEFEND
himself b1lt only requested that his
punishment be speedy.
Asked if he had anything to say be-
fore sentence was imposed, van Wis
singen bowed his head and replied:
"Only that l be given my punishment
at once g.,
His term in the penitentiary was fixed
as indeterminate, from one to fourteen
Van Vlissingen, who is about As years
old, was married August 4, 1897, to MISS
Jessie Roosevelt Blend, who was de-
scribed at the time as distant rela-
tive of President Roosevelt
Relative of Roosevelt
The bride was a daughter of Wilton
C. Roosevelt. She had been divorced
from a dentist named Blend.
Van Vlissingen had been bachelor
living at the Calumet club. He was
known as being of a philanthroplc DIS
position, giving especial attention to the
welfare of boys
some years ago he took under his
protection julius WiitraX, 10 years ola,
whose father had been accused OF
murder.
The boy at first had been a witness
against his father, who was sentenced
to twenty-five years in the penltentlary
for the alleged murder of Paul PaskoW~
ski. u years old. Later the boy re-
undated his first testimony, and the
father was released.
This led Van Vlissingen to take an
interest in the lad, and publicly an
nounced he would try to make OF him
a reputable citizen.
Cause of Arrest
The speciaI charge which led to the
spectacular arrest of Van NI1ssingen
today was made by two men who had
bought forged mortgage notes. They
are T. ]. Lefens and William o. Seipp,
have have offices in the same building
as that occupied 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 disposed of to other buyers.
Lefens and Seipp said they first be-
came suspicious of the notes last Sat
urday, but took no action until to-
day.
Consulting with Assistant Safes At
torney Barbour they decided to delay
no longer.
The rapidity with which the case was
handled after the consultation with Mr..
Barbour is shown by this:
Chronology OF Case
1870 u. m-Van Vlissingen confronted
in his office by a detective and asked
to go to the office in the criminal court
building.
2 o.. m.-Arrived at states attorney S
office and after being told of charge
confesses.
been presented with the evidence, re-
turns indictment.
AIS o. m.-Prisoner brought before
Judge Windes and hearing begun.
p. m.-Van Vlisslngen locked up in
county Jail preparatory to being taken
to Joliet probably tomorrow.
When confronted in his office by the
detective, Van Vlissingen made no et-
fort to conceal the truth.
''Why am l wanted at the states at
torney's Officer" he asked.
"Because of some charges of forgery
replied the detective.
''Very WELL" replied the real estate
dealer. 81 am afraid the charges are
true"
He then put on his hat and coat anC
followed the detective In Mr.. Bar
bour's office he made a full confessiin
In Judge Windes' court Van Wis
singer, after describing now ne mac
committed the forgeries, was asked:
How long have you been engaged II
forgeries of that nature?"
"Oh, I should say about eighteer
years." he replied.
Approximately, how much woulC
those forgeries aggregate?' p
about 100000"
Where has the money goneT
paid back in interest and lost IL
business
Have you speculated on the boart
of trade, or In mining stocks, or IL
Wall street?"
mo, sir"
How many times have you dupli
Gated any one genuine Instrument
Just a Few Times
"Once, and in, 1 think, two or thre'
instances, twice"
"That is in two or three instance
you have sold three mortgages wher,
theer was only one genuine mortgage? 2
"That is right"
Van Vlissingen was born in HOLLAND
Continued on Page Threel