The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1909-05-05
HIGH finance
A Chicago SwjrdIer Forced to
Cheat Others
BY HIS CREDITORS

He Says Two Men Whom He Had
Swindled Houndcd Him to Dupe !
Others so as They Could Get
the Money He SWindled Them
Out of Back.
Peter Van Vlissingen, who last
winter confessed that ne had forged
mortgages to the extent Of $1,000
900, thereby causing great sensa-
ton in Chicago, where he had been
known for 20 years as leading real
estate man, exploded bomb-sheli
in the bankruptcy court at Chicago
Tuesday when he stated that his con-
fession a few months ago was ante
dated by four years by confession
made privately to men who held
100000 of his spurious papers.
Van Vlissingen was brought back
to Chicago from prison to testify
before Referee in Bankruptcy Frank
l.. Wean, who is attempting to locate
the valid assets of the prisoner. Van
Vlissingen declared that in 1904 he
was compelled to confess tc Maurice
Rosenfeld, at that time director OF
the now defunct Chicago National
bank, and Bernhard Rosenburg, a
real estate dealer, that the mortgage
held by them and valued at $780,
| 900 had been forged.
s'They discovered some irregulari-
ties in the paper in that year. said
the witness, land came to my office
for a conference. I admitted the
forgeries and said, I would go before
the States attorney, tell him just
what I have related TO you gentle
rlen about these wholesale forger'
res, plead guilty and go to prison
like man.
1--WE want our money they said.
"I can get it, told them, but
/ must dupe others as I have duped
you
1--WE had another conference soon
after" continued the witness.
proposed to settle with them.
promised to pay them from $1,000
to $4,000 a week. Altogether l paid
them approximately $3.50, ,000.'
| Further conferences were held
from time to time. At one Of these
Van Vlissingen said, they said, eve
want our money" He replied be
was getting it as fast as be could
raise it.
"'We don't want to know how
you get the money they told me a;
one conference, held in December
1904"
Bernhardt Rosenberg had beer
prominent In real estate business ano
in Jewish social circles for man!
years.
Van Vlissingen's face was pale anc
his hands trembled as he told his
story. His eyes were bloodshot and
mis- lips twitched as he faced counse
and recognized former friends among
the spectators.
The witness stated that his forg
cries had continued for 80 years bu
that he did not know the exact ex
tent of them.
will they aggregate s1,0O0,o00?'
Surely"
"And may be more?"
yes"
"Have you any property or othel
assets not accounted for at present.
Van Vlissingen was asked.
mo, except my clothing, I hat
about $3.50 when reached the pris
on at Joliet, but sent that back tt
my wife
"I told Rosenfeld at least 25 time:
and Rosenburg half as often sale
Van Vlissingen, that I could REIN
burse them only through illegal busf
ness operations.
81 told them further" the witnes:
continued, "that I was rapidly be
coming deeper involved, that the
number of illegal transactians was
multiplying and that my legal trans
actions were falling off and almost
ceased to be proftable.''
| Van Vlissingen said he transferred
life insurance policies aggregatins
| $4,000 to = Rosenfeld, delivering
them to him, and further stated that
since turning them over to Rosen-
field he paid the premiums on the
policies.
"Rosenfeld and Rosenberg, partic-
ularly the former" the witness stat
ed /, "kept crowding me for money
until I feared the situation would
kill me. Finally warned Rosenfeld
that if he did not cease I would not
duplicate more notes and that l then
could not make money to pay him.
81 said T feared the end was near,
that I did not intend to go to pris-
| on, and-well, he knew what l
meant
Here the witness wept, but when
the referee suggested that the hear
| ing be adjourned, Van Vlissingen
protested: 81 want to get through.
can stand the strain. Go on.
A recess, however, vas ordered.
Rosenberg and Rosenfeld have en-
gagged an attorney and refused to
discuss they sensational testimon
All inquiries they referred to their
counsel, Lessing Rosenthal.
STRUCK BY LIGHTNING.