New-York tribune., 1909-04-28
VAN VL[SSlNGEN'S TALE
"RICH MEN .KNEW SECRET
.Sous He Pad Them $4,000 on
Claims to 4Tert Exposure.

51,toa-, anril . Peter Van VlissinEen. whose
confession last winter that he had ioTseo iiD'
cages 10 the extent Sle05ogo caused great sen
s.,3cr s.. t-,i,aro where he had been known Ior
twenty wears as a leading real estate man. eA
ploded bombsheI in the bankruptcy court 1.e'o
to.7a,- when he stated that his confession fe"
months ago was antedated by four years by con-
fession made privately 10 TWO Wes''hS O"o0e'
mon who held $4,000 Of his spurious paper
Van Vlissingen's confession and his conFlcnoh on
q plea Of guilty last winter all occurred Within
tv-enrv-*our hours he was brought back 10 IN
caeo from prison today TO testify before FRANK
! r-ean referee in bankruptcy. who IS attempting
10 ascertain the valid assets OF the prisoner y an
vlissgen declared that in 1914 he was compelled 10
confess To Maurice Rosenfeld. at that time
director of the defunct Chicago National Bank
and Bernhard Rosenberg. real estate dealer, that
the mortgages held by them and valued al S4'''""
had been forged.
They discovered some Irregularities in the paper
in that year" said the witness. and came TO my
Office for a conference admitted the forgeTies ana
said:
I wall 90 before the States Attorney, tell him
lust what have related you gentlemen about
these wholesale forgeries. plead guilty and go TO
prison like a man
We money they said
Z can't get it told them but l must dupe
others l have duped You men
We had another conference soon after" con-
tnued the witness. Finally / proposed 10 settle
with them. I promised to pay them from $L@oo to
s5.6l0 week. Altogether / paid them approx
InateIy $4,000
We don't want TO know how you get the
money they told at one conference. held IN
December. Is04.
4 told Resented at least twenty-five times and
Rosenberg half as often" said Van Nlissingen'
that could reimburse them only through illegal
business operations
Van Eiss:ngen said he transferred life insurance
policies aegregating ss0o1 Resented delivering
them 10 hin and further stated that since turning
them over 10 RUsenfeld he paid the premiums on
the policies
rner'" the witness stated. kept crowding me Tor
money until ! feared the strain would XIII me
F5naIl, 7 warned Resented that If he didn't cease
I would become so nervous that could not dupli-
cate more notes ana that I then couldn't make
money 10 pay him
intend 10 60 10 prison. and-well, he knew "Ila'
meant
Here the witness wept, bat when the referee sug-
gested that hearing be adjourned Nah Wis
singer protested. Il want 10 get through l can
stand the strain. Go on" Recess was taken how
ever.
Maurice Rosenfeld IS well known capitalist ana
real estate dealer. with offices at No ll La sane
street He has engaged in the real estate Dusl-
ness in Chicago since 1851. He was a director OF
The Chicago National Bank and the Home Savings
Bank two OF the John r. Walsh institutions Whlcn
failed some years ago He was vice-presideh' OF
The United Hebrew Charities and director Of me
Chicago Relief and Aid Society. In 1909 he served "A
term as county commissioner and is q prominent
member OF the Standard Club
Bernhard Rosenberg likewise has been prominent
IN The real estate business and in Jewish society
circles for many years.
Rosenberg and Resented have engaged an attor-
nev and refuse 10 discuss the testimony. All IN
ouiries they referred 10 their counsel Lesslhs
RosenthaL