Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-04
LAWYERS PREY
OF SWINDLERS
CONFIDENCE MAN VICTlMIZES
MANY ATTORNEYS
BoRRoWS MONEY ON STRUGGLED
DIAMONDS is CHARGE
Man Under Arrest in Los Angeles Ac.
.cused of Bunkoing Members of
Legal Profession in South
ern California

Charged in complaint issued by
Deputy District Attorney Alexander
yesterday as being a confidence SWIM
der, Robert Leonard, arrested Friday
afternoon by detectives, is thought TO
have operated extensively in Southern
California and to have left trail of
lawyer victims.A He is said to have
obtained several thousand dollars by
means of his clever scheme from prom
inent attorneys, who in their anxious
efforts to get something for almost
nothing fell into the well laid trap.
Leonard is a well dressed man, APP
parently about 20 years old, although
he claims to. be much older He is well
educated and a smooth and fluent talk
er. His scheme, although an old one
in the east, is apparently new in this
section. He claimed to be a diamond
smuggler and to have a quantity OF
flawless gems which he wished to dis
pose of in a manner that would s-ot
lead to his arrest.
His system, varied in some cases, was
to approach the intended victim and
tell a hard luck story. He would select
his man with care, chat with him for
a few minutes, and then unfold his
proposition.
Leonard, it is alleged, would repre-
sent himself to be in hiding from fed
eral officers who were bounding him
about the country; declare he had been
chased from New York to San Fran
cisco, thence to Vancouver and back to
the Mexican border. In eluding his
pursuers he spent his money and was
in need of funds until he had an oppor-
tunity to dispose of some of his gems.
Needs Only Small Amount
81 have more than 100000 worth of
fine carat and half-carat stones, but
cannot sell them because l am being
watched Closely he is alleged to have
said in his talk to the victim. my wife
and 1 are staying at hotel in san
Bernardino, and / need money to pay
our bills. In the event there is any
difficulty about the matter our baggage
will be seized and the diamonds dis
covered. All I need is a small amount
say SIS, and just as soon as 1 can pay
my bills and come here will let you
have a stone at your own price"
Leonard would tell his story in such
a convincing manner that the class of
men whom he approached would not
hesitate in giving him money. He
picked his men well, and according to
the police seemed to know just whom
to go to.
"The man evidently is a good judge
of character and seems to have had no
trouble in finding men whose morals
were not above getting something for
nothing, even though in shady trans
action" said a police official.
Why the man selected attorneys as
his victims is not known. He evidently
swindled others, but so far as is known
he got most of his money from profess
sional men. 1t is not known whether or
not Leonard fieeced any Los Angeles
attorneys He is supposed to have
come here from Southern Calf -rnia.
where he carried on most of his work.
Attorney Fred Thompson is said to
have been approached by Leonard.
Thompson refused the offer, and later
Leonard was arrested.
Detectives are working on the case,
and it is thought they will make a
strong case against him. Leonard oc-
cupies a cell in the city TAIL and prob
ably will be arraigned in police court
Monday.