The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-08-02
Held for Forgery.


Mount Holly on charges Of forgery.
About week before the arrest pape
purporting to be discharge of mort
gage was received by mail at the count,
clerks Office IN Mount Holly. accom-
panied by letter from 1. Sitkoff asking
that the discharge be recorded. The rape
was dated last February, was signed b.
A. A. Anderson and had been acknow
lodged before Master In Chancery. TIL,
name of the master was unknown to tn,
county clerk and there was attached sea
not used by masters in New Jersey. TIL,
paper had a suspicious look, so Mr.. An
derson was called upon to examine it. HI
pronounced 1t forgery and stated tina
the mortgage had not been paid.
The mortgage had been given to MIR. An
derson In part payment of tract of 150(
acres of land In Chatsworth that he sole
to the Prosperity Real Estate Company
of New York, which concern was Later
absorbed by the Independent Building
Company, of New York. This company
divided the land into building lots and
sold number of them to individuals who
are forming Jewish settlement at Chats
worth.
RADIUS was secretary for the Indepen
dent Company and had charge Of theil
office In New York. He was the man
who transacted most of the business of the
concern.
County Clerk Knight notified the acting
prosecutor, Robert Peacock, OF the forged
papers, and steps were taken to arrest
Radius. From the president of the com.
pany, ]. Sitkoff, it was learned that RADIUS
had gone on trip to Hammonton, where
he was arrested and brought to jail In
Mount Holly.
The president of the company alleges
that some time ago they gave RADIUS
$1100 to cancel the mortgage, and that In
stead of doing SO he apparently kept the
money and forged the discharge. The
mortgage originally was for $25OO and
has been reduced to $110O. Payments OF
principal and interest have been made
from time to time by Abram Schlivick,
who was attorney for the purchase of the
real estate. A peculiar feature of the case
is that Schlivick has made a payment of
interest since tue alleged $1100 In cash
had been given to cancel the mortgage.
A short time before the forged paper
was received here. letter came to the
Clerks Office from Hymsn Levy inquiring
If deed given him by Radius for lots In
Chatsworth had been recorded, as shown
by the endorsement thereon. At the re-
quest of the county clerk, Hyman for
warded the deed here for examination.
1t was found that the endorsement of
Watson T. Sooy, former county clerk,
that the deed had been recorded, was a
forgery. Since the arrest of Radius a
number of similar forged endorsements on
deeds have been discovered. Apparently
the young man collected the fees for hay
ing the deeds recorded, forged certifi-
cate on them. and pocketed the money.
Justice Risdon committed Radius to jail
on Wednesday for hearing on Friday
morning, when officers of the company
and other persons from New York were to
come as witnesses against the defendant.
They failed to appear, however, and the
case was adjourned until Friday after
noon, but still the New Workers failed to
arrive. One witness was present. woman
named Beckie Gessen, who lives at Chats
worth, and has deeds with forged en-
dorsements. Radius was given hearing
on the charge of forging the recording of
her two deeds and for obtaining money
under false pretences therefor.
The woman cannot speak English very
well but managed to tell her story In a
disconnected manner. She testified that
she formerly lived In New York and that
while there she had two transactions with
Radius, one for the purchase of four lots
and another for two lots, all located at
Chatsworth, for which she received two
deeds. She said she gave Radius So to
have the deeds sent to Mount Holly to be
recorded. In about ten days she received
the deeds at the company's office in New
York with an endorsement of record
thereon. The two deeds were offered as
evidence by Mr.. Peacock on Friday. One
of them was for three lots and one for
two. The woman insisted, however, that
she had bought and paid for six lots. She
cannot read English writing. Before pur.
chasing the lots she had visited Chats
worth and was shown the property by
Radius.
On cross-examination by V. Claude Pal
mer, counsel for defendant, the woman
could not remember If the deeds were
delivered to her by Radius or some other
officer of the company after the recording
had been done.
Harry L. Knight. county clerk, testified
that the deeds had not been recorded in
his Office.
John w. Harris, search clerk now and
also under former clerk Sooy, testified
that the signatures of Watson T. Sooy on
the two deeds were forgeries.
Mr.. Palmer asked that the defendant be
on the ground that the crime
had not been committed in New Jersey
and that there was no testimony to con-
meet the false registration with Radius
The motion was refused and Justice
Risdon committed the defendant to jail to
await the action of the grand jury.
Wednesday, August Sd, was fixed as the
time to give RADIUS hearing on the charge
of forging the name of Mr.. Anderson to
the mortgage release.