Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-11
POLICE UNEARTH
SWINDLE;; ARREST
ALLEGED CROOKS
COUPLE ACCUSED OF FLEEC-
ING WOMAN OF $1,000
RooMlNe HOUSE BELONGING TO
ANOTHER SOLD
Purchaser Finds Bill of Sale Valueless,
and Detectives After InVestiga-
tion Secure Warrant-$135o
of Money Recovered

Charged with selling the lease and
furniture of a rooming house, 140l
Winfield street, which did not belong
10 them. Mr. and Mrs. John Grant were
arrested last night at the Ormono
rooming house. 637 South Hill street
lust as they had made arrangements
to leave Los Angeles. The arrest ano
subsequent developments are alleged Dy
the police to have unearthed one or the
most colossal swindles ever perpetIdIeu
in Los Angeles.
Involved in the case are Mr.. and
Mrs. Howard Bagley, the latter Il
cousin of Mrs. Grant, in whose posses
sion was found $3.50 after the Grants
had been taken into custody. After a
searching investigation the detectives
were convinced Mrs. Bagley acted in
nocently i'll taking the money, and she
was allowed to go to her nome, put
will be a witness when the case is
brought to trial
For two days the detective depart
ment and number OF men under dl-
rection of c. V. Halter, superintendent
of the local Pinkerton agency, have
been working on the case at the So
licitation of Mrs. NJ. Ella Richey, who
alleges she was victimized to the
amount of $780, This amount she paid
for the rooming house, which she Says
she later learned did not belong to Mr..
and Mrs. Grant
According to the police report the
rooming house 1401 Winfield street is
owned by Rev. A. c. Smither, pastor
OF the First Christian church, ana
whose home is at 1900 West Adams
street.
Obtain Years Lease
A few months ago the rooming house
was rented to Mr.. and Mrs. Grant,
they having obtained a years lease
from Rev. Mr.. Smither They fur
nished the house, 1t is said, with ar
ticles bought on the installment plan
from a local concern.
The place was then offered for sale,
being placed in the hands of the Spo-
kane Realty company, Fifth and South
Main streets, during the absence OF
Rev. and Mrs. Smither.
Mrs. Richey answered an advertise
ment. and a deal was made through
the Spokane agency for the sale of the
lease and furniture, the consideration
named being $1,000. The sale was eff
fected Tuesday but when Mrs. Richey
went to take possession she says she
found the bill of sale would not hold
good.
She reported the matter to the Spo-
kane Realty company, and the records
were investigated, when it is claimed
1t was found Mr. and Mrs. Grant did
not own the furniture and had no au-
thority to sell the lease, as the owner
had not given his consent.
Frank Morgan, a member of the firm
which had sold the place, became ac-
tive to protect the interests of Mrs
Richey. and pending his investigation
the Pinkerton office was notified to
watch the movements Of Mr.. and Mrs
Grant
When it was ascertained the deal
,1pdouhtad1u iIIapa1 and that Mrs
Richey had been robbed apparently of
$1,000, steps were taken to make an
arrest and the city detective depart
ment notified. Pinkerton Detective
Halter shadowed the couple for two
days, and yesterday afternoon evidence
sufficient to warrant the issuing of a
complaint was presented to Deputy
District Attorney w. ]. Ford.
Grant and his wife were seen in
Spring street and followed by De-
tective Halter, while City Detective
Hosick watched the Ormond rooming
house, where the Grants have been
living since selling the rooming house.
Halter followed Grant to the Hotel
Alexandria, and, evidently aware that
he was being shadowed, Grant man
aged to escape and went to the Ormond
rooming house. HosiclS was waiting
for him, but not until he was over
powered after a desperate struggle did
Grant submit and allow the handcuffs
to be placed on his wrists
The struggle between Hosick was
witnessed by a number of women who
had called to bid farewell to the
Grants, and their shrieks attracted at
tention of persons blocks away.
Mrs. Grant submitted without pro-
test, but on the way to police head
quarters Grant stated his arrest was
an imposition and he would report the
matter to the police commission.
In Mrs. Grants possession was found
a bill of sale signed by James Cook
of the Spokane Realty company show
ing a deposit Of $3.50 had been made in
January to bind the sale.
The question of finding the other
$3.50 puzzled the detectives for some
time When Grant was searched nc
money was found in his possession, and
Mrs. Grant had but 81. Attention was
then directed to Mrs. Bagley, who
Etoutly maintained she knew nothing of
the transaction and did not have any
money.
Police Find Money Concealed
Her apparent nervousness aroused
the suspicious of the detectives, and
when searched by the police matron
a small sack, tucked beneath her
corsage was found containing exactly
1880 in bills, the amount of money
paid Dy AIS. tllcney 1ueSudy.
Mrs Bagley stated she was the wife
of Howard Bagley, a bookkeeper fol-
the Santa Fe Railway company, and
denied she had knowledge of the fact
the money entrusted to her care ha6
been obtained dishonesty.
81 am a cousin of Mrs, Grants and
she asked me to keep the money fol
her when she realized she was to be
arrested. / did not know the amount
of money, but simply tucked 1t in my
waist l did not realize anything wa:
wrong and in my nervousness said
did not have any money with me. NJ
one desire, when / saw that a Grim
inal charge was to be made agains
my cousin, was to throw the none!
away, which was the reason 1 asked
repeatedly to be allowed to go to tn
toilet ROOM"
Mrs. Richey was gratified to learl
that most of her money would be re
covered and stated she would appea
this morning to testify against tn
Grants 1t is said that Mrs. Richie,
has worked at times as a private de
tective, but not until the money hat
changed hands was she aware she haC
been victimized.
The detectives say they believ,
Grant is crooked, for in his room ink
brushes and a complete set of ma
terials used for raising the amount o
bills and for shading cards was found
Grant admitted he has no regulal
trade, but lived by using his wits.
More developments are expected to
dav. as It is thought the couple hav,
operated extensively in Southern Cal