New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-28
CHARGES BUNCO GAME
Bronx Contractor Says He Was
SWindIed Three Times.
LENT MONEY ON "ESTATE"
Causes Arrest of Man Who Got
Money from Him on Alleged
False Pretence.

When members Of the Friendly Order OF
Panhandlers and of the Ancient Brick CID
ers' Union hear about the alleged finesse OF
one Leo Sonneberg in inducing julius "a
fans to lend him s2,00O they VIII feel 'hd'
much iq still tn he learned in the art OF
getting easy money
Sonneberg was arrested yesterday Oh gu
order issued by Justice Lehman, on the APP
plication Of Fajans, who Is the preslheht VI
a contracting company at NO. ios Me'r'Se
avenue. The Bronx. The defendant was
held in 5000 bail. which his wife gave for
him Here is how II all happened accoru'
ing to Fajans in his complaint:
Sonneberg owed him 500. and when ne
became insistent on payment SonnepeIs 81
I'm motion an ingenious plan not ohly ~
withhold the 500 alleged 10 be due aJanS'
but 10 obtain more from HMM real caS"'
one day, when Fajsns went 70 correct Ms
hill so the story runs. Sonneberg sho"ed
him check for S. 80, payable TO his sister
Mrs Sarah Goldstein, from the agent oi
her property.
"A little while ago daughter Of my SIS
ter. Mrs Goldstein. died, and the terrlois
shock turned her mind. She is no" IN
sanatorium In New Jersey Sonneoers l.
alleged 10 have said. Then, FaJans says
Sonneberg promised 10 mail the check LOT
s. 80 to his sister for her Endorsement. o"e
would send il back 10 him. he explained
when he would pay Fajans the 81" ne owen
him. A few days afterward SonneDers s'Iu
that he had made a mistake in addressing
tho envelope containing the check and that
II had come back undelivered
sonneberg. said the complainant. asked
Faians II he would lend him $50 until ne
got the check affair Strengthened out
aians readily advanced the money. on
December 3 last Sonneberg called on ms
benefactor lie was in deep mourning ana
anparentlv laboring under great emotion
His sister had died in the sanatorium '"o
DAYS before. He told Fajans that he was
the only heir 70 the estate valued al >Ip'-
co on the strength Of this ne "ou!d HHe
to negotiate another loan.
II WAS necessary that he 20 10 the law
office of Goldfogle. Cohn * Lind, VINO haH
charge Of the estate Of Mrs. Goldsiein'
Sonneberg's sister. To show Fajans that
everything was all right. the defendant
took the plaintiff with him, but not INTO
the private Office Of Mr. COhn, where SON
neberg went When Sonneherg came ou'
ne treasured Fajans by pointing TO a desk
in the office on which was bundle Of legal
documents Those. he said, relate 70
nv sisters estate Fajans took his word
for f.
Emerging from the law Office Sonneoerg
| told Faians that he was having trouble
with his sisters estate. Then SonneoeFS
took Fajans TO the office of GuGgen-
helm. Untermyer & Marshall There
Fatans remained out in the hall, so
he does not Just know what Sonneberg did
Z there Later, Fajans charges, SonneberS
/ produced two checks on the Nassau Bank
| for $4,000 made 10 his order ana Signel
Alvin Tntermyer. This, he said. was part
| Of the money from his sisters estate.
So plausible was the story that taJans
dug up 81 500 more.
Along In April Fajans became suspicious
! Also about the same time NllNdm n
! Giegerich. counsel for Fajans, read IN
/ newspaper that Mrs Godstein, the sister
/ for whom Sonneberg had pretended 70
/ mourn. had transferred some of her prop.
! erty Giegerich called up the office OF
/ Goldfogle. Cohn & Lind. the sisters at
| torneys They denied that Mrs. Goldsteln
/ WAS dead Also IL was learned that the
check signed Alvin Untermyer' was not
signed ~ him Then Fajans went into
court He things he's been SWindled, some
how