New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-22
Sisters Accused of Fleeing
WeStCheSter Folk in Land
Deals Found Hiding in
Harlem Apartment.
SAY THEY WERE "DUPES"
Coterie of Prominent Lawyers
May Be Indicted as Result
of Disclosures in Refer
ence to Annex Homes
Company.

Mrs Mathilda Francolini and Rose
HALEY. sisters. the real estate operators
who are said 10 have feeced many
Westchester folk, were trailed on Sat-
urday night by c. r. Colligan, Of the
District Attorneys office. to their hid
ing place at an apartment In l0sth
street. where they have been in con-
cealment for almost a month.
Colligan obtained from the women
the information Mr. Whitman wants
TO indict a coterie Of prominent law
yers whom the sisters accuse Of being
behind them in mortgage speculations
that wrecked the Annex Homes Com
many and caused hundreds Of unsus-
pecting investors TO lose their homes
in Harrison and Mamaroneck, y. J.
The real estate queens" who fled
after the bursting Of their bubble and
wandered all over the country, VIII ap-
near this morning before a United
States commissioner and tell the Whole
story of how they were employed as
dunes" 10 float" hundreds OF acres IN
Westchester County for homes "hich
= aidavits in the District Attorneys Of
ace saw were represented as free OF IN
cumbrance. but which the sisters adf''i'
we're heavily mortgaged.
The women told Of two former Ill
rcctors in the company. who they saiu'
,iaced scores Of mortgages on th@
rronertv they had sold, and then
brought suits against the purchasers OF
| the lots.
Charoed 10 Per Cent Interest.
| Roth Mrs. Francolini and Rose Hal
lev described how one Of the Leading
| officers of the company led them on 10
ruin by charging interest at the rate OF
N nor cent on money he lent 10 hft
mortgages 50 the women could give
their customers deeds to what they
boueht Mrs. Francolni said the oil-
| Ger who lent the money called't ~
per cent his bonus
Mrs. Francolini, in her statement |"
Mr.. Colligan. admitted she took from
home buyers the final payments on
their lots. But sometimes" did not
deliver the deeds. as she had promised
In the contract, because the men in
the company refused to give the money
10 raise the mortgages.
Rose HALEY declared no sinking fund
was ever provided to take care of the
mortgages on the lots they sold. Both
women said they used borrowed money
IN lift mortgages, to pay the rent OF
their offices, TO pay interest ana 10
kecn the sheriff from foreclosing on
other property.
Rose HALEY maintained the Annex
Homes Company never really had bal
once in any bank. and Mrs. Francolini
added TO this by saying there was never
more than $4,000 to $1,000 in either the
Nassau Mamaroneck, Commercial
Trust Company or Twelfth Ward
! banks.
Mrs Francolini explained that when
tbev were short Of money TO cover
mortgages on property already sold
,bcv could raise II only by paying GER
tain men in the company big bonuses.
oro oeicer who was in the habit of dis
counting their notes, according to Mrs.
Francolini. often deposited the com
pany's money in his own name IN MS
bank ~
"If he discounted $1,000 or $1,000 for
u.s." said Mrs. Francolini ne would
give us a check. with special interest
Continued on third page, sixth eoi"'h"'