Republican farmer., 1918-03-08

forgery ana ENFORCEMENT alnO'
He was arrested yesterday at Fifth
avenue and Broadway, New York
city, by Detective Sergeant Bray of
Bridgeport, assisted by a member of
the New York police force. upon a
warrant charging him with forging
the names of Town Clerk Joseph
Schultz and Town Clerk Frank E.
Munson, of Milford, TO real estate rec
ords.
The warrant upon which the prcml-
nent churchman was arrested was IS
sued several weeks ago by Prosecut-
ing Attorney Delaney upon the com
plant of Robert N. Blakeslee, who
sta;Ld that he had given Crossley
$4,000 with which to pay off interes:
on mortgages in 1914. 1t is at that
time Crossley is alleged to have forged
the names of the two city officials.
According to the Bridgeport police
officials the transaction WhIcl they
expect to convict Crossley was a real
estate deal in which he promised 10
pay off a $4,000 mortgage on house
owned by Joseph Williamson, IL tailor,
and valued at $1,000, make new first
mortgage for $4,000 and give William
son $500, which he needed at thai time.
Instead of doing that, it is alleged
he pocketed the $1,000, handed Will
hanson $500 and has been paying the
interest on $1,000 ever since. 1t was
only when Williamson was notified a
short while ago that the interest on
81 .OCO would be raised from five to six
per cent. that an investigation was
that hn had maid Oft
the mortgage on his house and deny
ing that he had been paying any in
terest for over two years.
1t was then that it was charged
that Crossley had obtained 5000 from
Alderman Robert n. Blakeslee with
which to pay off mortgages, but had
used the money to speculate with in
stead.
Sheriff Thomas ]. Cunningham stat
cd that Crossley had disappeared
from Bridgeport about two years ago
when a, body writ for him was issued
and that he has not been in. Bridge
mort since. According to what the po-
lice say Crossley has been engaged in
New York for the last two years as
az insurance broker with desk room
in an elaborate suite of offices on
Fifth avenue.
Among the several complainants
against Grossly are William R. Web
rter, of the Bridgeport Brass Co., and
John D. Cooper. an aviation expert
and inventor of motors. Webster
stated that his company lost $500 in
Il transaction which Crossley put
through, while Cooper, stated that in
lie early stages of the war he was
an aviator in the service of the Allies
and invented a motor. Crossley
formed a company in Bridgeport to
manufacture the motor and contract
was procured from the Russian gov
eminent, then for no apparent reason
the company failed.
Crossley was president of the COM
pany which was known as the Cooper
Aircraft Co., and is said to be respon-
sible for the failure of the concern
in which a large number of Bridge.
porters had invested sums of money
ranging into the thousands.
When seen about the Crossley case
Prosecuting Attorney Delaney said
IT believe that CFossley has been mix
ed up in a great number of deals il
Bridgeport and am doubtful if thu
Blakeslee matter is the only one upol
which he will be prosecuted. 1 in
tend to investigate his history in {
most thorough fashion now that he, i
being held by the New York police.
1t is also alleged that among tn
: many activities of Crossley was tn
formation of the Inhalation Sa1ator
ium Co., for the purpose of manufac
Turing inhalation instruments for us
in the fight against tuberculosis. TIL
factory was supposed to be i'll New
burgh, n. Y, but nothing apparent,
ever came Of 1t.
Among the many who lost none,
in ventures promoted by Crossley wer
Judge f. P. hobbs, W. F. Burnham
Henry Atwater, president of the PEG
pies Savings Bank, the parents @
Aviator John D. Cooper and tn
Bridgeport Brass Co., Judge hobbs ad
mits having placed a large sum c
money in the Inhalation Sanitoriur
.Comuany along with W. E. Burnhar
and Henry Atwater, and went so ia
as to say that-he and his associate
had lost every cent they had put int
the venture promoted by Crossley.
Crossley was one of the most prom
nent members of the First Bridgepol
Baptist church, he was prominent {
all church affairs, leading the singin
in the choir and was looked upon &
being one of the staunchest pillars
the church. When he moved to Ne
York it is said he became a memb'
of the exclusive Fifth Avenue Bapti
church, and had forced his way to II
front ranks of the leaders in the col
gregation.