The New York herald., 1921-11-23
Home Building Corporation
Finds Valued GO-Getter
Only an Impostor.
GOES TO CELL, NOT CANADA
Real General Manager of Stam-
ford Rolling Mills Una
ware of Comedy.

About six weeks ago Alton l.. Wells,
president Of the First National Home
Building Corporation, so East Forty
second street, was visited by a pros
porous looking citizen who announced
himself as Col. Lionel Van AIKEN, gem
eral manager of the Stamford Rolling
Mills. at Stamford, Conn.
He said he understood that the First
National Home Building Corporation
was new concern and was looking for
a general manager who could produce
business. Mr.. Wells told him that he
was virtually correct. The stranger
said he was dissatisfied in Stamford
and considered making a change. He
produced impressive references and
told stories of his business and mill
tary record that caused Mr.. Wells to
beam.
The stranger said he was willing to
begin in a small way--say $4,000 q
year and more as he demonstrated his
worth. He spoke OF great financiers
and men Of large affairs by their first
names and sometimes by intimate alb
breviations thereof. According to an
officer of the new concern, yesterday
he became SO expansive that he rather
overdid it.
Tor while we thought II was much
too good to be true" said this official.
"We seemed to be getting 100000 man
for the money
banks Glad to Know HIM.
The first thing the nascent corpora
tion did was to teiephone to the Staui-
ford Mills. Yes. Col Van AIKEN was
there. and was an efficient, highly paid
Official. The Stamford banks replied
that they were glad to say that they
knew Col Van AIKEN. His rating was
high and his credit excellent. SO far
SO good. Mr.. Wells communicated by
letter with lawyers. bankers and busi-
ness men whose names the stranger
had given as reference. The replies were
swift and glowing.
"Col. Van AIKEN went TO work for
the First National Home Building Cor
$4,000. Immediately he began to pro-
duce what members OF the corporation
say looked like huge business. He went
to Canada and came back. according TO
Mr.. Alexander, one OF the corporations
officers, with several large contracts and
an expense bill for $500. He declared
that he was leaving for Canada again
on November %. which, of course. was
yesterday.
According to Mr.. Alexander, certain
things occurred to warrant Mr.. Wells In
sending the former out to look UP Col.
Van AIKEN" little more. Disturbing
rumors that Col Van Aiken was still
one of the prominent business men Of
Stamford fioated into the office. Further
more It was learned. Mr.. Alexander
says, that several of the prominent busi-
ness men who had vouched SO eloquent
ly for "Col Van AIKEN" did not live at
the addresses from which these culogies
were sent To make things worse. a
man who knew Col. Van AIKEN in Stam-
ford ventured his opinion that IL this
stranger was the Colonel. the latter had
changed quite lot
On Monday Mr.. Alexander went to
stamford and was ushered into the
office OF Col. Van AIKEN, who told him
tnAt ne nad no lnleHliOH VI i'dNiuS ehc
rolling mills and that he never had
heard of the home building corporation.
Goes TO Court Instead OF Canada.
Yesterday. just before "Col. Van
AIKEN was about to leave the offices of
the First National Home Building Cor
poration and go across the street to the
Grand Central Terminal to step upon a
train that was to take him to Canada.
Detective John Mcdonald OF the East
Thirty-fifth street station. entered the
offices. He took "Col. Van Akcn" to the
Yorl<ville Court, whore he pleaded guilty
to a charge of grand larceny preferred
by Mr.. Wells and was held ~ Magis-
trote Simms in $4,000 for The Grand
Jury.
He confessed according to the police
and Mr.. Alexander, that he rad spent
the 5000 for which he had turned In an
expense bill on his mother. He said that
his name was William Schug; that he
was 33 years old and lived at 1910 Ncp-'
perhan avenue. Yonkers
''yyhy did Schug use the name of
man who was so prominent in a town so
cloge by?" said Mr.. Alexander. repeat
ing the reporters question. Well. he
explains that he did so TO allay suspicion
for short time at least. He intended
leaving us flat, We learn. to-day. He
had prepared to take oiu treasury with
him AS it was he cost us only about
81. 900. He figured that he would get
away before we discovered that Col.
Van AIKEN was still In Stamford"