The New York herald., 1922-06-22
S2,5OO CHECK FRAUD
ALLEGED IN ARRESTS
Woman Says Two Men Tried
to Get Bracelet Advertised
in Want Columns.

New and old forms Of swindling, in
cluding the alleged fraudulent promotion
Of stock in a proposed luxurious hotel in
Berlin and the giving of worthless certi-
fled checks for jewelry advertised for
SALE were revealed yesterday by arrests
here.
Morris A. Jacobs of 22o Springvale
street. Boston, and Samuel Lewis Of
1923 Southern Boulevard. The Bronx.
said to be promoters of hotel to be
built on the site of Prince Albrecht's
Palace in Berlin. were seized. charged
with being fugitives from justice.
George Gehring of Portland. Me-. as
serts that two men defrauded him Of
s25,O0o in securities and $1,000 in cash.
Gehring says that in November. 1921.
he gave to Jacobs and Lewis the Sc
curities and money for the purchase Of
stock of the New England Oil Com
pany and that they kept the securities.
Woman Charges Swindle.
Police of the West Forty-seventh
street station believe that in the arrest
last night, in the Great Northern Hotel,
of John Byrne. 55. of Sol West 1SSth
street. and Michael De Carlo, 81, of
422 West 165th street. they have I'm
covered swindlers. who by watching the
advertisements offering 1ewelry for sale,
have defrauded many persona
Byrne and De Carlo were held on the
complaint OF Mrs. Eva Rappaport, Of
153 Convent avenue. One day last week
she put an advertisement in an after
noon newspaper, offering to sell a brace
let for $2.500. Byrne and De Carlo.
she said, visited her on Monday and
agreed to give her a certified check In
the Great Northern.
The check was to be made out on a
branch of the Chatham and Phenix Ma
tional Bank Mrs. Rappaport called up
the bank and found that the two men
had no money there. She notified the
police, and detectives were waiting with
her in the lobby of the hotel. She had
been instructed to turn over the bracelet
as soon as the men handed the check
IN her. but instead she became nervous
and held the bracelet. Seeing that
something was wrong the two men
started to leave, but the detectives
caught them. They were held on a
charge Of attempting grand larceny.
Says He Joined Fake Masons.
Charles Knightley. a broker, with Of
fees at 2S9 Fourth avenue, is In the
Tombs awaiting extradition to Boston
where he is under indictment charged
with the larceny of $3.50 from Kevork
II. Kechejram OF that city. Knightley,
who is 81, is said to have spent twenty
years behind bars in the United States
and Canada after being convicted on
charges Of forgery. larceny and bigamy.
Hyman Grafman, milkman, OF Z
Denmore street, Edgemere, Queens. told
Of how three men had organized Ma
sonic lodge" TO defraud him. Magistrate
Harris in Yorkville court issued sum
mons for Henry Wolff Of 81 East End
avenue, Earl Shenk of All East Thirty
first street and Morris Herr of East New
York. They were paroled for further
examination tomorrow.
Graifman showed a lot OF literature
and some receipts showing he had paid
$50. The first payment. $40. was made
when he filled out an application. Then
he rode the goat twice at s25 ride
and was pronounced fun fledged mas
ter Mason. Real Masons convinced
Graifman he had been flimflammed. The
attendants denied the charges.