The New York herald., 1922-02-19
Judge Black Invited Man
to Country Club, Where
He WON $136,OO0.
WINNER DIDN'T GET CASH
William Werner of Brooklyn,
Who Fled From Bunco Gang,
Still in Hiding.

Additional details were learned yes
terday of how Maurice Heller, treas
urer of the Consolidated Finance Cor
poration of Newark, was fieeced out
of $4,000 by wire tappers and conf
dence men in a country club" near
st. Augustine. Fla.
The details were given out by Joseph
Kramer of the law firm of Kramer &
Siegler, counsel for Heller. Mr.. Kra-
mer said that Heller. who returned to
Newark Tuesday night, has gone
away for few weeks to avoid the
"razzberries" which he was afraid
might be cast at him by we'll meaning
friends. Heller will remain in seclu-
sion until he believes there will be
less merriment over his having sue
cumbed to one of the Oldest of the
confidence games.
Heller arrived in Daytona on January
rs. On the morning Of his arrival he
was in store buying souvenir postal
cards when a man beside him, also buy
ing cards. engaged him in conversation.
1t developed that they were both alone
in Daytona. The stranger said he was
Henry Lehman. New York steel broker
They had dinner together at Lehmans
hotel and lunch the next day at Heller's.
Moved to HeIIer's Hotel.
That afternoon Lehman took Heller
riding in - Cadillac touring car. which
he said he had brought with him from
New York. That night Lehman said he
didn't like the food at his hotel so he
decided to move over to Heller's. In
one of his hags Lehman carried an elab-
crate fishing equipment which attracted
Heller's attention. They talked of fish
Ing for long time. Lehman explained
what fishing enthusiast he was. AS
Heller looks back at the fishing tackle
episode now and thinks of the lost S75,-
600 there appears to be sort of grim
symbolism about it.
Things became dull in Daytona. They
decided to go to st. Augustine. The
morning after their arrival they were
walking down the street when Lehman
called out. "Well. we'll, look who's
there!" He pointed to prosperous look
asked who he was.
why. don't you know" exclaimed
Lehman That's Judge Black from New
York. Come on and I'll introduce you to
him."
At first Judge" Black failed to recog-
t,,a II,
that Lehman and Heller were news
paper reporters, but finally Lehman re-
>freshed his memory and all were
friendly. The Judge said he had
come down to place a few little BETS"
Invited to "Country Club"
He invited them out to the Country
club" on the ST. Johns River. There
they stayed two days, and at the end
of that time Heller's winnings were
$1360OO. The Judge" approved all
checks. Lehman finally said he thought
they ought to get their cash. Tho
"house man" said it was customary
for customers to show that they could
have covered their losses If the breaks
had gone against them.
Lehman accompanied Heller back
to New York and drew a large roll
from bank in Eighth avenue. He
then accompanied Heller to Newark.
where Heller. on the pretext that he
had found something good in Florida"
drew $4,000.
Back at the Country club" in
Florida Heller handed up the money
and received a draft to be cashed In
indianapolis, but when he reached that
city there was no money waiting, and
Lehman had disappeared.
William Werner. builder and contrac-
tor of 10 Hale avenue. Brooklyn. whose
tips to the police resulted in the arrest
of five alleged confidence men in n
bungalow at Panama Park after they
had attempted to defraud him of 81 l,00O.-
900, had not returned to his home in
Brooklyn last night.
When Mr.. Werner left Jacksonville he
said he was afraid of his life and that
he did not know whether he would re-
turn to Brooklyn at once or go South
for n time Mrs. Werner who was sur
prised and amused when told of her
husbands dealings with confidence men,
said she had not heard a word from
him since the trouble began.
George s. Dougherty, who was Dep
uty Police Commissioner when the
famous tiondorf ring of wireless WIRE
tappers" was broken up In 1914
examined the photographs Of the alleged
confidence men who were arrested on
werner's tips. He said he knew Tom
Ocholtree. ~. Of this city and Jackson
VILE. and John Marshall. 40 who de-
scribed himself as a jeweler Of Newark
Mr.. Dougherty. however. could not
recall the specific cases In which Ochol-
tree and Marshall figured. In Mr.
Dougherty's opinion there Is less conf
dence work going on in New York at
the present time than ever before. but
resorts like Hot Springs. Ark: French
Lick Ind, and all the Florida resorts,
he said. are still popular. just as they
always have been. Mr.. Dougherty Is
publishing a book dealing with his ex-
periences with "sure thing" men.
FLU vIRULENT IN CONNECTICUT