AN ADROIT SWINDLER.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 182, 6 January 1877, Page 3

AN ADROIT SWINDLER.

About the end of last June, a welldressed man, about 40 years of age, giving the name of W. Baldwin, called at the house of Mrs James, at No 168, Washington-avenne, Brooklyn, and engaged board. He represented himself as a wealthy bachelor from California, and told Mrs James that he was about to embark in the real estate business. Pending the selection of an office, he asked to be allowed to use the parlors of the house for the purpose of receiving business visits. Permission to do so being accorded, Baldwin inserted advertisements in several of the New York and Brooklyn papers setting forth his willingness to lend nine thousand dollars in sums varying from one hundred dollars to three hundred dollars on good real estate security, and inviting clients to call on him at Brooklyn residence. When a person desired to negociate a loan, Baldwin would inform him that he made it an invariable rule to receive the fee nccosssary to engage the services of a lawyer to search the title or make an examination of the deeds to the property before advancing any money. In this way be received from a large number, of victims, both in Ibis city and Brooklyn, a considerable sum of money. When a person wishing to obtain a loan called a second time bo was informed that before further business could be transacted be would have to pay another fee for the completed examination or search, as the case might be. When the second fee was paid the applicant for the loan would be informed that the lawyer had advised Baldwin put to advance the money. On the of last month, finding that ho had carried his swindling operations about as far as it was safe to do, he determined to leave his boarding house and take with him all the valuables be could lay bauds on. Remarking to Mrs James on the day in question that she looked pale and needed a trip to the seaside, he volunteered, if she would go 'to Eookaway, to follow her in the evening in time to escort her home. Mrs James took his advice and started for Rockaway. During her absence Baldwin collected some jewellery and other valuable portable property, with which he left for parts unknown. He loft a polite note for Mrs James, excusing himself for failing to escort her home from Eockaway, and intimating that ho would make a more satisfactory explanation when he next saw her. The matter was at once placed in the hands of the police, but so far Baldwin has eluded the detectives. The police have discovered that Baldwin is an old offender, ami has travelled under the alias of W. F. Wood. —New York Times.