VAN
(Circuit
RIPER et al.
Court
four other
July
Appeals,
UNITED
1926.)
cases.
VAN
Second
STATES,
RIPER
Circuit.
13F.(3d)
and
*1
v.
UNITED
ly identified
sations
speaking from defendants’
suant to
spiracy,
STATES
to
joint
persons
render them
by
scheme
substance of
representing
to
admissible.
defraud and for
offices
telephone
themselves
held sufficient-
conver-
con-
401-403, 405, 406.
Nos.
Error to
In
Unit-
District Court of the
for
States
New
Southern District
Conspiracy
<§=32.
1.
among York.
defraud,
shared
Scheme
to
conspiracy.
several,
becomes
Lewis C. Van
and another, Fred A.
<§=43(12)
<§=48(8).
another, Harry Hedrick,
Alex-
office
Conspiracy
2.
—Post
Code,
§
Prosecution under Criminal
Ackerson,
ander
and William W.
mailing
pursu-
(Comp.
10385), for
letters
§St.
mailing
pur-
another were convicted of
letters
joint
and for con-
to defraud
ant
to
scheme
joint
suant
defraud,
to
scheme
con-
to
and for
separate
spiracy,
schemes
held not to involve
spiracy
Code, 215,
to
Criminal
violate
§
defraud,
continuance
same
because
to
by
they
defendants.
bring
different
error.
scheme
counts,
Affirmed as to some
and reversed as to others.
Conspiracy <§=32
office
3.
<®=35.
—Post
charged
defendants,
under Criminal
Writs
error to
That
convic-
mailing
10385),
Code,
(Comp.
St.
§
§
tion of the United
District
for
States
Court
pursuant
joint
to defraud and
to
scheme
letters
(Saw-
the Southern District of
conspiracy,
belief that stocks
telle, J., presiding), upon an indictment in
by letters,
was suffi-
ascribed to
the value
ten
offense.
counts. The first nine
for
cient to constitute
counts were
violation of section 215 of the Criminal Code
<§=49.
Conspiracy <§=47
office
—Post
(Comp.
10385)
mailing
sep-
St.
§
ten
prosecution
Evidence,
under
Criminal
mailing
pursuant
joint
10385),
arate letters
Code,
(Comp.
to
scheme to
for
§ 215
St. §
joint
pursuant
to defraud and
scheme
letters
for
to
defraud;
conspiracy
tenth for a
of all
conspiracy, held
as to each defend-
sufficient
defendants to violate
section. The
counts.
ant
to some
plaintiffs in error
Riper,
are Lewis C. Van
<§=925[/2(4).
Criminal
law
Ish,
Charles Van
William
Wil-
Riper,
C.
verdict,
newspapers
by jury
If
seen
affected
Hedrick,
liam
A.
Harry
Fred
judge.
matter held
of discretion for
trial
Maloney,
McCluskey,
Thomas J.
and Alexan-
<§=422(l).
6. Criminal
law
all
der Ackerson. All
convicted
agreement
When
for
men enter into
unlaw-
eighth.
counts but
All were sentenced to
they
end,
agents
ful
became
hoc
an-
ad
years
five
on count
five
acts,
pursuant
other, and declarations
done
years
6, 7,
on
counts
purpose,
competent against
to common
all.
years
to two
the sentences to
count
<§=59(1).
7. Criminal
law
concurrently.
run
joining
existing group engaged
Person
alleged
The indictment
a scheme
de-
joint
responsibil-
commission of
crimes assumes
fraud in
sale of stock of the Parco
ity for all done theretofore.
exceeding
par
Company
prices
Oil
<@=423(8).
8. Criminal
law
share,
arbitrarily
value of 10 cents a
fixed
prosecution against
In
several defendants
regardless
of its real market value.
Code,
(Comp.
for violation
Criminal
§
to send
the mails pursnant
mailing
16385),
St. §
letters
joint
conspiracy,
to defraud and for
writings containing
scheme
pamphlet and other
tilings
done
certain
before
defend-
pertaining
false information and advice
conspiracy
ants came
held
admissible.
Company,
the Ertel
the Pareo
companies.
several other
The defendants
<§=673(4)
9. Criminal
law
—Instruction
falsely
report
prospective buyers
bound
acts
declarations
they
conspiracy
of others after
withdrew
Company
the Parco
stock to
rulings
sufficient,
held
without formal
on mo- develop
beyond
property,
which,
all of
(Criminal Code,
tions
out
strike
§
selling,
go
treasury,
cost
should
[Comp.
10385]).
§St.
only profits
that the
of the sellers would he
prosecution,
Code,
In
under
§
Criminal
(Comp.
mailing
10385),
pur-
St.
§
royalty
letters
production,
a small
on actual
joint
suant to
defraud and
con-
nothing
sell,
Hedrick had
and that
spiracy, instruction that defendants who had price
go
higher.
of the stock would
much
by subsequent
withdrawn
not bound
acts
holdings
The defendants would find out the
and
sufficient,
declarafions
those who remained held
rulings
without formal
motions
pretend
shareholders,
strike out evidence.
had an offer
blocks
stock a little lar-
persuade
them to fill
ger,
their hold-
<§=427(5).
10. Criminal
law
ings,
they might
so that
fulfill the offer for
prosecution,
Code,
under Criminal
215§
gt.
(Comp.
10385),
mailing
larger
pur-
block.
letters
E.(2d)
—61
*2
REPORTER,
FEDERAL
2d
13
SERIES
posting produce
drilling.
laid the
shift of
Sweet
counts
The first seven
August
telegram
Kuykendall
sent a
following
to Hedrick that
dates:
of letters on the
1924,
500-barrel,
15,
July
was sure of a
he had
well and that
October
August 29,
upper
cased off a 50-barrel
in
sec-
well
the
July 19,
October
count,
Kuykendall
given
eighth
tion.
he had
The
denied that
17, 1925.
April
1924, and
May any prospective
and
quantity,
a
of
and both he
laid
letter
proven,
which was
30,1925.
pro-
that a
April
Wilcox
ever said
ninth, one on
the
4,1925;
Ripers ducing
in
off.
two Van
well had
eased
Hedrick
the
January,
In
an
adopted
who did
New York
Brown,
these statements
named
a defendant
and
a
issue of the Financial
and in
few
Analyst,
15 Moore
201 at
room
rented
appeal,
days got
Sweet, repeating
for the
a
from
letter
a
York, to conduct
New
February 28th
adding
On
and
the
had been driven
of stock.
well
general sale
deep.
Van
the pros-
the elder
feet
Sweet dilated
known
Hedrick,
pects,
of a
he had made
205 across
told him
contract
before, hired
time
for some
roogi
a
dig
deeper
$25
publish
paper
a
with Wilcox to
feet
began to
hall, where
the
money.
May 20th
promot-
foot,
On
Analyst,
and asked
whieh
the Financial
called
Kuykendall
and
contract
Northern Sweet
a
the
Great
sale
interests
ed
a
interest
got
of shares
whieh Sweet
three-fourths
Syndicate,
later
and
Mine
Gold
Compa- Kuykendall’s
lease,
payment
$5,000.
on
the Parco
Company and
the Ertel
$1,000 up-
engaged
$500
Hedrick
the Sweet advanced
and
Hedrick
Shortly thereafter
ny.
sales-
and
on the contract between Wilcox
Resnick, a
drilling continued,
part
but no
his room Rose
so that the
and took
men
Ri-
employed by
Kuykendall’s
paid.
Van
formerly
money was ever
stenographer
incorporat-
of.
telephones,
Company
one which
The Parco Oil
put in two
He
per.
17th and the
April
return; 250,000
on
on
June 5th
Sweet’s
was discontinued
de-
March,
In
May 12th.
of stock
issued
shares
to
Woodin
from one
heard
him to
Sweet
transfer
fendant
consideration
drilled
whieh was
oil
in the
whieh Sweet
lease,
well
of Sweet’s interest
Kuyken-
man named
by a
Wyoming
agreed
convey to Hedrick.
had meanwhile
to
state
Kuy-
from
him a letter
250,000
showed
Woodin
dall.
directors authorized
issue
.The
take more
that would
kendall, saying
transfer of
shares
Hedrick for
more
to
im-
the well
complete
to
adjacent
appears
but so far as
lease,
Kuykendall’s
which, in
property,
impor-
The matter is of.
prove
not issued.
largely.
produce
began
sale
Thereupon Hedrick
was sure
tance.
judgment,
treasury stock,
inter-
had several
Brown
of Pareo’s shares
The defendant
office, to
exchanges
latter’s
shares in
of that stock for
Sweet at
make
views
Hedrick, and
brought
in his other
Company.
the Ertel
In these as
eventually
proposal
Kuykendall’s
Me-
used as salesmen
discussed
sales he
the two
9,May
Eventually on
him after
dispose
Cluskey,
who had returned to
well.
agreement
made an
Riper was one of
and Hedrick
absence. L. C. Van
brief
Sweet
complete
necessary to
money
Parco
organizers of the
furnish
existing corporation,
drilling.
helped
An
Financial
preparation
in the
per
Analyst.
Oil Company,
employed
Ertel
cent,
His
son was
his of-
per cent.,
well, Sweet
interest
him,
fice
circulars,
mailed out
any associates
signed receipts
money.
and Hedrick
be raised
money was to
cent. The
per
through
Wyoming
Brown went
Compa-
in the Ertel
of stock
July
stayed
sales
10th
there until the mid-
Hedrick, shortly before the conclusion
ny.
September, paying
dle
Wilcox for the
April 23d, in
Financial
drilling.
telegrams
contract on
constantly
df the
He
sent
buy
the Ertel
urged
public
Analyst,
Hedrick,
which showed that no oil in com-
Ripers were
and the Van
quantities
obtained,
mercial
had been
but
stock,
in Moore street.
their offices
showing
then
that there
of oil
continued
10th,
day after the contract
May
might
On
expected.
and that a 100-barrel
well
Wyoming
left for
stopped,
was closed
Septem-
on the 13th of
Kuykendall,
vestigate
saw
ber
lack of funds. No oil
found,
driller,
Wilcox,
explained to
who, with
abandoned,
forfeited,
the lease
well
situation. Traces
oil
August
him
stock became valueless. On
10th
pretty steadily,
none
been found
in com- Hedrick left
York for
British Columbia
amount, though
Kuykendall
mercial
both
and and visited the well en route. He arrived
sanguine
might
Wilcox
the well
spent
14th
four or five
long-distance
she
reach that
If he would fill
number of
stock to
tice
amount of the
stantial advance
be sold at a
necessary
chase
mercially,
urged
that another
lease
3,000 gallons daily,
$3,000 payment
ever
was ever started
rent of
rick,
a news bulletin
West
ley acquired
which
who was its
extolling
issued a
lease
conferences
economy
own
certain
called
ture with
left the
On the
used on the letters
ther connection with
abandoned it. His
after his return
continued.
and he
expenditure of the
Tingley, who claimed to
stock, the
Riper was left
Hedrick was
days
matter,
leases of
In their
The defendants
July ‘29th,
closing of the
bought,
refining gasoline in accordance with
plant and which
heard
paid.
was never
patents,
price.
Virginia,
his
there.
a customer who
Nitro,
left
tests,
Maloney
strength
$500
copy of
buy more,
of
property
capacity,
shares the customer
though Tingley thought might
a man named
no instructions
accepted on
editing of the
sales of stock it was
oil lands West
profit.
production.
process. On
which he
This block
not shown
rights
but was
president, on
make the
person
telephone.
large
and had a
order,
which
paid.
Tingley
never
called for
month
Va.
plant
his absence
in
upon
representations
agreement,
to the
engaged in another ven-
block of stock at a sub-
in certain
charge of the sales
this
as stated
moneys which
Rose
June, 1924,
name continued
on the
was
McCluskey to
he transferred to Hed-
improved.
the whole block could
also not shown
either
Only
Analyst, setting forth
had resulted
Tingley showed Sweet
said had been
had the
never
provided
the customer’s
to have
made a
had
bulíetins, as
improvements,
have a new
agreement Hedrick
turn announced
enterprise
to have its use
purchases
At
Resnick
August
present.
29th. No
Tingley. Shortly
plant at a
Analyst,
Frequently they
behalf
Parco
VAN RIP
August 4,
property. The
already bought
larger
representation
operated
the elder
some of these
Virginia
leaseholds in
had
capacity
proposal
for in the
agreement,
acquisition
out
22d
by Sweet,
said that
than the
*3
came in.
buy,
after
use the
made at
and the
Finally,
process
to have
EH UNITED
before,
print-
13F.(Sd)
prac-
Ting-
place
great
com-
pur-
had.
fur-
met
dis-
his
fraudulent;
cerned.
minated
nection with
offices,Loftus &
admitted
Holton
It is
“downtown”
separate charges
sell Pareo and other stocks down to
Douglas & Co. The firm of Holton & Ab-
10th, and Ackerson is not shown to have been
are that the
Matthews &
Maloney, or McCluskey, who continued to
connected with the subsequent activities of
under
the name of James Loftus
he did business under the
bott was apparently
bank
personally
did business
and the stenographer, Resniek, together with
the elder
with the scheme up
state’s
the defendant Rabinowitz,
left the
closed. The defendant Ackerson had known
ference with him there, at which Ackerson
Maloney and asked him
left on the
brother’s office downtown. He had a con-
engaged
telephone. Ackerson
loney and McCluskey earlier still. Before
rick’s
went to
Van
defendants at Moore street continued to of-
fer stock
Van
organized, this must
Hedrick’s
October,
Ackerson in November in the
At
ease
defendants were concerned
telephones
argued that the
left
Riper
accounts
Riper
conspiracy
office
which he
evidence,
STATES
&
chief
offices.
properly
Europe
before
him to sell shares of stock over the
Van
against all
Abbott,
hearing,
assumed the
last
third, that various evidence
Co.,
went
defendants were tried
before the Parco
offices;
one in
some time
first at
mistried for this
points
Riper
the end of
day
had been taken out of Hed-
scheme,
separately deny
—the
Ish,
Co., Craig,
and the
Holton & Abbott, and H. P.
but had not been identified
opened
which are described as the
at the times
limited to those
the month of October.
but it was
of October, and the elder
to this
second
raised
who had
Europe,
first
discontinued on
first,
supposed
also hired
H. P.
Moore
offices,
to call him at his
alias,
early
second,
Fifth avenue under
younger
and conducted the
defendants,
that it was in fact
been
September
point.
upon
that which all
Matthews &
began,
Co.,&
name of
Douglas
argued
these had ter-
Martin
reason; next,
Ackerson saw
which it con-
Company
up
in November.
untrue.
firm. Later
later
that started
these writs
Van
McCluskey
their con-
to the end
connected
“uptown”
Ackerson
secretary,
and that
up
where he
and Ma-
turned
Sands,
Craig,
&
April
Riper
Sweet
May.
Co.,
two
The
Co.
REPORTER, 2d
13 FEDERAL
SERIES
City,
York
ment of
Joseph
Kroppy,
F.
New
because
Ackerson
already suggested
plaintiff
Maloney
go
in error Hedrick.
that he
City,
employ’before
York
Hussey, of New
Alexander T.
elder
left,
Ish.
plaintiffs
under
in error Sweet
circumstances which showed
Mass.,
that he
Waltham,
Dowd,
acquainted
J.
himself
(cid:127)Patrick
with Van
Mass.,
RipeFs
Boston,
plans,
Feeney,’ of
better
John P.
himself.
City,
reviving
York
In so
Mahoney,
Thomas H.
New
moribund business and
MeCluskey.
taking
over both
plaintiffs in
error
salesmen and Resniek the
stenographer,
Jr.,
City,
Foulds,
Ackerson.
Andrew
continued the old
Riper.
scheme and the
plaintiff
organization,
in error L. C. Van
part.
least in
*4
At any
City,
rate the
Cecil,
might
York
of New
Harlah
have
con-
cluded, just
Riper.
they
as
might
plaintiff in error C. E.
have concluded
that,
offering
City,
York
Pareo
Ackerson,
they
of New
stock after
Alexander
opened
“uptown”
the
offices, they
pro
were act-
se.
ing
City,
knowledge
Ackerson’s
Pantaleoni,
Jr.,
and in ac-
Guido
cordance with their original understanding
States.
for the United
with him. Thus
appears
it
to us that
the
MACK,
HAND, and
MANTON,
Before
judge
learned
right
in overruling the
Judges.
Circuit
point.
[3,
of chief
4]
importance, how
ever,
that,
is not
but whether the case should
stating
(after
Judge
HAND, Circuit
gone
have
to the jury. The defendants have
reason
see no
[1,2] We can
above).
facts as
.argued their
ignoring
position,
ease
ease
in this
two
say
involved
there were
that
Durland v. U. S., 161 U. S.
S. Ct.
Such
separate schemes defraud'.
508,
Virginia, Wheeling; William E. Baker, duly affidavit, grounds were set forth Jndge. allowed, was filed within the time Ridge whereupon took the under Action Patrick the court matter and another, partners doing advisement, 28, 1925, signed and on Ridge as the Bros. Company, against County denying the motion. the order Court of Mar-
