Los Angeles Herald

ANOTHER
Elsinore's Duplication of the Pomona Land Trouble.
F. H. Heald Arrested in This City Last Night.
He is Accused of Selling Land He Did Not Own.
A Special Telegram From Elsinore Describes the Situation There-Heald Tells His Version-He Claims His Arrest is Spitework.

There seems to be an epidemic of rascality in land matters in certain portions of Southern California. A case very similar to the recent Pomona episode has just come to light at Elsinore, as the following special telegram received by the Herald last night shows:

Special to the Herald.
Elsinore, Cal., Nov. 14.-Elsinore has a land sensation similar to the Pomona affair, in which Attorney Tonner figured so prominently. F. H. Heald, who at one time was a prominent business man of this town, is an absconder, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. He is accused of selling to the Security Trust and Loan company of Los Angeles numerous parcels of land here which were long ago bought and paid for by parties living here.

There is not the slightest doubt of Heald having sold the same land twice, and the excitement here over the affair is intense. The matter leaked out several days ago, when a citizen here had occasion to get an abstract of his property, when he found that it had been deeded by Heald to the Los Angeles Trust company. This led to further investigation, and it was discovered that over fifty pieces of property, owned by various persons, had been likewise transferred by Heald, who had not the slightest legal claim to the property.

When waited on by one man whose home had been deeded away in this manner, Heald coolly informed him he could only clear his title by bringing an action to quiet title in the superior court.

The citizens are greatly worked up over the matter and on Heald failing to make any kind of reparation, a warrant was issued for his arrest. He drove out of town yesterday morning. Heald was several years ago a large property-owner here, but the majority of the citizens of the colony lost confidence in him long ago.

Horace McPhee.

The Security Loan and Trust company is located at 123 West Second street. H. M. Conger of Pasadena is president, and M. W. Stimson of this city is secretary.

HEALD IN JAIL.
The Los Angeles police department was telegraphed to arrest Frank P. Heald. Early last evening Detective Bosqui arrested Heald. He had just arrived in the city. Heald is a clerical looking man and took his arrest very coolly. A few years ago he was the leading spirit in Elsinore. He was the largest landowner and was the founder of the town. Quite a sensation was created in the pretty little town by the lake shore two years ago when Mrs. Heald sued her husband for divorce. The affair was the talk of San Diego for several weeks.

Heald was seen at the city prison soon after the arrest by a Herald reporter. He described his arrest as an outrage, and instigated by enemies. In conversation with the reporter he said: "I came to Los Angeles on business. I did not intend to skip out. That story is apparently circulated by my enemies at Elsinore. I drove to Chino with my two boys. I drove into Los Angeles today. Two years ago I made a trust deed to Mr. Conger for a large amount of property. The deed was made out in a hurry. The man who kept books for me neglected to make minutes of several deeds. A few days ago one of my enemies discovered that there was a mistake, and he started in to raise
a row.
It does not amount to anything, however. The mistake was not intentional, and he should have brought action to quiet title instead of having me arrested. I have been making a fight against voting bonds for a Wright irrigation district at Elsinore. The matter came up in court the other day and was argued. A decision is expected in a day or two. A warrant for my arrest was sworn out in the expectation of influencing a decision."

Mr. Heald expressed a wish that he should be taken back to San Diego county without any delay, as he is anxious to get out on bail.

MR. LANDT'S STATEMENT.
S. V. Landt, general manager of the Lake Elsinore Irrigation company, was seen last night in relation to the Heald affair, and said:

"I believe that the warrant was issued at the instigation of Mr. Heald's enemies at Elsinore. Mr. Heald came to this country in 1879, and in company with Wm. Collier, of San Diego, and Mr. Graham, now deceased, purchased the La Laguna rancho and started colonizing it at once. This partnership ran along for several years, when the unsold property was divided, Mr. Heald getting certain lots and tracts in and around Elsinore and Lake Elsinore. He followed the same method as before selling the land by tracts and town lots. The list of sales and conveyances was kept by a book-keeper.

"Things ran along until about 1889, when Mr. Heald obtained a loan from the Security Loan and Trust company of this city for $20,000. About six months after the loan, when the interest became due, Mr. Heald made a trust deed to the company for all his property, designing to give all he had remaining unsold for securing his honest debts. The deed ran to Mr. H. M. Conger of Pasadena, then president of the company. At the time of transfer Mr. Heald said that he thought that he had given the description correctly but there might possibly be some inaccuracy, as the books had been kept by his book-keeper. That there was some inaccuracy in the transfer of Mr. Heald to the loan company had been well known to these parties but who only bring the matter up now in their attempt to wreck him. I have known Mr. Heald for twenty-five years and know his people, and I will say that there is not a single dishonest hair in his head, and his family were unimpeachable in honesty and morals.
There is nothing whatever in his having skipped out. He came up here for two or three days on business the first of last week, at my solicitation remaining about two days, then returned to Elsinore. Today he was again called to the city on business, where he was arrested. Not a person will lose his home-this very thought is utter nonsense. I am perfectly satisfied in the gentleman's innocence of the charge, as he has never been other than scrupulously honest in all business transactions."