frequently also known as Woulffe
1885-7-24 Woulfe released by Gruber - Gruber collects signatures of players saying they would continue to play with Gruber.
1885-8-03 Woulfe said he was released by Gruber due to personal hostility.
1891-5-04 with Lees
1899-8-03 president of Young Men's Gymnastic Club - returned with others from amateur rowing regatta in Boston
1912-2-20 Maurice P. Woulfe, assistant clerk of the City Council, died.
1913-2-19 (Wednesday) page 1 with picture - in jail - clients lose $300,000 - arrested 2-18 - rumors had been rumbling for three weeks prior
arrested 10.15PM Tuesday "on charges of forgery in connection with mortgage note transactions, aggregating $11,766.66. It was said that the alleged illegal transactions would aggregate $300,000." refused to make statement. Bond fixed at $5,000 each for twelve charges, which he refused to pay. List of twelve charges with names & numbers.
"The arrest was ordered by District Attorney Luzenberg, following a two-hour conference with an attorney representing the holders of twelve mortgage lien notes that are alleged to be forgeries."
Woulfe was one of the most prominent city notaries and city notary under Flower admin. from 1900 to 1904.
His office was seized. An investigation will be made, and a shortfall of $300,000 is expected.
Rumors of a shortage began three weeks ago. "It became a common topic among attorneys, but no specific charges of any sort were made until an attorney communicated with District Attorney Luzenberg Tuesday afternoon."
"Dan Mouney, assistant chief of detectives; Special Grady and Capt. Dimitry were detailed by Superintendent Reynolds to make the arrest..." account of arrest - taken at home. His brother-in-law, Joseph Norris, assistant clerk of City Council, was present and they talked briefly.
He said nothing when told of his charges - said nothing even when told of $60,000 bond. Only thing he said was "Good night, thank you" as he was being taken from the room "to be booked at the First Precinct station."
If the charges are true his methods must have been similar to those used by those employed by Robert J. Maloney:
"An attorney who is familiar with these cases outlined it this way: The basis of operations is a perfectly good note upon good security. The better the note the easier it is. An investor coming to the notary is shown the good note, and permitted to investigate the property, and otherwise satisfy himself as to the validity of the paper. He calls upon the maker of the note and, of course, is informed that the notary holds it. But when the investor purchases the note he is given a forged note, the notary retaining the original. The purchaser is told to call upon the notary for the interest. Then the note is sold over again to another man on the same plan, and possibly is sold a third time. In the end the notary will sell the original also. When the interest falls due he will pay the purchaser with his personal check, informing him that the maker had called the day before and paid it.
'The interest of these notes runs at 6, 7, and 8 per cent, and it is easy to see how quickly a shortage will run up.'
No hint as to what could have become of such a sum of money as the shortage is alleged to be could be obtained last night. The length of time during which it existed was thought to account for the magnitude of the sum."
"During the early 80s he gained his notarial experience in the office of the late W.J. Castell, who was a notary of great prominence. In 1884 Woulfe was appointed a notary by Gov. McEnery."
"It is said he developed a sporting instinct at that time, and was noted for his activity in betting on baseball games as a commissioner for others. He also owned several race horses during the palmy days of racing, and is credited with having made and lost large sums of money on the races. "
"Returning to New Orleans [after his pro baseball career - chronology of this may be warped as they say his semipro baseball career began in 1884 -fp] Woulfe took up his notarial work, and also became active in politics in the Third Ward. He fought Capt. John Fitzpatrick, and in the Citizens' League campaigns was so successful that he was rewarded with the office of City Notary. He served four years in that capacity, after which he opened his own notarial offices. He had numbers of clients, and is known to have done a big business...
He was a leader in aquatic sports, being an expert oarsman. He is a member of the Young Men's Gymnastic Club, and for some time was active in all its rowing affairs. Later, however, he and some others split off from the rowing club of the Y.G.M.C. and organized the St. John's Rowing and Canoe Club. Most of his leisure time was spent in rowing and canoeing about the lakes and bayous, and he was a familiar figure at all aquatic events.
Woulfe was one of the few notaries of New Orleans who never was a lawyer. He had a large clientele brought by his many connections. His brother, M.P. Woulfe, was a clerk in the City Hall for many years, and died while so serving. Of late years Woulfe has been aligned with the "regulars", and was one of Capt. Fitzpatrick's ablest lieutenants in the primary commission council fight. Some years ago he took the stump in opposition to the placing of a garbage plant in the Third Ward and made a number of vigorous speeches."
1913-2-20 Big article on p.1 - and almost the entire p. 10 about Woulfe
had at least four confederates - has not confessed
"An attorney who conducted the investigation into this feature and laid the matter before Mr. Luzenberg, explained the transactions in this way:
'The notary would inform me that he had a client who had, say $2000, and he wanted to buy a certain piece of property worth $4000, and desired to borrow the difference, and secure it by a mortgage lien upon the property. He would make an appointment with me, say at 10 o'clock on a certain day. I would find his man - let us call him Brown - there, and the purchase already made. The seller would have signed and left. Before my eyes Brown would execute a bill of sale and notes for the $2000, and I would give a check for the sum. Every detail of the transaction would be carried out properly, and the bill of sale would be recorded in the mortgage office. The transfer of the property would actually take place.
"Perhaps an hour later he would have another lawyer there and go through the same form, executing another set of notes and another mortgage. And perhaps it would be done three or four or any number of times.
"Of course only one mortgage would be recorded, but as this is made out by the signer to himself, and indorsed by him, neither I nor any of the purchasers of the notes could judge other than that it was the one executed in his presence. The notary would even furnish insurance policies with each set of notes.
"John Dymond, Jr., who had a number of transactions with Woulfe and was one of the complainants who furnished information to the District Attorney, when asked about this development stated:
'There is no question in my mind but that he had assistance. I have notes signed in my presence and for which the bill of sale was signed in my presence. And there are other notes out on the same property which, I am informed by the holders, were executed in the same manner. I have insurance policies covering the property, and so do the others. The thing I cannot understand is how these policies were obtained.
' This is a fault of the system. Beyond question the notes should be recorded as well as the acts of sale. There is absolutely nothing to protect the owner of a note from collusion between the owner and the notary.' "
There are now sixteen formal charges against Woulfe. (again listed) Cover $18,200.
1913-2-20 p.10
Plead not guilty. Made no effort to pay $80,000 bond.
"In fact, it was said by Criminal Sheriff Long that representatives of a big security company called at the Parish Prison Wednesday morning and offered to furnish the accursed notary's bail, but that he refused to take any action in that direction whatever. His present expectation seems to be that he will remain in prison until the charges against him are formulated in more concrete fashion, and the full amount of his bond finally determined."
"A significant fact in connection with the alleged forged paper found in Woulfe's office is that all these notes are drawn up on very thin paper, which, District Attorney Luzenberg pointed out, rendered them susceptible of being traced from. the original signatures where a forgery of an original good note was counterfeit- ed. Instead of using the more favored heavy paper on which notaries generally draw up important notes or acts, Woulfe resorted to a fabric that has almost the appearance of tissue paper.
That not only charges of forgery, but that some of the transactions will lead to charges of obtaining money by false pretenses was stated by District Attorney Luzenberg."
"According to attorneys interested, the number of sufferers through Woulfe's defalcations will not be more than sixty. 43 were represented in the group of creditors who made the demands upon him prior to his arrest, it is stated. Eight victims will lose close to $200,000. About $125,000 will cover the losses of the others. The largest victim loses $60,000, it is stated."
"Woulfe's plunging on the race track several years ago is blamed by his friends for his downfall. He is known to have owned, in partnership with a well-known sportsman, a horse that created a flurry on the local track on 1905. He is said to have assisted in financing the stables of P. Tomilson &Co. and B. Vincent & Co. He also was supposed to hold the contract on "Jumps" Coombs, a Jockey, who created a sensation during the riding season of 1897-98. One of his biggest winnings is said to have been o a horse named Great Bend at Washington Park, Chicago, in 1904. The odds against the horse were 15 to 1 at the outset. The play is supposed to have netted him $75,000.
In his first turf ventures Woulfe was in with Tomilson, and later he let Vincent handle the horses which turfmen credited him with owning. Woulfe frequently visited other cities to back Vin- cent and Tomilson horses. He was known in those days as a heavy plunger, but always shunned notoriety, and usually worked through betting commissioners, old followers of the turf say.
His losses of the racing days were never made up, some of his friends say, and the high rate of interest he was forced to pay really amounted to compound interest, because he had to borrow again to pay the interest on the principal. At 7 and 8 per cent, the principal would double in eight or nine years."
"One piece of property valued at about $5,000 has outstanding against it $30,000 of mortgage notes"
"Undoubtably most of the notes out that were handled by Mr. Woulfe are genuine. I should say the great preponderance of them, because as I understand it his business was large."
notes should be registered
1913-2-21 p.1 Trail of forged notes begins in 1894
"More than 500 notes, most of which bear evidence of having once been afloat and having been redeemed, and the great majority of which on their faces seem fraudulent, were found by Mr. Saxon among the defaulting notary's papers. The earliest of these bear the date 1894, and they run up through the years to 1912.
Three Annie Shannon notes, found in the collection, throw much light upon Woulfe's method of operation. Miss Annie Shannon is a teacher in the Frank T. Howard School, and never borrowed any money from or through Woulfe. But the notary handled her mother's estate, and upon an act of sale in the estate he predicated several $1000 notes, purporting to have been signed by Miss Shannon. Upon one of these notes one of the forgery charges against him is based.
Three identical notes, signed Annie Shannon, each for $1000, for one year, all of them without a date, were among Woulfe's papers. They were carefully pinned together, and apparently were held ready to be dated up and floated when the occasion should be propitious."
"Mr. Saxon found eight identical [Samuel W.] Penot notes. Each of them was dated Oct. 14, 1894, and each of them was for $1000, for one year."
Also used name of James E. Toohey for a series of notes, a man who did not even exist.
"Most of the note found in Woulfe's office had been retired, and Mr. Saxon expressed surprise that the notes had not been destroyed by the notary when the real note had been presented and the obligation met."
1913-2-21 p.10
"Woulfe appeared at the meeting [of attorneys on Tuesday afternoon] and admitted that he had sold a large number of irregular notes. He furnished a list of these notes which was, he said, as nearly complete as he could make it. The list totaled $300,000."
Woulfe had expressed a desire to deal as well as he could by his creditors, and offered to turn over all his property, amounting to about $60,000, over to a bank selected by them for division among the holders of the notes. This agreement was entered into at the Tuesday afternoon conference, and the transfer of the property was to have been made Wednesday morning. The arrest of the notary Tuesday night prevented it.
Woulfe said at the meeting he regretted the injury he had worked, but had become involved and to save himself from immediate exposure had been forced deeper and deeper, until the final crush found him more than a quarter of a million dollars in arrears."
doubtful that property can be divided among the creditors
"The commencement of litigation will involve an expenditure that may wipe out much of the comparatively small amount of property in sight, however."
some of the note holders do not want to prosecute. One woman possessing a $10000 note said that
"Mr. Woulfe has always been very kind to me and has made considerable money for me. I feel sorry for him. The money is gone: let it go."
"Others have displayed a similar reluctance to prosecute and several have torn up the notes as soon as they made certain they were worthless.
One attorney who had several notes which proved to be worthless, was unable to get any of the holders to agree to prosecute."
Woulfe may have had a woman confederate.
1913-2-22 p.1
"The first of the series [of forged notes] date as early as 1893 and the tabulation has shown that the notary was short $15,000 or $20,000 by 1894."
"The James F. Byrne series, of which several are still in circulation, is the most daring of those found by the notary. Six identical notes of date of Oct. 14, 1898, for $755 each, and for one year each were issued by the notary. He issued four identical two-year notes for the same amount and three identical three-year notes for the same amount on the same day. This number he had put out and redeemed. Others may still be out."
"The many extensions granted on a majority of the notes is a feature of considerable interest. Some of the Samuel W. Penot notes, issued in 1894, were not finally paid until 1908. Some of them show partial payments, but most are simply marked "Interest paid and note extended.
A legitimate transaction was apparently behind most of the frauds. The bogus notes were simply copies of genuine notes backed by genuine acts of sale passed by notary Woulfe. One, two, or three, or sometimes six or seven copies, were made and sold to different persons.
1913-2-22 p.2 "First forgery due to race losses; increased like compound interest."
More, than twenty years ago Woulfe "got in bad" in the races. His records and cancelled notes found among his possessions show that he was short as early at 1893. The amount seems to have been in the neighborhood of $15,000. From what acquaintances of those days know of him, the races seem to offer the most reasonable solution.
To maintain a false credit, in other words to keep afloat, it was necessary for him to keep fraudulent notes in circulation. His shortage cost him close to 10 per cent interest, according to the estimate of a notary who has looked over the papers.
The bogus notes bore 7 and 8 per cent interest. With every note an insurance policy on the property involved had to be furnished. The cost of securing this policy and the premium had to be borne by the notary. Then, in order to meet a note falling due, he had to issue another and float it in advance. In this manner frequent lapping of interest on large sums must have occurred. All in all, the cost of the shortage must have been 10 per cent.
As the notary had no other way of meeting the interest except borrowing again, the interest really was compounded. In twenty years, even a small shortage would have grown to immense proportions.
But during the twenty years since he first began to operate in forged paper, the notary apparently has made numerous efforts to catch up and get clear again. That his efforts never were completely successful is told in black and white by the notes. Had he been ahead he would now have permitted old bad paper such as the Penot notes to remain outstanding until 1905 and 1906.
Many stories of big killings made by Woulfe on the race track have been told by turfmen, especially since his arrest. But the record is too strongly against them. If he won, the cost of his stables ate the money up or he risked it again and lost. In all the twenty years when the records shows his first transactions to have been made, he was never clear of bogus paper.
It is only in the last five or six years that his shortage has been so large, however, and while no traces have yet been found, it may be that he suffered further reverses during this latter period in an effort to recoup his fortunes.
During these twenty years of fraud and forgery, Woulfe has enjoyed a good business. He has always been able to find money for his clients and he was credited with having one of the best notarial businesses in New Orleans. His income must have ranged above $5000, and one notary estimates it at $10,000 a year. All of this went into the vortex. He always lived modestly and had no extravagances. Betting was a hobby with him, but his risks usually were small, and if his friends remember correctly, he won as frequently as he lost."
"Attitude of resignation"
While Woulfe apparently is resigned to his fate, and he has answered without equivocation questions put to him by various victims who have called upon him, he has not yet indicated what course he will pursue with reference to the forgery charges against him. It has been generally accepted since the full extent of of his operations became known, that he would plead guilty to a number of charges and accept sentence.
At first some of his friends discussed an effort at compromise, basing their hope upon the service Woulfe could be in straightening out his affairs and making it possible for his victims to re- cover at least a portion of their losses. As the days have gone by this hope seems to have flown, however.
Woulfe's relatives are sticking to him closely, although he apparently has gone through every cent owned my his family. Property inherited by his wife, the house occupied by himself as a home, and the home of his daughter, all went into the ruin...
He has expressed to his visitors the keenest sorrow at the ruin wrought by his actions and a desire to do everything in his power to work what restitution he can. His daughter has undertaken to call upon those of his victims who have been the hardest hit and to see if some assistance cannot be given them in the division of his property."
a lot of diff. notes listed
1913-2-23 p.1
"Ten separate and distinct charges of forgery will be brought against James J. Woulfe in the Criminal District Court Monday morning was the important an anouncement in the sensational notarial defalcation case made Saturday evening by District Attorney Luzenberg. The ten charges have been carefully selected from a vast number of them that Mr. Luzenberg and his assistants, David Henriques and Ben Daly, have investigated, and informations embodying them will be sworn to before the judges of the higher criminal tribunal as soon as they mount the bench Monday.
With this announcement of the formal presentations of the charges that will be pushed against Woulfe, District Attorney Luzenberg Saturday gave out a list of all the present outstanding alleged spurious mortgage notes found among the imprisoned notary's papers. This list shows a total of $284,894.76 said to have been lost to Woulfe's clients through their dealings with him. In addition to this amount District Attorney Luzenberg declares he has reason to believe that there is about $50,000 more in worthless mortgage notes in existence which he has not yet been able to lay his hands on, and this addition will swell these figures, to nearly $335,000."
1913-2-23 p.5
Woulfe claims ownership to real estate on which he places a value of $60,000. One of his creditors who has looked it all over says it's not worth more than $40,000 all told. Against every one of these pieces of property legitimate mortgages and legitimate notes are outstanding in amounts that, in most instances, are the full value of the property. Naturally, the holders of these legitimate notes are going to recover the full amount of their notes, providing, of course, that they can prove the genuineness of the paper they hold."
Only the surplus, after the holders of genuine notes have been satisfied, can go toward satisfying those holding bogus paper issued by Woulfe. In the opinion of an attorney who has looked into the matter carefully, if this surplus were divided pro rata among the creditors without deducting court costs they would not realize more than two or three cents on the dollar."
"There are said to be several cases of this sort where Woulfe directly with the attorney of the purchasers and succeeded in fooling him as successfully as those of his victims unversed in law."
"Mrs. Charles Brady Accuses Notary of Embezzlement"
embezzled $4000 of estate of which he was administrator
COTTON IS IS BLAMED.
Woulfe's Betting Commissioner Says He Was Successful on Track.
Samuel W. Penot, Woulfe's betting commissioner in the race track days, believes that the defaulting notary waxed rich on the ponies and dropped his winnings in cotton. When Woulfe's use of Penot's name on bogus notes first came to light and old-time turfmen recalled the relations between the two, it was said by his former friends that Penot had left New Orleans. He is living here, however, residing at 2427 Urquhart street. Woulfe owned the Shamrock stables and during those days Penot was his betting commissioner. In the period between 1893 and 1898 Woulfe's winnings netted him $200,000 according to Penot. The former betting commissioner says that he thought Woulfe worth $500,000, and that he is sure the notary made big money at the racing game.
James Jemison's connection with Woulfe began in 1900, according to Penot, and from that time on Jemison acted as betting commissioner for the notary. but his relations were not as intimate as those of Penot. "I believe he lost it as fast on cotton as he won it on the ponies," Penot said."
"Mrs. Woulfe Owns Residence. The residence occupied by James J. Woulfe at 2628 Canal street is owned by Mrs. Woulfe, and was brought into the family by her on his marriage. The property originally belonged to the father of Mrs. Woulfe and was given her. Under the terms of the marriage contract she retained it after the marriage. Mrs. Woulfe was a Miss Mary Murphy."
1913-2-24 the identify of most of the noteholders is being kept secret. Tells some of the stories.
1913-3-14 stoically pleads guilty
1913-3-21 sentenced to fourteen years of hard-labor - lose estimated now at $350,000
"Woulfe heard the penance assigned him in Section B of the Criminal District Court with the same lack of emotion that has characterized every public proceeding in the case since his arrest."
1913-4-19 appeared in court as witness
1913-4-25 Parkerson claims $10,000
1913-5-08 Woulfe has paid $73,000 of shortfall - testifies in other case
1913-5-09 now Michael Irwin, friend of Woulfe who endorsed one of the notes, is being sued
1913-10-08 suit brought against Woulfe's trustee in bankruptcy
1914-1-16 Joseph Loeb v. William Fischer concerning a Woulfe note is settled - nonsuit
1914-2-05 American Bonding Company of Baltimore is being sued in connection with Woulfe
Woulfe is in the Penitentiary of the State of Louisiana
1914-2-13 suit v. Irwin brothers/ Woulfe for $5,000
1900 census married in 1887
1910 census his parents were born in Ireland. Children: Ethel, Maurice, Jas Wolfe jr.
grave
1900 census married in 1887
1910 census his parents were born in Ireland. Children: Ethel, Maurice, Jas Wolfe jr.
grave
death certificate parents: Patrick Woulfe and Annie Berrigan. Married Mary Murphy.
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