The SD article states "Two different New York Times stories from 1928 report the legal problems of veteran con men said to have fraudulently sold the Brooklyn Bridge earlier in their careers. The first was William McCloundy, who “sold the Brooklyn bridge in 1901, for which he was convicted of grand larceny and served two and a half years in Sing Sing,” according to detectives. The second was con man George C. Parker, also alleged to have sold the bridge at an unspecified time.”
I don’t have access to the NYT for 1928, and I’m too cheap to spend $3.95 to confirm the above, but it is contradicted by the fultonhistory website in my previous link. Two articles from July 7, 1928 from the above website note that William McCloudy and George C. Parker are the same person. (I’m not going to screencap the articles I reference/quote below, but you can find these articles on the site above)
From the July 7, 1928 Standard Union “‘Brooklyn Bridge Seller’ Held on Swindle Charge” article:
Police say McCloundy has posed as a captain of an ocean liner and as Warden of the city prison. He is known to them as “I. O. U.” O’Brien, “Captain” George C. Parker, and “Warden” James. According to Schmeyer, he employed the name of Albert Murch in his real estate transactions with him.
McCloundy served two years and six months in Sing Sing for “selling” the Brooklyn Bridge in 1901.
And from the July 7, 1928 Brooklyn Daily Eagle “Extradite Man Accused of Selling Lots He Didn’t Own” article:
McCloundy, the police say, is known to them aa “I. O. U.” O’Brien, “Captain” George C. Parker, and “Warden” James Kennedy. At various times the police say he represented himself as captain of a large ocean liner and also as warden of the city prison. He used the name Albert Murch and claimed to be a real estate operator, Schmeyer says, in his dealings with him.
…It was back in 1901, the police say, that McCloundy “sold” the Brooklyn Bridge. He was convicted of grand larceny at that time and served two years and six months in Sing Sing Prison, the police say.
What’s interesting is that although I think McCloundy and Parker are the same person, the Jul.7/28 Standard Union article notes McCloundy is 68, and lives at 349 3rd Ave., Asbury Park, NJ.
There is only one other reference to “William McCloundy” other than the two Jul.7/28 articles above: a July 8, 1928 Brooklyn Daily Eagle article, which gives many more details of McCloudy’s life of crime, including sentences, exploits, and that he was arrested at 349 3rd Ave., Asbury Park, caught in the act of measuring the backyard with a tape measure, and noting to police he could have sold the place for $17,000.
After this there are only references to “George C. Parker”, which leads me to believe they are the same person.
For example, there is a November 23, 1928 Brooklyn Daily Eagle “BROOKLYN BRIDGE’S “SELLER” SENT TO SING SING FOR LIFE” article that talks about “George C. Parker”, also age 68, who gave his last address as 103 Quincy St.
And the Jan.30/50 New York Post has an excerpt from a book that notes “[w]ithout doubt, the most amazing swindler that ever operated In New York City was George C. Parker, who died in Sing Sing at the age of 76 in 1937.”
Anyway, I thought I’d look up more info on this, and document it somewhere.