The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-09-24
CITY INTELLIGENCE,
STATE or THBRNoNBTBR To-DAY.--Six A. NJ,
Il. Noon, So One p NJ. 500. Wind, W. W.

SrANrs.-Ihis morning Simon Strauss had a
hearing before Mayor Henry upon the charge Of
receiving United States postage stamps 10 the
value Of several thousand dollars, knowing them
to have beou stolen. The robbery was commit
ted by two employees in the Washington Post
CaIcc, who sold them to the defendant IN this
city. The latter used them in the payment Of
bills, and from the evidence seems TO have had
extensive transactions with numerous parties IN
this city, who dealt with him in good faith, be-
eying that ho came by the stamps honestly. The
two employees in the Washington Post Office
upon being arrested made a clean breast OF the
whole affair." and testified TO having sold them to
the defendant
The postal stamps which arc damaged whilst
W rOUSiutt~-'n the agency office in New York
where they .uo manufactured, % the various Post
Offices OF the country, are transmitted to the
Post Ohce Department. Credits are given for
them to the various pustmastCrs and the dlm-
aged stamps so credited are destroyed. It usually
happens, however that many Of the stamps are
not SOlltu. These stamps, instead of being de-
Sroy Cd, were hold in reserve and sold.
The following was tue evidence elected at The
Mr. Waller, Special Agent for Post Odicc
At Washington, was swOrn-lrum Information
received he was under the impression that the
Department had lost some five or sis thousand
dollars worth Of postage stamps two parties
were arrested in Washington for the theft; one
Of the men was employed in the Department
the other had been removed short time before
Wm. X. Wharton swOrn-Saw the defendant
once before ut his house. After told him my
name, asked him If he knew Geo. W. AleNan-
der. He said he did. Told him l came there
to see him on business. Told him | had
some property, to the amount OF Sl6,OOO wanted
TO sell him. He said all Inc wanted was to
know II he could place confidence in me. |
told him | could tell him no more than my
having AleNander's name. lie then asked me
who l was acquainted with. told him.
rntfF up xvaI Iftrsa aal IN Z
what my business was. i told him | had fifteen
or sixteen thousand dollars worth OF stamps 1
wanted to sell him-the same stamps Alexander
had promised to bring him about two weeks since.
lie then said that Alexander told him he could
get as many more stamps rs he wanted, and il he
could manage TO get from thirty-dve b forty
thousand dollars worth IL would be better. 1
then told him l didn't know about that; that
this lot had advanced Alexander money on.
! said TO him understood that $500 in stamps
had been given for $500 and two gold watches
defendant replied yes, $500 or over; then said
you had another LOT, when you paid him more
worth 500.
VIM. b. Warnc, of'$is city sworn-Kuown
defendant two years; often came 20 our store and
bought articles; lately had stamps which he
offered IN trade; said he got them from o party
in the book business in California. We took IN
all Sl35S worth Of stamps from defendant.
George w. Russell sworn-l am jeweller;
known defendant in business for several years
in fail of 1863 he bought some goods for $50 or
SllO, and asked il | could use some three-cent
stamps; said he had got them from sutler;
took the stamps In payment for some diamonds;
next transaction was December Q, 1868.
He did not pay Tor the articles at the time l
sent after him, and he came on January %, and
said he had been again 10 the front of the army,
and had got some more postage stamps from u
Sutlcr. lie paid the bill, 500, in stAmps-one
cent and three cent He paid a small balance in
March, 1864, in cash. | had a peculiar diamond
pin for which | asked S}7j he took IL away TO
show TO friend, and brought 1t back, and
offered certain amount for it, which declined
Detective McDeyitt, of Washington, and Ctlla-
nan and Carltn, Of this city, who made the arrest
testified that they visited Strauss house, and took
hom his pocket slip Of paper with Whar-
tons name upon il, also some ninety cent STAMPS;
also took picture of Alexander, one of dcfend-
ants, from an u bum.
The defendant was required to enter bail in the
sum Of $4,000 TO auswer.
THE MARKETS Notwithstanding the decline
in gold. Al tclrs Of daily food and wear continue
almost uudiminshed in price. The result is that
consumers purchase very sparingly, causing an
unusual duness in the trade. Butter was selling
yesterday at from 80 to 70 cents per pound beef
from 80 to 80 ccntsi sweet potatoes from 30 to
81 cents per half peck and poultry from % 10 %
cents per pound The prices for the necessaries
OF Lille are now so eXOrDilant that WOrkingmen
can scarcely afford to buy.
The rates for clothing are treble the price they
pat, hing ana mending have been resOrted TO- and
old clothes are made to pass muster by reno
waiting.
In the sioe trade there is an equal duIluess.
owing b ne high price of leather aud prunella
Caters which were formerly purchased at two
dollars pr pair are now five dollars, and boots
which sid at six dollars are now considered
cheap a ten and thirteen dollars. Indeed all
goods II this line have risen more than one hun
dred pr cent.
Millinery and silks have, however, somewhat
OF show" but IL is only among the richer
clases, for few OF the poorer can afford TO buy
bODets at from twenty to one hundred dollars.
Tls only business which seems to he doing well
is ne fur trade. The demand for furs this fall is
renty per cent. greater than il last year. and
last are the orders coming in, that large ad-
itiOnal help is needed for sewing and finishing
This is owing TO the fact that the prices have not
advanced in the same proportion as have those
of dry goods and merchandise, and the revenue |
is only twenty-five per cent. for imported goods
and ten per cent. for native manufactures.
"gOod" Oyercoat now costs from seventy five |
to one hundred dOll1rs, and "silk" hat cannot |
be obtained under ten dollars. As natural con- |
sequence, light fall OvercOats will be worn until |
the depth OF winter, while "felt' or "Kossulh" |
hats will be all the rage.
CAPTAIN w. S. DAyIs.-The many friends of |
this gentleman, who is the Assistant Adiutant-
General Of the LIST Division, 9th Corps, will be
gratihcd TO learn that he passed through here
in improved health on his way to the
front. A few Of his former associates, particularly
such of the old officers of the Corn Exchange
X giment as heard Of his arrival, had the plea.
S Of meeting him. Few men of his age and
rank in the army have had such experience of
severe work as Captain Davis. Entering the SER
vice as an officer of the 22d Massachusetts he
was detailed as aid-de-camp 10 General Martin
dale, and served as such during the winter of
1861 and campaign Of 1862, until the army ar
rived at Ilauison's Landing, receiving a severe
wound at Malvern Hill. As acting A. A. G. Of
the LIT Brigade, LIST Division, 9th Corps he
served at Bull Run second, Antietam, Frede-
ricksburg, Chancelloryillc, and the Gettysburg
and Mine Run campaigns Last spring, on the
staff Of General Griffin, he participated 10 all the
lighting nom the crossing OF the Rapidan 10 the
Of the Weldon railroad winning the
approval of his superior officers and the warm
regard Of his associates. To them he now re-
turns, with health only partially restored, but
anxious, ifpOssble, TO add 10 his record, "Pe-
.eTsbuTg" and 'RichmOnd,'
MASS MEEIN0, THIS EyENING.-A mas, meet
ing of The friends Of the National Union party,
,esiding IN the Third Congressional District, will
be held this evening, at the corner of Fmukf1rd
road and York street, Nineteenth Ward. Anum-
Der OF excellent speakers will address. the meet
ug5 and extensive preparations have been made
70 render the occasion one Of more than usual |
importance. There will also be q magnificent |