The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-03-03
have the honor TO be, with great respect,
your Excellency's obedient servant, +. Il A III
nANrvr M Eov
DANIEL NJ rOXi
Mayor Of City Of PHILADELPHIA


are hereto annexed, of sundry persons in re-
lation to certain alleged impositions upon and
abduction of members of the family of Michael
Pawelski Polish emigrante). said to have
taken place in this city in the month
of July last, and in reference to which
your Excellency did me the honor to
request that should cause an investigation
to be made and to report the results to your
Excelency, and also to the Notary Public,
Louis Riedt (the petitioner in this connec-
tion). beg, also, to say, that in accordance
with your Excellency's request, will for
ward a copy of the testimony taken to Mr..
Riedt at the earliest convenient moment, and
with your Excellency's permission, 1 should
like very much to give the whole matter to
the public through the newspapers, as there
has been quite an extensive publication of
the Pawelsld afidavits.
Very respectfully your obedient servant,
...rr DANIEL NJ Fox,
Mayor of Philadelphia.
Benjamin Franklin being duly sworn, did
depose and say--I am O detective officer of
the city of Philadelphia; was detailed with
colleague detective officer, Tryon, by order
of his Honor Daniel M. Fox, Mayor of the
city of Philadelphia, to investigate the matter
of the alleged abduction of four children of
Michael Pawelski, now resident in Wiscon-
Sill, dE b6b IOTlu III lu6 dluuhNlb uhuo ny hlul
and his wife before Louis Riedt, Notary
Public, Milwaukee, dated December 21, 1869;
in pursuance of instructions we called upon the
agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company,
who has charge of the emigrant line in this
city, Mr. Francis Funk, Office No. 116 Market
street, and made known the object of our
visit. He stated that his attention had been
called to this matter by publication in the
German newspapers of the statements made by
d. t1,,a ,1nrr nca na1 t,
That partial investigation has been made by
the agent of the German Society of Philadel-
phla, and he had ascertained that the family
referred to had, on their arrival in this city,
stopped at Klohr's hotel, northwest corner of
Front and Union streets; that he, the agent of
the society, had learned of the whereabouts
of the family, and said that he had
written a letter to Louis Riedt, the
Notary Public referred to, at Milwaukee,
stating the information he had obtained
Mr.. Funk gave Mr.. Klohr, in speaking of
him, an excellent character, saying that he
had known him for years as a truthful man
and O decent citizen. He also said that he
was satisfied, from information received by
him, that the statement so made before the
notary public was false. We then followed
up the investigation; saw Mr.. Klohr, who
promptly called with us on the Mayor, and
made affidavit of the facts (Which affidavit is
u6rGpO dDpeuu0u) MT. hlOuT UU6u VOluuU66r6u
to accompany us to Bridgeport, Gloucester
county, New Jersey, to see the two sisters,
| Augustine and Annie Pawelski, in accordance
with that offer, and by instructions of the
| Mayor, we (deponent) Tryon and Klohr
visited Bridgeport last evening, called upon
| Mr.. Thomas G.. Borden and also Mr.. Elmer
Cooper, adjoining neighbors and found them
to be highly respectable people, substantial
farmers, members of the religious Society of
Friends, and on stating the object of our
visit, and on reading to them the affidavit of
Michael Pawelski. they expressed their aston
ishment, Mr.. Borden saying it was vile
falsehood; that he (NIr. Borden) had called
at the house of Mr.. Klohr in July
last for the purpose of obtaining
hired help being well acquainted
with Mr.. Klohr, and found the Pawelski
family there; Mr.. Pawelski was anxious for
him to take both girls, but he only wanted
one; he finally consented to take two of them,
Augustine and Annie third daughter
(Elizabeth) at the same time wanted him to
take her also, and cried, as she wanted to go
with her sisters; he gave Mr. Pawelski his
name and address on piece of paper, at his
leaving with the girls, so that the family
could communicate with the girls; on his
(Mr Borden's) arrival at home, he kept one
of the girls (Annie) and his neighbor, Elmer
Cooper, took the other (Augustina); the two
girls lived there with them for thirty-one or
thirty-two weeks, receiving wages all the
time, for short time after their arrival re-
ceiving $1'25 per week, and afterwards So
per week for the remainder Of the time. Both
the gentlemen (Messrs Borden and Cooper
stated that the girls gave entire satisfaction,
and behaved very we'll. Furthermore, that
at about Christmas time their sister, Eliza
beth, came to the farms and visited her sis.
ters; that Elizabeth had spoken of the old
folks being in Wisconsin,; that she had been
employed at Meyers, Chesapeake City, and
was well pleased with her place, and brought
with her letter she had received from hel
parents in Wisconsin.
Mr.. Borden also informed us that subse
quently Elizabeth again visited them, in com.
pany with her brother, John Pawelski, had
an interview with the sisters, and arranged
that they all four should start West and join
the family in Wisconsin Immediately, which
they did on the 10Th day of this (present
month, Mr.. Cooper having driven them tc
the railroad depot for that purpose The.
were all in good spirits, expected to be three
days on the way, and Mr.. Borden gave us th'
letter received from b. l.. Putzel (Which let
ter is referred to in the hereto &C
companying affidavit of Josephine Rath)
Deponent also called this morningon Mr.. b. L
Putzel residing at No. 1006 North SeconC
street, in this city, who stated that he hat
written the letter referred to at the request o
Mrs Rath; that Mr.. Borden had called upol
him in company with the two girls (Augus
tina and Annie Pawelski), and the girls ex
pressed themselves very much pleased witt
their home in New Jersey and went bacl
there, the girls also, at the same time, stating
!, that they knew their parents We're in Wis
consin. BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.
Sworn and subscribed before me this 22d OF Fet
ruary, A. d. 1870.