The New York herald., 1872-12-11
THE PHELPS, DoDGE-NELsoN CASE

Testimony OF the Defc fcndant-Further
Interesting Developments-The Charge
OF Stealing an UmbreDa-Concea q lime mt
of tho Blotting Paper-CrOss-Exa mi ina
tion-The Trial to he Resumed This
Morning.
The trial Of Abram Nelson, charged with perpe-
trating burglary upon the premises OF Phelps,
Dodge 4 Co., in June last, was resumed yesterday
in the General Sessions before His Honor Recorder
Hackett.
TESTIMONY OF NELSON, THE ACCUSED.
Recorder Smith called the accused Abram Mel
son. who testifed:- :-Ihave known the firm of Phelps,
Dodge Co. six or eight years; am clerk for my
father In the iron business; became acquainted
with Peterson about eighteen months ago at our
place in Pearl street; he was runner" for
Phelps, Dodge Il Co., and was in the habit Of COM
ing to place my father had been doing business
with Phelps Dodge & Co. for fifteen years; l first
went to their counting house in the evening about
November on Peters0n's invitation; he invited me
and Mr.. Mcpherson, who Is under indictment, to
visit the place; we went there and he took us from
garret to cellar, showing us books, papers and
every thing connected with the business that was
open l went there to get information that would
be OF
VALUE 70 NE IN CONDUCTING BUSINESS,
and that was my sole object; Peterson did not tell
me on the day of the arrest that Phelps Dodge Il
Co., suspected me; on the evening OF the day Of
the arrest met Peterson, who told me that the
clerks had left that there was nobody there and
could come round; went there at half past seven
Petcrsons wife was standing in the doorway Of
the ofiice: both nies of the iron doors were
] talked with her a Jew mOmenfs; Peterson
came half an hour afterwards; he said he had been
marketing; remained two or three hours; the
night or the lst OF June was rainy and asked Pc
tersOn TO loan me an umbrella; he handed me q
very old cotton one which was ashamed to carry
asked him to give me a better one, and he told
me TO keep the one he gave me; he turned back TO
the rear OF the ONCE to put out the gas, and seeing
one lying in the closet took 1t and put it under
my vest. rfhe witness showed how he concealed
the silk umbrella mentioned In fhe indctmentl
Going ont OF the door was arrested and walked
up to the station house with my hand upon 1t; /
took it with the intention OF leaving the old at
the United states Hotel and taking 1t to Newark
ana returning IL on Monday, as was ashamed to
carry the old one; put the
PACKAGE OF BLoITING PAPER
behind my vest, as IL was a rainy night and did
not wish to carry bundle; / told Peterson that
4 wanted to do some writing on the following Sun.
4 day, and asked him Tor few envelopes and some
blottlng paper, as did not wish 10 Ieturn TO our
4 office before going TO Newark which he handed
I 10 Inc.
The defendant was crosse xamined by Judge
Fullerton III most exhaustive manner, the exaini-
nation lasting over two hours. Nelson said he did
not SEND presents Mrs. Peterson nor TOYS 10 the
| children, but he did loan Mr.. Peterson money TO
purchase a stove and barrel OF four; the ac.
cused said that he went to the Messrs Dodges'
place between thirty and forty times, but only
visited the place six or eight times upon his own
suggestion; he admitted
COPYING ORDERS AND EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS
AND WRITING TO THEIR CUSTOMERS,
whose names he obtained Offering to sell goods
cheaper than Dodge Co. Certain papers were
SHOWN TO the witness, who said that Peterson gave
them to him, stating that they came from the
waste basket; he requested Peterson to do so,
thinking that there would De Information in them
which would be Of value to him. Nelson said that
he had an original invoice Of tin plate, which Mr..
Hervey, one OF Dodge Co.'s clerks loaned to him;
Peterson also gave to him tNesonl blll-hcads and
note and letter paper with
PHELPS DODGE 4 co.'s NAME
upon them; Nelson wrote half dozen different
handwritiDgs, and stated that he wrote on one Of
those printed sheets certain statements about tin,
aud told Israel Shonberg that 1t came from
one OF the clerks Of Phelps, Dodge Co.; the
defendant also admitted that he obtained the i'm
portan Information from one Of the letter books OF
that firm that Phelps, Dodge a Co., were about to
buy up all the Russian iron for seven years, and