The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-06-06
An Extraordinary Crlinr--A tonSpira-
cy to l,uil, IL WclI-kiOMn New York
House.
From the New York World. June ..


'.Erick i. Peterson, of Finland. janitor of
No. II Gin street. occupied by Phelps.
Dodge Il Co.. and Abraham Nelson, Of New
ark. y. H.. honkkrcprr, were arrested about
10 o'ri"rk Saturday night coming from the
above premises with Sll so worth OF nm
hrcIlis. blottin.-palHr, and envelopes ON
their persons. They pleaded not guilty,
ud were held to answer yesterday morn
INK.
The above Sremingly-lmimporiant item
comes i'll the ordinary current Of nuws from
police headquarters. But there was more
l!mn Appeared under those umbrellas. From
- irIicct!y reliable source the following ann
FILTRATION OF the story was received ycster-
day:
For some time past McsSrS. Phelps. Dodge
4 Co... one of the oldest metal firms in this
country, have observed with mucii surprise
That What should have been the secrets OF
heir business were known Ivy Il portion OF
Tin, trade. About ten days since they sought
th, AID o., cN-.Iud.,c Fullcrtan. He and 4
rurl,- Of detectives have been INVESTIGATING
lin, !,Slrrv ever since. They found no sub
slmliaI ,ltc 10 ii until they made the above
mentioned arrests OH saturday. Mr.. Ahra-
irun Nelson is Il merchant in the same line rs
Phelps. iiudgr 4 Co., and in pretty good
>laniiuE. He does business ut 29J Pearl
street, ;nd resides ut Mount Pleasant avenue,
Newark, y. J. At the time of his arrest he
tried to destroy some papers belonging tot The
iirm wIlirh he had in his possession, but was
prevented. When brought before Judge
DuwIi,ir hr made 4 fun confession. lie said.
IL Nr are informed, that hc had obtained III
Insight INTO the affairs OF the firm of Phelps,
in,..c X Co.,, ia ortlrr Ia aid him in carrying
=
iioi,- hy luuulrng OF the cantor rs to what
he did with the envelopes received hy the
arm. some | ~ in number. The janitor told
him that he looked through! them to see that
mo iupo,taut document remained i'll amy OF
Ilrln. and then destroyed them. Said the
trinutrr then: I" It you willSarc any OF them
iur me that have the name OF The iirln from
which they came printed on the corner will
pay YOU for them" This apparently almost
harmless proposition was acccued t". Bllt It
WAS only the entering wedge. The Hr>t
doubtful step taken, the ianlor WAS gradual
IL induced to aid Mr.. Nelson in amy plan that
occurred 10 him, 10y which he might under
lne the business uf the venerable firm. BY
means of the envelopes Nelson soon obtained
Il list OF the correspondents. Having the
l;.nitor well in hand, he next sought, with
success. 10 win the stock and contract clerks
~ rrnlcleritcS. by the help OF all these i'll
side traitors hr WAS enabled 10 get into conn
mullicstinu with the patrons of Phelps,
nud-c Il Co. He would write to them, Of
l,i!ng metal little under the prices which
h. ki,.w tie old finn were selling them, and
tins, obtained their custom. Again. know
M where they bought, and the size ami
character OF their contracts, he was enabled
often 10 turn the information Ia his own b,li,'-
nj and their injury.
In his frequent night raids upon the Office,
lv the help Of the janitor ami his other con
i,qirralcs, he even went so far rs 10 get dupl-
cafe KEYS. !,y WAX impressions, for various
Important locks. In Il word, he had the rim
ol the whole establishment, and knew rs
much about the affairs of the firm rs most OF
t!u' partners.
The story Of the umbrella theft is this !:
When Mr. Nelson was searched III the ponce
office line silk umbrella, belonging to some
one in the Phelps establishment, was found
thrust down. into his pan,aloons, which Stale
mcnl, if true. would plainly indicate the
natural prociyitcs of the man-tlie popular
verdict being that any one who would APP
propri:,le IN umbrella that did not belong to
him was equal TO any atrocity.
MIR. Nelson was held in $1,000 bail to
answer. 1t is thought by the Phelps firm
1ha, Nelson was either the tool or the conf
dan, of other merchants. They suppose that
having obtained considerable knowledge OF
their affairs, he went to other merchants ana
tempted them into collision ny oheis oil
valuable baltimore Gdsettc.