The New York herald., 1876-12-18
THE ANTE-MORTEM NECR0L0GIST.

HOW CoNDrr IVES TRACED AND IDENTIFIED
SOME OF HIS PREVIOUS HIsroRY-A bogus
BOND STORY.
Edward +. Condt now confined In tho Central
ONCE charged with sending the telegram In the
oil Dr. Deems. which, the 10th Of October last, had
such . startling effect in announcing through tho
Associated Press tho death OF Commodore Vanderbilt,
.w IL is claimed provo to bo of bad antcccdonts
Mr. John Kiernan, Il is said, has talc TO tell OF tho
operations OF tho prisoner which, II true would rank
him high the list Of successful swndlera Ebcnczcr
Brown. Of Palisade bogus insurance company noto.
rety, arrested few years ago for attempting to
dispose OF $685. 900 worth OF bogus bonds Brown
claimed the time that they had been placed In his
hands by Condit, who then kept brokers'
once In Pino street, and bad less tainted reputation
than at present
After the Associated Press received the bogus tel
ogrnm announcing tho death Of Commodore Wander
bilt tho case was Immediately placed in the hands
OF Wall street Detective Lampson, by President
Orton, OF tho Western Union Telegraph CON-
pany, and John B. Norris, chairman Of
tho Law Committee OF tho Stock Exchange.
Mr.. Sampson began by proceeding to tho oGlcc from
which the bogus telegram sent There he found
the operator who had the Dispatch and from him
obtained description OF the person who had sent It,
him by about twenty-five years old
wearing . blue blouse and bare headed From
this description the detective conecturcd ts subject
was hall boy from the ST. Nicholas Hotel. opposite
the telegraph ONCE He took the operator and a boy
employed in tho Office, who had seen the person who
brought the despateb to the hotel and submitted
tho porters and hall boys to their inspection. Thcy
at once pointed out hall boy named Joseph
Dunn tho one who had brought the telegram. Dunn
at accosted by tho detective when he stated
that no had been given tho despatch by gentleman
whose appearance he described.
"why didn't you send 1t from the hotel heref said
Mr. Sampson.
"Oh," replied Dunn, "thc gentleman gave me par.
tcular instructions to send It from the oce opposite
| supposed ne guest at tho hotc, but when I
came back to givo him some change hs had disap-
peared."
private policeman in tho hotel, named ILLS, came
up while Detective sampson was talking TO the boy
aud demanded know his business. As that officer
had beeo instructed by Messrs. Norris and Orton TO
keep the matter perfectly secret he peremp,oriy de-
| clined 10 tell few minutes after, when Mr.
| Sampson was conversing with hall boy named
Mckinley, who had seen Dunn sent with the Dispatch
sampson saw the boys eye Hl with tears Going up
| to the boy no learned that the document was his
fusng 10 dvuiso the subjec. Of conversation
with Mr. sampson. Through the intcrccs-
sion Of tho Latter Ter rsssde1s oTson a. once
vice. anu then detailed him to assist Mr. sampson In
discovering the solrrii. Mr. Morris wrote letter 10
give III" Stock Exchange tho services q Mckinley ior
lew weeks to assist IN Identifying tho criminal
quest which courteousy complied with.
/ HUNTING yEcRoLo0Isr.
With these two "boys" Detective sampson 1t onco
began securing the city IN search OF the man they de-
| scribed He told by tho lads that the object Of
his search always carried very small black vase In
his hand and from tnis hc concluded that tho gentle
man resided short distance Gus OF town, and was
tn the habit OF staying In tho city but a
single night at time, such vssos
McRnisy va. quite ia@sr With The mans sppess
anoe, for the boy kept newspaper stand in
tho Metropolitan Hotel for several years, and
For two months unreu,ittng search made
| by the vigilant oiccr, with the exception
socns smU .Ss arrest Of s roSSed tho .n
Bank; and during that time the swo boys con-
tons from superintendent waiting to cali upon him
for officers to mako the arrest IN case they found him.
THE ARREST.
On Saturday afternoon Mr. sampson and Mckinley
were walking down broadway together. near Wall
street, when suddonIy tho boy said, why there's
"why" said Mr. sampson, with surprise, az know
| him, that's Condt"
He Immediately called to the latter who was dozen
In 'front.' and coming up 10 him at once took HIM
The impression generally prevails that the offence
committed by Condit Is not punisliabc by law. THIS
| is = mistake About two and halt years ago .
man named Mackay was arrested for send
he coud not DO indicted under existing ststutes Tho
law Hrm of Scweli Pierce counsel for the New York
Stock Exchange at once drafted m net which
seauently passed by the Legislature making the afx
| ing OF another's name to telegram felony, punish
abe with imprisonment Of not loss than two and half
| yeara
when Edward A. Condt was at Princeton College no
was promising scholar and base bail expert both
i OF which qualifications made him general favor
| itc Among the fellow students whose con-
| dence he enjoyed, young man named
| Ball, who, In completing his scholastic course.
broker Of good standing In Wall street Some
time ago Mr. Condn strollcd into Balls oncc and
with open by his old friend who invited
/ him repeat his visit. He did 30 very frequently,
and in time manifested quite en interest in
| the nfYaira Of the Office and made inquir-
| los of tho clerks concerning the terms given
| TO people transacting business there. Mr.. Ball
who heard Of this eavc orders that Condit should
every consideration at tho hands OF his employees
/ and might safely DO trusted by them. Condit II
il alleged after deposited somc checks security
for money " stock advanced hIn, and these were IN
tinio protested. This brought about inquiry into
his account and IL is said that hc found TO bo
indeed a depostor but the amount for which he stood
credited for couple ~ years nad never exceeded So
seemed spguary like swIndling Ball was eniont. and
for the sake vi old acquaintance he did not proceed to
any extreme msasures ssne 10 aouO.,
/ BY force Of OF circumstances Besides, Con.
| dis was, In some respects a rather cxemp plary
| young man. HIS social connections high, and no
was rel,QousIy inclined having once conducted lead.
/ ing Newark sunday schoo. As both Ball and Condit
are inclined secrecy In the NATTER the from
other irsm an obvious motive, i. has been
difficult 10 present q full statement OF tho
c. SCI but IL is presumed that Conds has kept within
the law tho Of his bank checks having deposited
tho nvo dollars
Cond,l had several visitors to his cell yesterday He
that no regards hts arrest as curious bundcr
the part OF the detectives, and claims that his Is
OF mistaken Identity.
----~----------------