The New York herald., 1878-03-30
THE KAUFMAN MYSTERY.

WHAT TIE FRIENDS AND ASSOCIATES OF THE
MISSING MAN SAY OF HIM-rHE GAS COM
PANY ACCUSES HIM OF BREACH OF TRUST.
Along Eleventh avenue. between Forty-nfth ana
Fiy-aith streets, plucards headed "sl. 900 reward"
are posted on the fences and walls This 10
offered by the Metropolitan Gas Company TO any one
who shall furnish information which will lead to the
arrest and conviction Of any persons guilty OF having
fouly dealt with Joseph Kaufmanu. One curious clause,
however, sin this proclamation which attracted
HERALD reporters notice reads as follows:-
..In case OF any claim or claims being made upon
the said company tthe gus company for The above
reward the decision OF the Board OF Directors shall
be anal and conclusive upon the rights Of said claim
ant or claimants"
v,s,, was paid to the saloons in the neghborhood
bounded by the blocks between FiItythird and Fifty
seventh streets The reporter entered several ond
questioned their respective proprietors concerning
Kaufmann's disappearance A dozen opinions can be
thus condensed:-
"Ycs, I've seen the bills" said one man, we'll known
as the keeper OF a largo saloon Eleventh avenue,
s'and l tell you The whole story is too thin. You
mark my Words that fellow Will turn up
yet without . scratch. Now, do you suppose
any able-boded man hkc ne was, used to travelling
with money, could have been maze away with at five
O'Clock in the afternoon without u struggle being wit
messed by somebody's No, sir. Then, 1t Is said, he
had a nght with thieves down here two years ago
happen that Is lie made nut Of whole cloth,
and shouldn't wonder II II was fixed up tor just suca
an emergency as tho present Kaufman was well
known down here and II was never supposed his COLI
lsclions any one day amounted TO great deal"
KAuFMANX's HOME AND SRIGHBoRs.
The family OF the missing man CONSISTS OF a WHO
and three children, who live on tho second foor Of
No 347 West Thirtyeighth street, and they are let
in quite a ptiabie condition. Mrs. Kaufman has
given birth to within fortv.eght hours and
OF could not be seen 1t was learned tnat three
nm.ar ~ courss believes tnorourhlv IN the theory
that her husband has been the victim OF foul play.
doubt her illness is aggravated by mental dis
tress. ..- .
1t was learned that at No. 1923 West Thirty-eighth
street Mr. Carl Diem Kept lager beer saloon. ana az
his house meeting was held last Sunday evening
ana a committee appointed to anu the gas company
the poice authorities aud the family to Aud somd
trace OF the missing collector Thther the reporter
repaired and was given the follow ng information by
Mr. Diem :-"fhe people VINO met here IN
cluied the SWISS Consul, Herr Bcrischmann,
Helvctia Rilie Clup, the Yura Mannerchor and lhe
Beneficial Association winklereid. Alter resolutions
complimentary to Kau.mann, the following committee
appointed to wait on Mayor Ely anu 70 assist The
police authorities 10 their search:-Consul Bertscn-
Itch Huber, otto Keller, Carl Diem, August Weber,
John Gsler l.. Keller, John Raj and Theodore
BIuntscnli and about $25 In cash was raised oy the
meeting ior he Immediate wants OF the family"
These movements sufficiently testify to Mr.. Kauf-
manns popularity among his friends and that no sus~
pcion his integrity had yet entered their minds.
THE REvERsE OF THE MEDAL
Having in mind the curious clause In the procIama-
tion freely posted by the gas company In Eleventh
the reporter repaired 10 the Office OF the COM
pany at the corner OF Fory-sxth street and Broad.
way. Mr.. Zoilkofer, the secretary, said, when the
object OF the visit made known 10 him. s'We have
mover disguised our interest III unraveing the mys-
terry Of the disappearance OF our late collector Tho
company determined they would spare mother time
nor money in tracing the villains who had made away
with KAUFMAN, If iouily dealt with, or to dis
cover If alive; We had not the remotest
suspicion OF his Integrity; we were proceeding on
the basis that he was thoroughly honest The devei-
opments OF the last few days, however, put differ.
cut complexion on mis- disappearance. Though nos
satisfactory, tney Will least disprove that
he has been put out Of The way. Since we have en-.
poyei our new collector have discovered dis
crepancies in the accounts OF Kaumann which were as
unexpected as painful 10 us We 1ud that he mas col>
lected which he failed to account to the
pany, and we have seen bills recepted ny him Tor our
customers which have never been returned 10 u.s.
AT POLICE HEADQUARTERS.
At the Central Office the reporter informed that
all tho clews possible mad been followed IN search Of
Kaufmann He mad SIMPLY been registered among
the many who come under the head OF "mssng -
but the opinion OF the detectives strongly inclined 70
the inference drawn by the gas company's officers
since they discovered his irregular m"Doy transac-
tions-that 1t would be found not to be Of toul