The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-08
BIG THEFTs IN COTTON.
Merchant. are Robbed OF $4,000 Worth n
Year by the samplers.

Cotton at this season is sold from ware
houses licensed by the Warehouse md Delivery
Committee Of the Cotton Exchange. Tho cot
ton is sold by means 81 sample. technically
known rs "a basis" The samples are taken
from bales OF any lot stored in warehouse by
n sampler licensed 10y the same committee.
They arc authorized to tako only six ounces Of
cotton from bale. unless II Is necessary 10 tear
on some OF the cotton next to the bageing
when the term 81 loose cotton Is applied.
This must be put into tho hands Of the
keeper Of the warehouse TO be retained 10y him
for the owner pi tho cotton. Ordinary samples
must he taken direct to the ON ot the broker
ordering the sawpiing In no cuSc Is the
sampler allowed TO kecp oven one fake ~ cot
ton Tor his own Use. The stringent rules were
made with Wow 20 stopping th" stealing ,ot
many thousands of pounds ~ cotton Hnnunly
by samplers and tho lHborrrs who handle the
bales 90 be sampled. II has been computed that
ownors of cotton in this city have lost at lrust
s7j 900 per nnnum for an indrnnitc number
of years through this apparently petty
Gliering Frequent Gqm plant reused the,
the Cotton Exchange 10 the necessity for
vigorous action. Private detectives were
hired to watch suspected snmph'rs but
Then. recently. one ~ the detectives. dis guiscd
~ nb?rer. followed Thomas Nhnion and
Thomas Farrell, samplers. and their gang OF la
borcrs, to the American Docks. TOmpkinsvllle,
:, |. There. upon Pier /. he saw Nlanton and
Farrell sample lot OF cotton mnrkei Law
renee Manufacturing Company, Lowell with
the utmost liberaity. They filled nine bags
with cotton. Tho samplers and their gang
then returned TO this city, bringing tho
bags with them. As the boat neared her
slip here Farrell took four Of the bng-
to The bow Of the boat. When the boat landed.
James Mclaughlin. public porter 60 at the re-.
quest OF Farrell. took the bags IN the Office Of
John and Nlcholas Collins. ostcnsibly cotton
brokers. at 25 Bridge street Soon aiterward he
came out. without the bags. and entered James
and Thomas C0stello's barroom al 81 He pre-
scented q slip Of paper to james Costello who
| put II on flo behind tho bnr and gave Me-
| laughlin somo money. John Martin. who had
| aided in handling the bags on tho boat. and
Farrell. also got slips Of paper from the Collins =
| office, and obtained money from James Costello
| for them.
The detective saw many other transact Ions
| like this. and tho result was that the Grand
| Jury found about twenty indictments against
| samplers of cotton and their lRhOrers on FRI
| day. Detectives Field and O'Connor arrested
| on Friday evening Nicholas and John Collins
James and Thomas Costello. Thomas Man
ton. Joseph +. pyrnes. ana William
| Campbell also samplers James Mcllaugh-
| lin and Michael Dollnrd. laborcrs. They were
| locked up in the Mulberry street police station
| until yesterday. whom they wore taken to tho
| District Attorneys Oillco. whore they We're COM
| mittrd to the City Prison. without bail. Law
| yer kiniZng obtained "a writ OF hnbc0s corpus
| returnable forthwith. ana they were taken tc
| the Supreme Court. Chambers. There Justice
| Donohuo liked bail for the Collins brothers nj
$4,000 each. and for tho other prisoners nj
| 81 900 each. Michael Flynn. proprietor OF the
| barroom at Whitehall street became surety
| for the Collins brothers. the Costello brothers
| and MantOn, and they We're relensed Lato In
| the afternoon Detective Field arrested John
| Martin. Other arrests are to be made to-day.