The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-04-25
LEMUEL WILLIAMS'S STORY.
JUSTICE OTTERBOURG IND COLLECTOR
MERRITI'S NEPHEW
Tho Charge. Made Against the Cashier Of the
Metropolitan Hotel ~ to IA Coiored Boys
$40 BilI-JustIce Ouerbourg's Remarks.

Lcmue Williams. bright, Intelligent
colored boy. neatly dressed was in tho Tombs
Police Court yesterday accused of dsordcrly
conduct. Officer Tighe Of the Mulberry street
police said: At If O'Clock last night | saw
the prisoner clinging to one of the pillars in
front Of the Metropolitan Hotel lie was SUR
rounded by tho porters and others. who were
trying to drive him away ! asked him what
was the matter. and the boy. who was crying,
sobbed that he had been cheated out Of
nfty-dollar bill. IIoto Detective William J.
Kcclcv told me he would make a charge against
the lad So arrested him. have since learn
ed that the prisoner asked tho cashier t.
change the note for him. and that the latter
handed him four silver quarter dollars. which
the lad refused to take. lie was then kicked
out Of the hotel"
Como up here" said Justice Oucrbourg
kindly to tho lad. Now. tell me tho whole
truth. and don't no frightened
Lcmuels intelligent face Frightened up. He
said: For tho past two years | have been
aboard the United States frgate supply We
arrived last week from Havrc. and Yesterday
Paymaster +. d. IIoxsey paid us of | re-
ccivcd 500 as my share. | had been careful to
save up that money. Judge. for | wanted TO
take some OF II home to my old mother in Will
mington. North Carolina. | never drank or
used tobacco in any shape. as the officers Of tho
ship would tell you. was given $50 hill in
part Of my nay. | tod 1t up with some thread.
and sewed it inside of my fob pocket had To
40 to the Sturtcvant House or one Of our
officers. On my way back stopped at Devlin's
clothing store. on broadway, and bought
this suit ot clothes. bought some
shirts handkerchief. and this hat; also.
yalise. On getting back T. Bro9kly y,,
my hfty-dollar bill in my now pants.
! was TO have gone mono to-day. hut was sent
back with an officers gun and some clothing To-
the SturtevHnt House IL was late when ] got
10 New York. and | missed my way. found
taken several wrong cars and stages. When /
at last got TO Broadway. ] had only four cents
and my nfty-dOllar bill was afraid of -taving
and told Mr. Kelly. tho night clerk, the trouble
was in, and with this knife cut tho thread
change IL for mo. Ho did not have money
enough. so he told me to 90 across the way, 10
the Metropolitan Hotel and they would change
il. had the money in my hand when ! got
To the cashiers desk. | asked him If hc
could change The money Tor me-. and at no
same time | laid It open on The desk. The
cashier took up my money. | saw him look AT
II. and pnt II into drawer. He then attended
10 some business. and a. minute after throw out
four silver quarter dollars. | sand. What's
=" lie replied It's your change
" said | gave you ility-dollar bill
" He put his hand IN the drawer and drew out
onr-dollar bin, which ne throw ont to me;
] ~
dollar bin had given him. The cashier said
something TO this man,whoI have since learned
Is the onlter OK the h9,rl lie suranG at me ana
told mo e. take that bill and leave: refused to
! do SO. and asked for an officer. He sand hc wis
| one. ana showed mo his shield. ! then said,
Mister. II you viii only open that drawer aud
II you don't ind my flity-lolar bin on the right
! hand side viii quietly leave the hotel; but
! know that gentleman put It there. Tor saw
him do it, Judge. they refused even TO Ito that
| Kicked me ont Of tho hotel / caught hold Of
nj y fA a pf rTa tod
| The detective aiterward came g. me and sand
| he would not make compliant against mo % |
| more. but 40 away. Judge. | refused this. be-
cause | knew | was right. and wanted the
money 10 take HON" TO my Old mother
The lad had kept M accurate a count ~ every
| penny ne had expended. and showed the four
| cents h. still held He showed his dis 'hargr
! from the snip supply WIN the amount no
added the amounts he had expended aud
| proved that tho lad was correct.
| Justice Otterbourg sent Oflcer Hill 10 the diff
! ferent stores where the lad said he had changed
money On the day previous The clerk nj D.v-
/ saw Lemuel william, sew % iu ai- pocket. Tho
halter ana the shiTinnS.r ,Fav" rrf'mt.ry
/ found Mr. Kelly. the clerk who had boon 600
| duy the night before. Mr. Kelly clrruhnrit-.l
| huu. unl H7AluE l4I 'ugHE' l,l s'' pug. ~
,9w tho Pm. and advised the boy 10 ~ O. the
Justice Ou.rbourg thcn ordered Onicer I'm
/ 90 10 M once To- the MetrO poIi'an Hotel and
/ bring the cashier ami Dei@rtiye krr"y Doe.
/ fore him. Mr.. Clifton A. J.. Merritt nephew ~
the Collector OF the port. Is the cashier of fhe
| hotel Lawyer Price. who had vounteered o.
assist the colorrd sailor boy. asked that Mr..
| Mrrritt'- story be- taken separately and ont az
| the hearing 81 tho witnesses he had brought.
! Mr.. Merritt briefly snid tnnt Iemur Williams
! entered tho hotel nj about half past IL. H..
| asked 10 have u bank note changed and Nr.
| Merritt picked il w. examined IT, found it was
guartcr dollars IN exchalsc. "Th@re was na.-
l9dy standing very near nj the time. said Mr..
| Merritt although the hail was crowded.
| When Williams asked what ! meant by giving
| him the change did, told him % was dolmr
he hnd handed 10 me. Williams became sud-
| denly very indignant, and said u was 80 ho
! mad given me. A. there was no hill of that dee
nomination in the drawer. handed him bprk
the dollar he had given me- ON his Insisting
in a hoistcrous manner that he had given me-
| $50. beckoned 10 Onlcgr keeley and ordered
Detective VIM. j. Keeey partly corroboratcd
| Mr. M"rrtt's story. with tho exception that Mr..
Merritt was posiiye that keclny WAS only a
| feet away when Williams asked 10 have the note
| chunGed,while heeley ayers that was between
fifteen and twenty feet away AZ the time The
drt@rtiye; however was positive that Williams
Lomuel Williams earnestly affirmed that There
was nobody present when he handed Mr. Mer-
Both Mr. Merritt and tho detective admitted
| that Williams asked that the officer look care
| fully at the right hand corner of tho drawer
whore he had seen the money placed.
Augustus Briscoe, II colored bell attendant
at the hotel who was witness TOR Mr. Nor
!
boy come NJ and ask for change. II" SAW hil
| handed 10 Mr. Merritt, AMI WIS positive that II
WIS 81 bin. Before MIR. Merritt however gave
| Williams his change. the witness was served hy
| Mr. Merritt with postage stamp. Then. after
a short delay. no saw Mr. Merritt hand Williams
tho four silver quarter dollars which the lUd
| Indignantly refused To take.
Superintendent George Adams Of the Metro
| polltan Hotel sad he WIS not present when the
unfortunate colured sailor boy came To- tho hotr
To- get his 500 bill changed. but after the occur
renee. he examined the drawer carefully and
did not ind the $50 there.
don't suppose You did said Justice
OuerbOurg, interruptug him. " Now. MI
Adams, Will you permit ma. as a man
of greater experience than you in deal
ing with such clses. TO interrupt you
right here. 1 have no doubt Mr. Merritt
has borne a very high character SO far. and tna'
he Is surrounded 10y many warm friends. This
poor colored boy. however, has tolitoo straight
forward and honest story for me 10 dishellcyt
him. | have carefully examined every state
mont he has made, and am satisfied In my own
mind that he had $50 when he entered th,
Metropolitan HotoL There is no doubt that
that bill WAS seen in his possession not Nv,
minutes previously. The boy has acted Inn q
manly, straightforward manner, and. ns a
magistrate feel 1t my painful duty to com
nit Mr.. Merritt
MIR Adams unterruptingl-Judge hcforo you
make final disposition Of this case Will You
for Mr. Merrius iamiYs sake. permit me- o.