The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-02-16
EXPERT YOUNG THIEVES.

BROUGHT TO GRIEF AFTER LONG AND SUCCESS
Full pRAcTICEs-How THEY CARRIED ON
THEIR WORK.
Nathan Lederman, sixteen years of age, of No. $50
Seventh avenue; James Z. Topping. seventeen years
of age Of No. 1S9 Tenth avenue and John j. Fischer,
nineteen years of age of No. BAT Seventh avenue
now in the Tombs awaiting sentence in the General
Sessions where they pleaded guilty short time since
to charge of stealing and pawning thousands of
dollars worth of jewelry. Lederman waa
employed by Kossuth, Marx & Co., wholesale
jewellers at No. 30 Maiden lane in August last, being
recommended by his uncle. large wholesale dealer
in jewelry. He had the handling of many valuable
pieces of jewelry and to eight large safes. He
received salary OF So and the very night before his
arrest entrusted with large sum of money.
Detective Price, week ago Friday. heard
haS,t of vstns certain pawn ere shop and
disposed of gold rings and other jewelry He waited
outside and arrested Topping as he came out The
boy told Price that Ledermanwas waiting around the
The two boys were taken to the station
house. short tune after Fischer entered the same
shop and offered II gold ring to pawn. The detective
arrested him that night in his house. The boys
made clean breast of their offences and added that
Louis j. Patti fifteen years OF age of No. Sew
enth avenue clerk OF Counsellor HeInming, of No.
Wall street. and Charles W. Seaman, seventeen years
of age of No. So Sullivan street, had helped them in
their work. Pattis employer was in Europe last
summer and the young clerk had the Office all to
himself. He and Ledeman were acquaintances. and
that turucu BOouS ONer
to the young Italian.
ENJOYING A CLERK.
Seaman American District Telegraph boy.
with salary OF s3 80 week. aud gladly agreed to
Piattis proposition that he should become u clerk
with him and Lederman at 81 week. On the ID OF
last August Seaman met Ledeman at the corner OF
William and Nassau streets. Together they went TO
Piattis place at No. Wall street. Patti and Seaman
then left the Office together. and the latter
given number OF gold rings, pins.
and other jewelry valued at S55, which he pawncd ut
a Chatham street brokers' for $40. This Patti
divided with Ledcrman, and the performance
repeated daily until the middle of last September,
when Seaman declared that he would not act their
clerk any more. II that he had by this time
become convinced that the jewery stolen. The
losses to Marx " Co. aggregated over $1,000.
Seaman and Patti were arIGlgned in Jefferson
Market Court yesterday. The former was committed
trial in default OF $1,000 bail, and Seaman
sent to the House of Detention as witness. II Is
said thas Patti and Ledcrman spent most of
their Ill earned money In disreputable houses.
One day in August last Ledermai gave Patti and
Seaman $50 to pay their expenses to Boston.
He also intrustcd them with valuable coral set. for
city. They ran short and offered the jewclry in
pawn, ard the broker turned them to the police.
The boys were discharged but the jowelry kept for
its rightful owner. Some three hundred and fifty
pawn tickets have been recovered and all the pawn
shops of the city seem to have been paronized
Piatti's yellow complexion showed no signs of en-
barrassmcnt shame when he appeared In the court
and he looked boldly ut the magistrate with his
large black eyes. Seaman is supposed to be only
of a great many clerks who, as they became fright
ened, lett the employ of Patti aud Loderman.