New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-21
SEEING BOXES OF PAPERS.
SINGULAR DISCOVERY IN JERSEY CITY.
ELEVEN PACKING CASES FILLED WITH TELEGRAPH
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED BY JAY GOULD.

|
complications between the Western and
Mutual Union Telegraph Companies Tie stry
has many peculiar features and an effort TO work
| it out resulted in much contradiction.
| As originally told to TRIBUNE reporter,
| the search began in an effort by the
Western Union Telegraph Company to
recover property stolen from the Offices Of the COM
| pany. This had resulted in the employment OF a
detective in the Jersey City station of the Pennsy-
vania Railroad, who had traced. not the property
stolen from the Western Union, but
| some books and papers of much greater
value to that company on account OF
tho connection of these with the contest over the
affairs of the Mutual Union to an auction and stor
age house in Jersey City not far from tho railway
station. The story learned by TRIBUNE reporter
by inquirng among many persons in jersey City
last night was very diff rent in its first phases.
From this il appears that J. ID. Francis,
| detective IN the employ of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Company, and Detective Kilcauloy, of the
State force have for some time been IN search OF
lot of silks that had been stolen from several dry
| goods shops. They finally became suspicious of
number Of new boxes which they found stored
| in the auction and storage warerOoms Of
| Lewis f. Wood i'll MontgOmery-st.. and further in
vestigatons resulted in the discovery that instead
| of the supposed contents these boxes were filed
| ters. Whatever may have been the original cause
of tho search. it is true that Walter c. Humstone,
| OF the Western Union Company. called upon Cen
| eral superintendent Brown, of the Mutual Union.
! and told him that some telegraph property had
been discovered under suspicious circumstances in
Jersey City and that it might belong in part to each
| company. The two thereupOu wont TO Jersey City
| together, and after procuring search
warrant proceeded to the warehouse of Wood, whore
| one of the boxes was opened. The boxes were
eleven in number, varying IN size from two feet IN
width and three feet in length to four and five feet
| i'll length and greater width. They were ordi-
nary new pine packing-cases and showed no
marks of propretorship Reticence rs to the
name Of the person who brought them
was maintained but in the first VERSION of the
story il was related this side fthe river II
claimed that boxes had been left at the warehouse
by person connected with the telegraph business
When the box was opened it was found to contain
documents. Mr. HumstOne returned to NewYOrk
to report to Mr. Eckert who thercupOn instructed
the detectives 20 keep trace of the boxes. Subse-
quenty, Jay Gould retained Ferdinand s. Johne,
with whom associated Charles II. Winfield.
counsel, and late last night the boxes were seized
on the theory that they contained property
of the Mutual Union Telegraph Company which
being wrongfully removed from the jurisdiction
OF the State of New-York.
This furnishes an indication Of the supposed char
acter and consequent value of the property. 1t
was claimed by Attorney General Russell in
his argument in support of his application
for permission TO bring an action to forfeit the char
ter of the Mutual Union Company, that there had
been fraud committed in the award OF construction
contracts as well in the increase of the stock.
But it is also said that the papers belonging to
the Mutual Union Telegraph Company.
which it is alleged would furnish evidence on this
score, have been withheld from the REALTORS Now
it is thought that the boxes of which Jay Gould got
possession by legal process yesterday contain the
desired proof. Two search warrants and
attachments in the were issued
Yesterday. To the first Mr. Humstone
made oath. The warrant was issued by James y.
Davis, Justice Of the Peace II directed i search
Of Woods warehouse. but when the law-o1icers
arrived there at little before p. M. they found
that the boxes had been removed from
the building. Where they had been taken
no one at the warehouse would say,
hut the detectives had been active and
traced the movements of those who took them
away. They say that the boxes wcro first carried
20 the PennsylYania freight depot IN fhe hope Of
shipping them still further from this city but that
the train being when they reached The station,
they were again carried Oft. shortly after nghfall
they found resting place IN the cellar Of the bust
ness house OF llainrS * llalluok. ship chambers,
and dealers in provisions at Hudson and lork-ss.
Detective klcauley seeing the boxes safely
housed, went to Justice of the Peace Davis and
himself swoTe out anol her search warrant This
served ~ 10 O'Clock last night. Messrs lIaincs
& HallOck being summoned To their store by Mr.
GOuds counsel. They made no objection
10 the legal process and SAID hat they had received
the property for storage from person whose name
they would not dIyulge, but whom they knew well
and had frequently trusted. consultation was
held in the store and at 10 o'clock last
night, IN the midst OF drenching rain. tho
boxes were again placed in wagon aud returned
to the warehouse OF Lewis T. Wood IN the custody
of one of the Justices Court officers. There Mr.
JOllne said they Will remain undlsturb bed until Mon
1.-THE boxes were not opened in Hainos & Hal
locks store said no 10 "A lRIBUNE reporter, but
the contents OF one were seen by g neral super |
Dtendeut Brown, of tho Mutual Union Telegraph |
Company: understand thai they ar paoers which (,
are valuable as evidence and desired by the |
AttOrney-Gcneral of New-YOrk in his action |
against that company to forfeit its
complaint Of Jay Gould director aud trustee of |
the Mutual Union Compan Mr.. Gould says that |
as an officer of the company he - entitled to have
the state Of New-York. / shall resist |
any attempt to examine the contents of the boxes |
until somebody comes into court and claims to own
them"
1t wasnoticeable whilethe boxes were being aced !
in the wagon after their brief repOse in IIaues d |
Haocks cellar. that, with tho exception of two or |
three small ones, they were very light. 1t was |
stated by Justice Davis that all the eleven boxes
had been In Woods warehouse for three months
Mr.. BROWNS WIDELY DETERRENT STORY
Alfred s. Brown. superintendent of the Mutual
Union Telegraph Company gave the following ac-
count Of the matter TO n TRIBUNE reporter last
evening: AT O'Clock to-day Mr.. Humstonc, of
the Western Union Company, came to me and said
that lie had been informed that box was IN n
storebouse in Jersey City which might contain
stolen telegraph property. private deteotive had
informed person connected with the Western
Union of the facts, and this person brought the i'll
f0rma non TO MIR llumstOne. The detective whose
name was mentioned at the time by MIR Hum
stone, had stated that the box had been placed IN
the stOrehOuso by Western Union employee a line
man, and he 1.-THE detectivc) was ga isied that il
contained property belonging 10 one OF the telo-
graph companies. i thought that the prop