Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-12-07
A SYNDICATE TO STEAL.
The Remarkable Organization
Among Grocery Clerks
IN THE GlDDY CITY OF NEW YORK,
Formed for the Sole Object Of Robbing
Their Employers Brilliant Plan
by Which All Members
Would Grow Rich.

street, has been doing a rushing business
lately, but has been puzzled by the meager.
ness OF his cash balance. He questioned
his nephew, Herman Meyers, who is
clerk in the store, but got no satisfaction.
Finding that Meyers was spending a good
deal of money, he locked him up for two
days in a room over the store. On the
third day Meyers told him story to this
effect: Twenty retail grocers clerks
about nine months ago formed Union,
which they styled the 4, B, c Union. The
president was Christian Krooss, a milkman,
who supplied with milk the grocers whose
clerks belonged 10 The Union. The Union
was
A strictly Secret Organization,
with passwords and grips. Each member
solemnly bound himself to steal sl25
month from his employer and give the
money to krooss, who was the banker as
we'll as the President. krooss bound him
self 10 keep the money one year for them,
and return il at the end OF that time, keep
ing 50 out OF every 500 Tor his trouble.
In the event of the inability OF any OF the
members to steal Sl25 in any given month,
they were TO paw over 500 at the end Of
every three months or forfeit all their
rights in the enterprise. II was agreed that
the members who were in good standing
at the enG Of the year, having squared up
their accounts by the payment Of Sl,5O
during that time, were 10 divide the &C
cumuiated money. kroOss prepared sort
OF
Table OF Probabilities
by which he demonstrated thsta certain
number would drop out at the the end OF
the sixth month more by the ninth month
and one or two from time to time until the
EXPIRATION Of the year, so that each mem-
Der n good standing would have from 81
SEQ 10 SEQ. This money was either TO be
invested IN grocery stores by the indlvid-
usl members or embarked in q jOlnt en-
terl1iSe.
M,ers, sil,r relating this story, said that
he nSs Il member OF the Mon, but that
HerInnr Teir2er, another clerk, had been
robbipg MIR. Fuller rs per schedule. TIet'
ler is a your fellow OF abOu; seventeen.
He Was taxed with the theft and confessed
He said that he hal not been admitted
INTO full membership with the \ b & n.
ion. but had paid his money to kroos,
who had promised to act as trustee for
him, and TO see that
He Received His Profits
like the others. Tietzer said Henry Precht
and others were in the conspiracy.
Fast and Precht were first arrested, and
then the detectives paid visit to Christian
krooss' house al eight O'Clock
night. They were told that he was not at
home They insisted on searching the
house, and found him in back room mp
stairs. Krooss was held in II so bail in
the Yorkville police court to-day. He and
his brother Henry own three houses IN one
Hundred and Eighteenth street, worth
ST5.c0o. and have other property. Henry
KroOss went upon his brothers 9 bond, Chris
tisn, The prisoner, also signing, as the
property is held in partnership. krooss
refused TO make any statement. He i 3
years old. Fast and Precht said they had
never heard OF the \, B, G Union or OF
each other. They Were both remGnded.
Herman Myers is
4 ROund.Eaccd Young Man of 10.
He told the following story: Il was
walking with Henry Precht on sunday, Dc
tober 10Th, when he asked me 10 Join the
union. | went up to his room over An
dresscns store. There were five there al
tOgclher. p!eCht was one; he was the Sc
cre,u,y Then there was Mrs Papenhaus-
en's ,lerk John Fast; a clerk Tor Mr..
Ahrens. Up on Second avenue, whose name
CO rot Fnow aid krooss. | don't know
VIII ic Other man VGs hroos- wanted
me L. jOiu. II. explained that all would
have 20 do would he to steal $ltJa month,
and at the eLd 81 year C0Ull set up a
siuIr Of my OVID. lreiused. krGpSs then
saio: MAY be YOU are afraid We will cheat
you. II SO
We viii Make You Secretary.
The money will he deposited in the Lin.
l. "a al
the ,hfcks Precat will give up the secre.
tar, ship 10 you 70 1ne can draw out any
p?y:y GL.es& Ycu draw !Gs cseck.
"I..ru le "a d thet the Union paid SICK
members = day from each member, or !
Gry he first mont snI 81 a day from
.sC Cr - e . Day shor rhe' II" assured
Ar u.c!e wrve twenty iice members. re
iussr ~ join tie Ion. but agreed 70
kefusf'll JaCn kr,oss asked Fast how
be- rot alCl = TIC 'as' no months. HcsGj
pretty we'll and p'a! kcd down two piles
OF 1870 esCh-one pile for himself and the
other for his PARTNER. who worked in ~.
penhausens store. but has since hren dis
CHARGED Then AhreDs' clerk pad 800
and Krooss put the money into his pocket
swore to * Eeep Secret
and never tell anything relating TO the
Union, and all blew through horn TO bind
il.
The detectives are looking up the other
alleged members OF the alleged A. B. c.
Union. Tielzer is paroled. The arrest1
we're precipitated, and the work OF finding
the principal was made more difficult be
cause Mr.. Fuller lost his patience at the de-
Law and accused Krooss on Monday morn
ing OF instigating the thefts. Myers says
that Precht was warned and burned up the
books OF the Union. The detectives say
they believe that from $1,000 10 $4,000
has been paid in in the nine months by the
twenty i've A. b. c. Unionists. The police
have two memorsndums from a coupe Of
members which they say show payments