The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-03-24
JAEHNE'S CONFESSION
IN POSSESSION OF CAPT. BYRNEs
OF THE POLICE,
And VIII BE Produced So Soon as
He IL Put ON Trial for Bribery
and Corruption.

New YORK, March 23.-The Times
GAYS: 1t is time that this air OF mys-
terry about the col fession of Alderman
Jaehne should be dissipated and the
actors in the scene in Police Inspector
ByInes's drawing.Io0m last Wednes-
day night should be placed in their
true light before the gaze Of the public.
The Times is in a position to state
on the most indubitable authority
that Alderman Jaehne, on that night
which has become historical in the
record of the Broadway franchise sale,
did make a confession TO Mr.. Byrnts
The Times is in a position to say that
Mr.. JaehDe was not "entrapped" by
Mr.. Byrnes as the result of any shrewd
detective work, but that he made his
confession deliberately, as a choice OF
the lesser OF two certain evils, trusting
to escape from the punishment OF his
crime in the courts, because he knew
that in case he refused he would be
arrested on charges from which there
could be no hope of escape.
In other words, Inspector Byrnes
puts the twist" on the alderman, to
use the elegant expression of the de-
tective vocabulary, and the alderman
"squesled." This result was prima-
rily due to the sction Ct enc public
spirited woman, Mrs. Hamilton, who
was willing to brave no:oriety for the
sake OF dong her duty, ard placed in
the hands of the investigating COM
mittee the story Of the dissppe arance
of her siverware in the shop OF Alder
man Jaehne. Then for the first time
the general public was notified that
Jaehne was fence" but it was not
the first intim ion that Inspector
Byrnes had of the fact.
The alderman hal been engaged in
the busint So of receiving stolen goods
for nearly ten years, and this fact was
Known at headquarters long before
Mrs. Hamilton applied to Inspector
Byrnes to aid her 10 the recovery o.
her silver. The fence and the detect
i've have been friends, and Jaehne't
operations were well known to Byrnes
How we'll known was shown in somt
degree by the revelations in regard tt
Mrs. Hamilton's silver, which PLACED
Mr.. Byrnes in a peculiar position a
friend and adviser of Jaehne.
IL was this position from which the
inspector determined tO extricate him.
self by throwing Jaehne overheard
and the Alderman was given very
distinctly to understand that unles
he united in the scheme and divertet
attention from the "fence" bushes
by confessiug to the bribery, thing
would be made decidedly uupleasan
for him. Alderman Jaehne was no
long in making up his mind. II
knew that Inspe ctor Byrnes coul
send him TO Sing Sing If he chose, j
very short order, and he preferred +
take the chance OF trial for bribery
which gave him some hope of escape
He consented to make the coniessio
which was TO rebound to the credit {
Byrnes as a great work OF detectiv
skill, and he went to Byrnes's hout
for that express purpose, after arrani
ing for a bondsmsn to be prepared
save him from being locked up.
The full details Of the alderman
= confession will probably not be know
, until his trial on the Indictment fC
bribery, but the main facts may b
told here without the permission {
Inspector Byrnes. Mr.. Jaehne sal
he had been paid for every lailroa
franchise for which he had vote
since he had bseH member of Il
: Board of Aldermen, including II
.. Forty-seOond street, the Chambe
street, the Wall street and II
, Broadway railroads. He said th
, no protector of new line thought
, getting a franchise without paying tn
) aldermen we'll for il. In the case
the Broadway road he received 5000
for his vote, and the money was pal
: to him by Alderman Robert +. d
Lacey, Ewho is known as his most int
: mate friend and companion. He di
not mention by name any other Aide
man who had been paid, because,
he said, the matter was always a
ranged SO that nobody but the bride
Alderman and the man who paid hi
J the money knew Of the transa Ito
He knew on general principles thi
others were paid for their vot,
as he was paid, and he supposed this
DeLacey was the man who paid then
He did nothing in the way of votin
without being paid, and, from t.
,, character of his companions, he kne
that they acted in the same name
although he could not swear that an
man but himself received a dolla
That was the sum and substance {
Jaehne's confession, which he will
at perfect liberty to retract whe
placed at the bar of justice.