Morning journal and courier., 1886-11-25
HEAVY STEALING AT BUFFALO. The Vast Elevator Interests Made
 of

The Vast Elevator Interests Made
 Prey For a Gang of PIunderers.
 BUFFALO, Nov. A.-The Commercial Ad- vertiser says: A conspiracy by which system atic stealing has been going on, it is said, in connection with the vast elevating interest of the city has recently been ferreted out and the guilty persons brought to bay Three of the accused persons are members of the beard of trade. For several weeks past there have been rumors floating about the board of trade and in business circles generally. The matter. however, has been hushed up as much as possible and for the sake of the fam flies of the persons implicated great effort has been made te keep the matter out of the papers. On Friday last the grand jury rose and brought in long list of indictments. The names of none of the persons known to have been connected with the rumors about the grain steal were discovered in the list. Inquiry at the district attorney's office failed to elicit any information, for the reason that none of the parties had been arrested and to give information would be a misdemeanor. Subsequently the reporters found out from a trustworthy source that indictments had been found by the jury against three promi- nent members of the board of trade; that one of them, MT. John A. Campbell, a well known resident of Linwood avenue, had been brought privately before Judge Hammond and had been admitted to bail and that secrecy was observed for the reason that MT. Campbell, it is said, desired to go to New York and trans act some business in connection with the set clement of an estate. On the following of Ina al tors, John Kennedy, resident of the Tenth ward and familiarly known as "Jack," who was also indicted by the grand jury 8 similar charge, heard of the courtesy extended to MT. Campbell, in the matter of bail and made the same re- quest. He was also admitted to bsu in $2, 800. Another alleged member of the cen spiracy, Andrew A. Egather, a we'll known citizen and member of the board, was indict- ed by the grand jury a similar charge. It is likely that Egather was likewise admitted to bail, although this is not certain. Bench warrants have been issued for his arrest. The most important though least conspicuous member of the conspiracy is Henry P. Ems lie, connected with the Richmond elevator. Several indictments were also brought in against him by the grand jury. The game they are accused of playing is as follows; There were three conspiracies. The only one of the four persons mentioned at all identified with all the stealings was Emslie. With each of the other three he had separate and distinct understandings and arrange ments so that it IS quite probable Campbell did not know that Emslie Was in cahoots with Kennedy or Egather. The manner in which the stealing is said to have been carried on is this: Henry P. Emslie has charge of the loading and unloading of ves sels with grain and directs the general busi ness of the elevator. Campbell, Kennedy or Egather finding out from Emslie that there was grain in the elevator would arrange with Emslie to send a boat around to the elevator and Emslie would see that it was loaded with grain. The understanding was that the boat load of grain should be sold by either Camp bell, Kennedy or Egather. After deducting the cost of transportation, etc., the agreement was that Emslie should have two-thirds of the proceeds from the sale and that the seller should pocket the re- maining third. Certain information having been obtained that 2,136 bushels of wheat had been stolen from the elevator an investi- gation was instituted which resulted in the finding of sufficient proofs to establish with out question the fact that there wss con- spiracy and that stealing had been going on all the time. Emslie was confronted with the facts and after long interview admit ted the whole business and named the per sons implicated besides detailing the mode of procedure pursued by the party Emslie not only admitted the stealing of the S,I over 10000 bushels of wheat have been stolen in this manner with different persons. As soon as these facts became known they were presented to the grand jury and indict- ments were found against the persons lmpll- cated as above.
 To what extent this stealing has been car ried is not fully known. Even the owners of the Richmond elevator did not know until told that the wheat was being stolen. Besides the criminal indictments it is understood all the persons implicated have been served with papers in a civil suit. Bissell. Sicard and Goodyear are the attorneys for the Rich- mond elevator. MT. Goodyear was seen to- night by a reporter, but declines to say any thing about the matter. McCreadie. who has charge of the Richmond estate, was also questioned All he could be induced to say was: s'This ought not to be in print 1 It will do great damage to the elevator interests of the city. Later it might be prop CT, but not now" John A. Campbell is a gentleman well known in business and social circles. A few years ago be be ught the eie, gant residence on the corner of Linwood avenue and Utica street for S3O, ,O00 and that beautiful place is his present home lie rendered his resignation as secretary or the Frontier Elevator company and 1t IS sur missed his action was due to the expose. MT. Campbell is a member of the firm of Camp bell & Patcliffe, grain and commission mer- chants. John Kennedy is member or the firm of Kennedy, Pfohl, Sherman q Johns,
 dealers in damaged grain at No. 2ll wash
 ington street. MT. Andrew Egather IS
 member of the firm of Egather & O., for
 warding and commission merchants at el
 Pearl street.
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