Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-24
JAEHNE'S DOUBLE LIFE.
CUNNING IN CRIME AS WELL
AS PARTY COUNCILS.


NEW YORK, May 21.-The case OF Al
tiermsn Henry w. Jaehne, the first of TIL
Board of Aldermen convicted Of brlber.
rs instructive. 1t exhibits the material o
which many New York politicians are
made. His father was an honest German
gunsmith, who did business on Hudson
street for forty years. The old mans
children were all born in The Eighth
ward. Henry was tho second son,
He received an excellent education,
and made many friends. Five years
ago he entered the field OF politics,
with the brightest OF prospects. lie was
elected Alderman four times In success
sion and each time by an increasing ma
lOrity. Six months ago he was made ' ice
President of the Board. A shrewd poll
ktician, ever ready TO do favOrs for his con-
sstItuents, he quickly took the leadership
OF the County Democracy Ia the As
.eembly district, and stood high in
the councils of his party. Next fall
they intended to send him to Congress in
Mueller's place. His political sky was
unusually bright. Suddenly cloud arose
son its horizon. The State Senate ordered
the Broadway railroad investigation.
The selection of Roscoe COnkling as mas
ter of ceremonies indicated that it was
10 be no child's play. Jake Sharp, Jim
Richmond and other millionaire mRnipu-
latOrs were put in the furnace aud came
out scorched but not destroyed. One day,
IN the tWinkllng of an eye, the young AL
derman was showed into the fire. The
furnace was heated hotter than usual. An
affidavit from a knickerbocker lady was
read which plainly accused him of being
"a receiver OF stolen goods. 1t was clear
that he was not only a professional
hut .nf he haA for
years. He kept a crucible in which he
s1nelted down the gold and silver stolen by
Thieves. The hnlckerbOcker lady had
traced her silver TO his crucible, and had
fTecelved ST 200 from him TO hush the mat
tier up. The revelation astOnished the COM
immunity. Respectable citizens who had
known Jaehne from boy stood aghast.
The affidavit, however, was only the foun-
sdatiOn for a series OfquestiOns prOpOunded
iby Roscoe COnkling that still further as
stOnish the community. Instead of keep
6ng silent on the ground that his business
transactions with Mrs. Schuyler Hamilton
shad nothing to do with the Broadway in
fvestigatiOn, the Alderman lost his head
and tried to explain. While floundering
an the fire of COnkling's persistent ia
4uiries he made the, to him, fatal admis-
sion, that Chief Detective Byrnes had
done his best to cover him, and that the
District Attorney, a member. Of his own
political organization had advised him to
pay over the 81, 200, thus compromising a
felony. A day afterwards the Alderman
besOught MS friends TO save him from an
indictment for receiving stolen goods. 1t
was while trying to avoid such an indict-
ment that be fell into the snare of Byrnes,
who concealed his Indignation at
Jaehne's admission. The men had been
close friends for years. Jaehne was con-
1ident that Byrnes could exert an influence
upon the District Attorney that would
save him from the dreaded indictment.
Byrne's actions confirmed the Alderman's
confidence. NO Indictment for receiving
stolen goods was found. The cOufiding
Jaehne, however, was turned up in a way
that he little anticipated. He was In
duced to make the admissions concerning
his part in the Broad way steal that lead
both to his indictment and conviction for
bribery. In trying to avoid the whirlpool
of Scylla he had run upon the rock OF
Charybdis.
NOR WAS THERE ANY ESCAPE.
Rendered wary by the work of the pro.
fessiOnal lury-dXer in the two Schaler
trials, the District Attorney took no
chances IN the Jaehne case. The jurors
were not only locked up, but were not
even allowed to receive sealed letters
iron their families. Great was the
HOutCl1 dtuuE the OLutI llulCleu AiuEF-
men. They accused the Judge and Dis
Ftrict Attorney OF favoritlsm, because
rJaenne was not given the chance Of Gen.
Schaler, also indicted for bribery. They
asserted that one of the Shaler jury was
bouaht up on the first trial, and that three
Hebrew jurors were fixed on the second
trial. Tney got no comfort, for the Dis
trict Attorney replied that these were the
best or reasons why the jury in the Jaehne
case should not he allowed to separate.
This has made Shaler's friends tremble.
s1tis evident that De will be tried the third
time, and by jury that will be made
practically unapprOachable.
the other indicted Aldermen were also
fchagrlned because Alderman Waite. vino
has turned States evidence, was not made
10 unfold his budget. The District A ttor.
ney preferred TO rely upon Byrnes' testi.
mony to secure q conviction aud to hold
Waite in reserve for future trials. Waite's
promised disclosures are intensified by a
fear that Billy Maloney, the Clerk OF the
Board OF 1884, has been cOrralled by the
authorities. and that be will be dropped
upon some Ofthe boys, as Andy Garvey
was dropped upon Oakley Hall in his trial
IN 1872.
BESIDES AFFoRDIHG GLIAiPsEs OF UN
DERGROUSD
political life in New York, Jaehne's trial
ACb ~ q AANlAC luAlu AiE upon LIS own an
tecedents. While on the witness stand
he was closely questioned concerning his
association with well known thieves in
diamond rObberies in Europe eight or nine
years ago. DE denied in toto all insinua
lions OF theft, but admitted that he was ia
company with the crooks, and that he
came back with one OF them wa Canada
The story as told by detectives who cl lain
10 have IL from one OF the crooks them.
selves, is interesting. Curtin and Ste.
phens, well known as diamond thieves
went TO Europe on business tour. They
visited the best jewelry stores and priced
unset diamonds. With a dozen or twenty
jewestoetore them 10 was an easy matter
10 substitute an inferior stone for a supe.
rior one. Sometimes paste stone took
the place OF a genuine solitaire, and again
a real Karat jewel was slyly exchanged
for one OF greater weight. On leaving the
store the stolen diamonds Were passed 10
Jaehne, who stood on the sidewalk near
the door. lie sauuters away in one di.
JectOn and his pals in another They
were all dressed N the best OF taste and
had the airs and manners Of Englieh gen.
tlemen. They rarely put up at the same
hotel and never allowed themselves To be
seen together q public. The trio worked
the game IN many Continental cities with
great profit. Finally they landed in co.
lOgne. Here they made rich strike aud
secured tickets Tor London. While Cur.
I'm and Aipunoua Vycro gatfuu Iungh .t d