New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-10
WAS THERE A CONSPIRACY I
MR.. sAMUELs TELLS A STRANGE STORY.
CHARGING THAT Mr. STRAUSS PLOTTED ARSON TO
DEYRAUD TIE INSURANCE cOMPANIEA

CHARGING THAT Mr. STRAUSS PLOTTED ARSON 70
DEyRAUD THE INSURANCE cOMPANIEa
Moses Strauss senior member Of the firm OF
Strauss & Son. dealers in tailors' supplies at No.
bO8 Broadway, arrested and locked up 40
Police Headquarters yesterday morning q charge
OF conspiracy. warrant for the arrest had been
granted by Police Justice White on the strength
OF confession said to have been made to In
spector Byrnes by Jacob Samuels, clothier st
NO. 246 Bowery. Inspector Byrnes announced
that he and his men had been at work on the
case several weeks and had brought to light .
most extraordinary conspiracy to get money out
OF insurance companies. He also said that Strauo
was an ex-convict, and had been in prison seven
years for receiving stolen goods.
The confess ION of Samuels was to the efeos
that he had become indebted to Strauss IN the
sum Of $1,000, and saw no immediate way In
which to raise the money when Strauss pressed
him to pay. In the latter part Of 1887 Strauss
said he could show Samuels way to raise money.
According to the confession the converse tiop
went on in this way:
strauss-SuppOse you let the place go Of
Samuels-I don't know what you mean
Strauss-Ilow much Insurance have you got On
your stOcki
samucls-$3, 800
me- II the place went off. You ought 10 got at least
$1,000 moro Insurance.
samuels-I don't believe could get SO much
strauss-oh, could arrange for that. viii send
an agent, who will fix that for you
As Easy As COMING MONEY
Samuels and his brother had stock which
not worth more than the amount OF the insurance
and their store was the first ioor of an old
frame building The brothers family lived over
the store. 1t made plain to Samuels that he
had only to increase his insurance, burn up the
store and collect money enough from the insurance
companies TO start in new place after paying
ha. debt to Strauss. set of books with we'll
worn covers came into play. as the books would
have to show an Increase OF stock equal to the
extra insurance. Samues showed to Inspector
Byrnes paper, containing written instructions
for filling up the books with bogus entries lie
said the instructions were written by Strauss.
The books had been written up according TO the
instructions
About January /. Samuels said. insurance
agents were sent by Strauss TO get more insurance
on the stock in the BOwery store. but they could
not get the insurance in any Newly orl< companies.
Then, at the request Of Strauss. Samues went TO
Louis s. Stenthal, son of the Rev. Mendal Stein
thai of No. o4 East Fourth-st, and y~ing Stein
thai got the extra insurance policies Acting
under Instructions, Samuels gave note for 5000
TO Stentha, and indorsed the name of Strauss
on it. At the request of young Steinthal that
to Rabbi Stcinthai. As samueis owed owed si95 for
rent 10 Mr.. Amhcim, the owner of the Bowery
building, Strauss at first gave cheek for that
helm. A little later Samucls said, he was told
that he and his brother must move out OF their
anybody to be burned up when they let the place
" go off, BY pleading poverty he, got check
for 81 90 from Strauss, and he used most of the
money IN getting lease of the house, M. 225
East Forty y-nnth-st., into which he and his broth
moved on February /. Then, Samuels sald-
Strauss wanted the place TO /" 60 off, right away,
and became abusive and threatening when ne
thought there was unnecessary delay.
sTOUTLY DENYING Mr.. STRAUSS GUILT.
After the arrest of Strauss yesterday several
lawyers went to Police Headquarters and INDUCED
in some sharp talk the case. Those who
there in the interest of Strauss declared thao
the prisoner was not the author, but the vicm
of a conspiracy. At the Broadway store young
Strauss said that the arrest Of his father was an
outrage He denied that his father had ever
been in prison for receiving stolen goods ana
added:
and will show that the RS cRaSgs sAo SeeSSs hi & is ,hs
to get revenge because we blocked his game whom
he was ready to commit arson Last week we learned
had got additional insurance on his stock We sus
pccted that he intended to burn up his place In order
On Monday we brought suit In the Court of Common
Pleas stating our n. saspcons and applying for an
the :sherIG since Tuesday. Finding that q would
Byfnes with a manufactured story that riy father
was in the conspiracy to get money from the In
surance companies.
reporter who went to the store of Samuels
in the Bowery found Sheriff Grants men in charge
of it,. Samuels was there also hut he said he
would not tell anything for publication until the
case came up in the Jefferson Market Police
Court in the afternoon
In the court long affidavit by Samucls was
read. Lawyer Abe" 1Iummel, who appeared for
Mr. Strauss, asked to have the case dismissed on
the ground that the prosecution had failed TO
fectivc. Assistant District Attorney Jerome, who
appeared for the prosecution. said that the affidavit
would be amended. Justice White adjourned the
examination until tomorrow and parOled the
prisoner in the custody Of his counsel In sreak-
ing to reporter after the examination Ir stSr sta
proposed to have SamueIs arrested for forgery.