The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1889-01-18
Olarkson and Quay Branded as Receivers
Of Stolen Property.

accomplice who was the principal agent
in selling it TO The Republican party
through Messrs. Quay and Clarkson,
who eagerly availed Themselves of the
opportunity of purchasing the stolen
property.
This months issue OF the Voice, the
Prohibition organ of New York city,
exposes the leaders of the Republican
party as ''tbieves and abettors of rob-
bers." In an Introductory paragraph
the paper says:
To appropriately characterize the old
party managers of the recent Presi-
dental campaign, it is no longer
enough to describe them as brazen
| plotters of schemes for wholesale
bribery, cowardly intimidators of Pro.
hibitionists, sneaking falsehood venders
unblushing dissemlnators of forged
newspaper quotations, contemplate
straddlers of great and solemn issues
and eager and expert manipulators of
all appliances to deceive and cheat.
High toned ladies and gentlemen of
the party of virtue and sobriety, of
temperance aud morality, permit us to
introduce to you the Hon Mathew
Stanley Quay, Senator from Pennsyl-
vania, Chairman of the Republican
National Committee and receiver of
stolen property James S. Clarkson. a
Republican Dict ,tor OF Iowa, Vice
Chairman of the Republican National
Committee and receiver of and negoti-
ator for stolen property the Hon. W.
w. Dudley, personal representative of
President elect Harrison, Treasurer of
the Republican National Committee
and conspirator to abet and reward a
confessed thief
The MAIL LIST STOLEN.
| Coming down to the facls in the
case the Voice says:
Iu the late Summer and early
Autumn of last year large number Of
sheets Of the mailing-list of the Voice
were stolen from our subscription de.
psrtment. These sheets were 10S In
number, and contained the names O.
about fifty thousand Of our subscribers.
A mailing-list is one of the most
valuable properties of newspaper
To steal it is penitentiasy offense, and
to receive it from the thief without
makirg restitution to the owner is
equally a penitentiary offense, of the
kind for which Mother Mandelbaum
was notorious.
The 10S sheets had been distracted
a few at time, and their loss was not
ascertained at once. Suspicion being
aroused, inquiries we're made. Mr..
Charles A. Durfee, an accountant in
the subscription department, was ques
toned among others, and he said he
had missed the sheets. The manager
said to Durfee:
"We'll find who took that mailing.
list if it costs the firm $4,000
Just before election the Voice's
business department received great
numbers of complaints of novel
kind
"Scores of our oldest and best sub
scrlbers," says the article, "wrote tha,
they were receiving through the mail
copies of the Voice within which Re-
publican campaign documents were
folded. Some of these documents
were Bishop Merrils pamphlet politi,
cal Prohibition, DR.. Duifield's anti.
Prohibition party argument, the Re
publican literature of Albert Griffin's
and Mrs. Fosters bureaus, and regu-
lar Republican tariff documents.
"When the mailing-list was first
missed, there had recently been dis
charged from our subscription depart
ment deaf-mute clerk named James l
Sansom. He had left upon a two
weeks notice before the theft of the
mailing-list was known, because OF
complaints made against him by his
superior, Mr.. Chas A. Durfee After
the theft of the mailing-list Mr.. San
som was one of the persons suspected.
But he was not molested, and no sug
gestion that be was suspected was
given him. Several things happened
to strengthen the suspicion. SAMSON
was frequently seen at the rooms of
the Republican National Committee,
and it was learned that he was one of
the persons employed by Quay to work
up the deat-mute Republican move
ment. In fact, he was made Chairman
of an alleged deaf-muts National or
ganization. While Chairman Quay
was using SAMSON in his deaf mute
movement, he was fully aware of the
fact that this man was an unprincipled
scoundrel, a confederate in the crime
of larcency, and guilty of gross betray.
al of the confidence of former EN-.
ployers."
DURFEE CONFEs-Es.
A dramatic scene occurred in the office
of Funk &c Wagnalls Thursday after
noon, Dec. 81, says the Voice. The
members of the firm and the manager,
with Gen. Clinton B. Fisk and William
T.. Wardwell were there. Charles A.
Durfee was called in to show the dis
tinguished visitors the accounts of the
Voice's Clergyman's fund and Farmers
Fund. Suddenly DR.. Funk turned to
Mr.. Durfee and asked him why he had
called at Republican headquarters about
the time the maiing-ist was stolen,
and why he had visited j. S. Clarkson,
Chairman of the Republican National
Committee. Mr., Durlee first denied
that he had seen Mr.. Clarkson, when
he was asked regarding a letter he had
receiyed from w. w. Dudley.
Durfee was startled, and finally said he
was willing to show the letter, but that
it related to private business.
Finally, learning that his connection
with the robbery was known, the Voice
says, Durfee made complete confess
sion. Here is the confession:
"NEw York, Dec 27, 1888.
Sunk G Wagnals.
"GENTLEMEN; | wish to make the
following statement; That l have
abused the confidence of my employers
to the following extent:
During Augu't, believe or at least
loon after III" Republican headquarters
| pened on Fifth avenue, New York |
allied there to see Hon. M. S Quay.
lie had left for dinner, and went to
the Everett House. saw his secretary