New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-02-03
FOUR OF A KIND IN JAIL.
c1AAssEN, PELL, IVES AND STAYNER TO
GETHER.

COMMERCIAL BANK, MAKES A STATE
MENT-MEETINGs OF LENox HILL
DEPosIToRs TO BE HELD
An interesting quartet of fnanciers .speho
Sunday in Ludlow Street Jail They were Henry
s Ives. the young Napoleon OF FINANCE anu
his aide George ii. Stayner, who are accuseo VI
having wrecked railroad; General reer o.
Claassen, soldier and banker, ana george H.
Pell, broker, accused of having wreckeu 'niee
banks They were all acquainted WIN one an
o,ber before any of them began living in Ludlow
st and when they all came together In MT Ives
comfortable rooms on Saturday night 1t was IKE
a reunion of jovial and congenial spirits whom
Fate. for time had kept apart
II is said that Mr.. Ives remarked to Generai
C,aassen that he was glad to see him there,
svbereat the soldier brstled up and felt offended
He had been there scarcely long enough to un-
derstand that remark of that KIND from an
old boarder in Ludow-st uttered inside the build
ing. had quite a different meaning from one OF
similar phrasing made by an ordinary citizen
on the outside Mr.. Stayner laughed and so did
Mr.. Pell. and General Claassen, too much OF
gentleman as United States Marshal Jacobus
knows to create discOrd in happy community,
smiled feeby and said Thank you"
oh no. not at all" replied Mr.. Ives; you're
very welcome, assure YOU"
The conversation became general for lew
minutes. but General Claassen was too suodued
and thoughtful to be a real good companion just
yet.
what are you thinking about?" asked Mr..
Ives. after General Claassen had sat for moment
with his head resting on his hand
sOh. nothing much," replied the soldier, l
was merely wondering when you and Stayner
are going to get OUT
This was a cruel sabre slash, and both Ives and
Stayner fell back aghast Just then an evllly
inspired boy in the street with mouth organ
struck up When the Swallows Nest Again"
It is polite even in Ludlow-st. TO answer civil
questions, and Mr.. Ives exhibited his knowledge
of the ways and words of wild Western men when
he answered in Choctaw Damph mo-"
AS the evening wore on time began to hang
heavily on the hands of the quartet. According
to story that was floating about yesterday, some
body proposed little game OF draw 10 whlle
away the hours. The pasteboards were produced,
and the quartet took positions around the table;
BY virtue of his recent achievements General
Claassen was made the banker, so runs the tale,
. and Mr. Ives, because of his record as keeper
of anything he could get hold of, was made
keeper of the kitty" No chips were needed.
Stayner's ante. Mr.. Stayner put up share OF
{. H. Il D. stock. The cards were dealt. Mr.
Pe came in with one share of Sixth National
Bank stock, and Mr.. Ives put up two c. Ill. & ID.
shares. General Claassen also came in with
share of Sixth National Bank stock. and Mr..
Stayner put up another share of G. H.. d ID. to
card, Mr. Pell took two, Mr. Ives stood pat,
and General Claassen drew three cards to pair
of aces. 1t was Mr.. Pells first bet and he
wagered three shares OF LenoX Hill Bank stock.
Mr. Ives raised him to the extent of five G. H. n ID.
shares. General Claasscn had not bettered his
hand, and dropped out. Mr., Stayner caught
raised the bet by ten shares of c. II. Il ID. This
puzzled Mr.. Pell, who had threes. Ives had stood
pat. vet Stayner raised the bet, so Stayner he
argued. must have better than pat hand, which
Of itself would beat threes Like a good poker
player he threw up his hand Ives then raised
the bet by twenty shares of c. II. d d., and
Stayner also threw up his hand, whereupon Ives
took the pot He laughed fiendishly as he tossed
his queen high hand on the deck
So the game went on When Claassen or Pell
would bet, either Ives or Stayncr would raise the
wagers until they blufed them out; and toward
midnight Ives and Stayner had all the securities,
and the newcomers had had an interesting eN,
perience. In the meantime the kitty had
waXed fat, and Mr.. Ives suddenly kept on keep,
i7y it,
Street Jail that those inside had reason to con
gratulate themselves that they were in out OF the
wet The fnanciers had an excellent breakfast,
after which they read the newspapers to ma OUT
how much had not been found out about their
operations
About o'clock Mrs Claassen and her daugh-
ter and Mrs Pell visited the Jail. The ladies
spent an hour in their husbands apartments and
then went away in apparently happy mood No
other callers appeared during the day, and the
prisoners refused positively TO receive reporters
The day was spent in reading newspapers and
books and i'll playing cards.
Ludlow Street Jail has few terrors for fnanciers
whose discovered methods lead to the necessity
for their temporary SecluslOn 1t Is more IKE
hotel than JAIL and it not for the fact that
the inmates cannot come and 90 at will, there
would be little difference as regards comfort be-
tween this big house of detention and frSt-claSs
hostelry. One can dine there as well as any
where if he has the money to pay for what he
wants. William NJ. Tweed spent years there and
died there surrounded by luXuries. Jacob Sharp
lived like prince while he made his abode there.
Ives and Stayner have been there so long that it
would seem 10 them like breaking up housekeep-
ing 10 be compelled TO move. How long Ives and
Stayner will remain is something no one can tell.
Ludlow Street is better than Sing Sing.
The Sixth National and the Equitable banks
were not visited yesterday by any of the Of
institutions. AT the door Of the Equitable Bank
a lonely policeman kept watch.
On the window of the Sixth National the last
notice posted reads:
further Of the condition OF this bank will
be made. report win be to Controller II. E.
Lacey, at Washington All demands for information
should be made 10 him. A. B. HEPBURN,
National Bank Examiner.
Mr.. Hepburn said yesterday that he had
ceiyed no further information from Washington
in regard TO the suspended bank.
The following statement brought to The
Tribune office late last night by Mr. Mcdonald
a friend of Charles II. Leland, the ex-presdent of
the Sixth National:
Mr. Leland has arranged enable the Sixth National
Bank 70 business which will be as soon as
the necessary formalities be gone through with.
EDWARD KING.
Mr. King is president of the Union Trust Com
pany.
Siegmund 7. Meyer, one of the directors of the
Fouitable who was seen yesterday at his home
No East Fifty-seventh-st., said that he wished
10 deny the statements concerning his connection
with the Lenox Hill Banks affairs which were
made in several newspapers of Saturday and
Yesterday These papers. said Mr.. Meyer,
squoted President William Dowd, Of the Bank
of North America as saying that his bank cleared
init stod in,