The evening world., 1890-04-03
BIG TREFTS OF SILK GOODS.
Lord & Taylor systematically
Robbed by an Employee.
Over $40, 900 Worth OF Goods Sold
to TenderloIn Precinct"
Women.

Detective sergsants Armstrong and Wool
bridge, OF Inspector Byrness staff, have made
q rich haul.
Their prisoners are Thomas McElroy, a
porter in the Wholesale department OF Lord
d Taylor's store at Broadway and Twentieth
street, who Is charged with stealing thou
sands OF dollars worth OF silk stockings and
other articles OF expensive female under
wear from his employers. and Joe Romaine,
OF 73 Division street, the receiver OF the
stolen property.
They were Arraigned before Justice Mo
Mshon at the Tombs this morning. McEl-
roy Is . stoutly built man of about thirty,
and owns scrubby red mustache. He has
been in the employ Of Lord & Taylor rince
1880. but was never suspected Of dishonesty
till lately.
Joe Romaine was arrested few months
ago on the charge of stabbing man named
Martin in house Of ill-repute in West
Thirty-second street. Coroner Levy investi-
gated the case and the jury came TO the con-
clusion that Martin had stabbed himself.
ndvn IL NOW iBp'Ss 1ssv hSt MES stoohnS EhS
Tommy" and Romaine have been working
in partnership for some eighteen months
past; McElroy at frat turned over all the
sold them at big profits to the women,
Latterly McElroy has been doing some Of
tho business himself. and was in fact caught
Roods ss nj nsSs whan the stolen
Mr.. Hatch. manager Of the wholesale de-
partment OF Lord Taylors, appeared as
He says that the firm has been missing
goods for nearly two years past, but al
though private detectives we're employed TO
investigate the case they could never dis.
Of the goods stolen during this period at
between sl0, 900 and s12. 600.
few weeks ago the case was placed IN the
hsaGs OF and ,ne tM0 uS %
the department ever since. About week
ago their suspicious were fixed upon No
They discovered that although he lived
with his aged mother at 2l9 West Twenty
sixth street. and kept her In the most ex-
trelle poverty. he spent his nights In resorts
in the 'Tenderloin Precinct" His pay was
o. Q week, but he was living at tho rate
OF $50.
They followed him up and last night ar.
rested him ip saloon In Thirty:second
rounded by group OF women and was try
ing to drive bargain with them for pair
Of black silk stockings OF the latest pattern.
Of stockings wrapped around his waist under
McEiroy weakened and confessed that he
several months past He also said that Joe
Romaine was his partner. and that the lat
ter had now q large quantity Of goods in his
Detective Woodbridge found Romaine
soon after that in q neighboring house. At
Romaine's house in Division street the de-
tectivs found varied assortment of silk
stockings and chemisettes, valued altoge ether
at more than 500.
1t was learned that McElroy sold the stock
ings. which were worth s5 Q pair. to Ro-
maine for 81, and the latter got what he
could for them.
The detectives had visited several Of the
houses IN the neighborhood OF the Heymar-
ket. and had found women IN all of them
wearing the stolen goods, which were fully
entified by Mr.. Hatch.
McElroy appeared unconcerned and indif-
ferent when he was arraigned before the
but Romaine seemed to be very
nervous and frightened. They were both
held for trial on the charge Of grand lar
ceny.