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

Detective Sergeants Armstrong and Wool
bridge, Of Inspector Byrnes's stafl, have made
a rich haul.
Their prisoners are Thomas McElroy, n
porter in the Wholesale department OF Lord
4 Taylors store at Broadway ard Twentieth
street, who is charged with stealing thou
sands Of dollars worth OF silk stockings and
other articles of extensive female UNDER
wear from his employers, and Joe Romaine,
OF 20 Division street, the receiver OF the
stolen property.
They were arraigned before Justice Nc
Mahon at the Tombs this morning. McEl-
roy Is q stoutlv built man of about thirty.
and owns scrubby red mustache. lie has
been in the employ OF Lord II Taylor since
1850, but was never suspected of dishonesty
till lately.
Joe liomaino was arrested few months
ago ON the charge of stabbing q man named
Martin in n, house OF ill.repnto ~ West
gated the case aud the jury came to the con-
ciusIon that Martin had stabbed himself.
1t now appears that McElroS, who was
known in the vicinity as SILK Stocking
Tommy, and Romaino have been working
in partnership for some eighteen months
past. McEiroy at first turned over all the
goods hu stole to liomaine., and the latter
sold them AT big profits to- the women,
Iatterly MCEroy has been doing some of
the business himself. and was in TACT caught
i'll the act ut bartering some OF the stolen
goods last night when arrc ted.
MIR. Hatch. manager OF the wholesale de-
pRrtilent OF Lord X IaylorH, appeared as
complainant
He rays that the firm has been missing
goods for nearly two years past, but al
though private detectives were employed to
investigate the case they could never dis
cover the culprit. He ostimates the .valuo
OF the goods stolen during this period at
between SO, 900 aud s12, 900.
a few weeks ago the case was placed in the
hands OF Inspector Byinos and the two de-
tectiyos have been shadowing every one in
the department over since, About n week
ago their suspicious were fixed upon Nc
Elroy.
with lis aged mother at, 2l0 West Twenty
sixth street, and kept her In the most ex-
trelnc poverty. he spent his nights in resorts
III the "Tenderloin Precinct His pay was
$40 week, but he was living ut the rate
OF $50.
They followed him up and last night ar
rested him in saloon Ill lhrty-second
street. near Sixth avenue. He was sur
rounded by group of women and was try
ing to drive bargain with them for pair
of black silk stockings of the latest pattern.
When searched they found two more pairs
OF stockings wrapped around his waist under
his vest
McEroy weakened and confessed that he
had been stealing from his employer for
several months past. He also said that Joe
Roniaiuc was his partner, and that the lat
ter had now large quantity OF goods III his
poRt esSiOn.
Detective Woodbridge found Romaine
soon after that in neighboring house. At
Romane's house lin Division street the de-
tective found n varied assortment of silk
stockings and chemisettes, valued altogether
at more thanSlOO.
1t was learned that McElroy sold the stock
ingg, which were worth 50 q pair, to Ro-
maine for 81, and the latter got what he
could for them.
The detectives had visited several of the
houses III the neghborhood of the Haymar-
ket. and had fouud women III all of them
wearing the stolen goods, which were fully
identified by Mr.. Hatch.
McElroy appeared unconcerned and indif-
ferent when he was arraigned before the
magistrate, but Romaine seemed to be very
nervous aud frightened. They were both
held for trial oil the charge Of grand lar
ccDY.