The Portland daily press., 1891-07-29
TRUTH RIVALS FICTION.
Little Dorrit Has a Companion
Story In Rev York.

NEW YORK, July 28.-Frederick Fisher
has been a prisoner in Ludlow street Jail on
civil proceedings since August, 1885, while
two indictments charging forgery have been
pending since November IL of the same year.
He pleaded guilty to the indictments before
Recorder Smyth yesterday and was re-
manded until Friday for sentence. District
Attorney Nicho'l, with the consent of the
victims of the forgeries, will ask to have the
sentence suspended and the prisoner dis
charged.
Fishel for three years prior to August 10,
1885 was bookkeeper in the employ Of
August BerDheim Il Bauer, wholesale cloth
ers at sic Broadway. He stole several
checks given to him to mail, and by forging
the endorsements, got them cashed. Joseph
s. Klotz, described as the general credit man
of the firm, drew checks under a power of
attorney. On May 27, 1885. he gave Flshel a
check on the Importers and Traders Bank
for $2,650 In favor of A. Jacobs. Fishel
forged the endorsement and lost the money
drawn by Klotz on the Fourth National
Bank on August 10, 1885, to L. j. Davis for
81, ,4S6.55, Fishel made the body and endorse
ment of the check read +. j. Davis and
cashed 1t In payment of a board bill at the
West End Hotel at Long Branch.
When his forgeries were discovered and he
was arrested Fishel sent for his employers
and made a clean breast of his transgres-
sions The list of the checks he had mis-
appropriated aud of the uses to which he had
put the money was: $2.100, $2,650, $3.50,
S2,605, paid to gamblers: $2,640.10, 81, ,74S "a.
$1,S72.54 deposited in Murray Hill Bank aud
81, ,4S6 55 Expenses at Long Branch. The
firm found that its losses aggregated S40,-
| 900, and made the Fourth National Bank, the
Importers and Traders and four other
banks, co-defendants with Fishel In suits in
the Supreme Court for recovery of the mon
ey. Fishel confessed judgment whenever
| called upon, and helped in every way In his
| power to straighten out the mess into which
| he had got the books OF August Bernheim q
| Bauer. The Grand Jury indicted him but
| he was not called upon to plead.
Pending the trials of the civil suits he was
| detained In custody on orders of arrest in
| civil proceedings. Judge MARITIME was Dis
| trict Attorney when Fishel was Indicted, and
he must, Mr.. Nicoll says, have consented to
| the completion of the civil suits before call
ing on the prisoner to plead to the criminal
indictments. Fishel could, of course, have
demanded a trial at any time, but he would
/ not have gained anything, as with so many
| orders of arrest against him and two indict
/ ments pending il was only question wheth.
| er he should be detained as a civil prisoner
| or on the criminal charges. The civil suits
| are in fair way Of settlement. Fishel has
| rendered efficient help and is now in very
poor health after his nearly six years of i'm
| prisonment.
Recorder Smyth said to reporter thai
since he had read Dickens's Little Dorrit'
| he had never heard of man being detained
| nearly six years actually prisoner for
| debt. He wanted 1t distinctly understood
that neither the District Attorneys Office
nor the Court was responsible. The Re.
corder admitted that the proceedings wert
perfectly legal and that this might occur at
| any time under the law.