Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-06-09
is 1T CHIEF BLACKBURN ?

Detective Witsil Examines the signature
Book In the Philadelphia Savings Fund
Bank--The Name There is Biackburn's
fand It Is Identical with His signature
Some Other Startling Condolences
Chief Blackburn Also Goes to Phiiadei-
phia--Whut He Says.
Edward Stroud ex-king of the policy
writers, who has had several experiences
with bucking against the strong hand of
thelaw was again taken in custody Tuesday
morning. for his old failing.
The charge against Stroud was lottery
policy writing and "being concerned in
lottery policy writing" in other words,
being a hacker of the game. 1t is an open
secret that the game has been going ON
freely for several months past, despite one
or two feeble raids by the police, and
Detectives McVey and Witsil have been
quietly at work for evidence sufficient to
warrant a move against the king bee of
the lottery policy fraternity.
Tuesday morning Detectives McVey and
Witsil arrested Stroud on Fifth street near
Orange, and took him to the police station.
He pleaded hard for u little grace, even
for time to go into an adjacent saloon and
get glass of beer, but the detectives were
obdurate. They had very particular
motive in not allowing him an instant out
of their sight, as the sequel will show. At
the police station Stroud was released OH
$1,000 bail for hearing in municipal
court on Saturday morning, Andrew
Traynor becoming his surety.
Is IT PAYMENT FOR PoLIcE PROTECTION FOR
POLICY WRITING?
Upon arriving ut the police station the
first thing the detectives did was to
thoroughly search their prisoner, and this
is what they found in Stroud's inside coat
pocket:
A Deposit Book of the Philadelphia
.
w. ,. Blackburn, showing deposits
amounting to @sS5.
And w. ]. Blackburn is the name of the
the Chief Of police Of the city of Will
mington.
THE BOOK AND ITS CONTENTS.
Detective McVey has tho book in his
possession. IL is of the ordinary descrip-
ton, showing the opening of an account
by w. j. Blackburn with the Philadelphia
Savings Fund Society, Seventh and Wal
nut streets. Philadelphia. 1t is numbered
6l2,0iS and the entries are rs follows;
April 25th, 1892. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 800
April 2Ith. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. ISO.oU
May "a. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, 200
May loth....... .................... 1O.U0
June lst..... OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 100
These deposits total S2s5. There are no
entries to Indicate that any of the money
thus deposited has ever been checked out
Detective McVey says he has proof that
Chief Blackburn made tIft initial deposit
OF IS on April 18th. This was for the pur-
pose of formally opening the account, and
the book seems to have been afterwards
transferred TO the custody of Stroud, in
whose pocket il was found when the latter
was arrested.
CHIEF BLAcKBuRN's STATEMENT.
Chief Blackburn was reclining on q
lounge, suffering intensely from neuralgia
i'll the head, when Il GAZETTE re-
porter called at his residence, No, HOO
Orange street, on Tuesday. lie received
the reporter very conrtcously.
Chief BLACKBURN stated that the book
found upon Stroud was not his and that
he knew nothing, whatever, about it. He
said ~ never received u cent from the
gamblers in my life; nor have / received
any from Stroud. True, it is, overtures
have been made me by gamblers from
time ~ time, which overtures l reported
to the mayor and to the Board of Police
Commissioners
Then you deny that the book is yours? ?"
II do, and say that ! know nothing
whatever about it,"
And you say you have not received any
money from Mr.. Stroud and know moth
ing about the money deposited in the
Philadelphia Savings Fund Society ?''
II have never received a cent from
Stroud or any other gambler"
MAYOR wILLEY's STATEMENT.
The reporter also saw Mayor Stansbury
J. Wiley us he was leaving his residence,
No 1901 Franklin street, i'll the afternoon,
The mayor stated that he knew nothing
about the matter when the subject was
broached. He bad just returned from an
ecclesiastical convention at Cincinnati.
he said Chief of Police Blackburn had
told him that overtures had been made him
BY the gamblers and that Chief Black burn
had also reported the matter to the board
The mayor told the reporter that lie would
institute personal Investigation of the
matter at once and then handing the re-
porter religious pamphlet he diplomatic.
ally directed his conversation towards the
recent religious assembly at Cincinnati.
WHAT STROUD SAID ABOUT THE BOOK
Chief Blackburn called at the office of
The GAZETTE Tuesday afternoon and asked
areporter TO accompany him to see Mr.
stroud. The reporter willingly accom-
panied the chief and MIR Stroud was founC
at the office OF Andrew Irayaor, on Yves,
Fifth street.
Mr.. Stroud was asked concerning III,
book found in his possession aud stated
That be found it. The reporter then asker
vi. stroud to whom the book belonged
md he said lie did not know. lie re
hctantly said that it was possible for hin
90 iind the book and that he WAS wuitin.
for reward. He said he could say til,
book did not belong 10 Chief blackburn
but when asked further concerning tn,
book his answers We're vague and mys
ferrous. lie would not explain eXacti,
just how he came by the book.
lave Won anything more to say wa,
asked Of Chief BlackbtI afterwards
Nothing more, | believe" replied tn
chief, except to say that have 10 knoWl
edge of the book -
Unless Il very clever forgery has beer
perpetrated--a hypothesis For which Their
seems to be no reasonable groun,s-th,
signature upon the books of The Phladel
lhia savings Fund Society, representing
lie deposit book in the name of w. j
olackburn found upon the person q
Edward /. Stroud, the policy hacker. wa
written by William j. Blackburn, chief o
the police force of this city.
LOOKING AT THE NAME.
Yesterday morning State Detective Witsi
went to Philadelphia and called at Iii
SAVINGS bank fnr the purpose Of investi
gating the suspicious signature. The Phila
delphia Savings Fund Society occupies
large and imposing granite building ut tn
southwest corner OF seventh and Wuluu
streets. 1t has been established since Isll
and is one of the staunchcst andfchesl
us well as one of the Oldest institutions u
the kind IN the country. 1t has kept az
counts with over half million pcoule til
book in the name of w J.. blackburn
issued April 25th being numbered 81 90,
Armed with letter Of introduction fro1
Deputy Attorney general Branch II. ttil,s
addressed to the president of the sOciet
Detective Witsil entered the bank 500
after it was opened for business yestei
day. The president was absent aud Iii
cashier received him. The officials La
already been appraised OF the revelation
that induced his GRAND and were rcadin
reports IN the morning papers of the iint