The morning call., 1894-10-25
STOLE A WITNESS.
Trouble of the LexOW
Committee.
POLICE GROWING BOLDER.
Openly Attempt to Block the
Investigation.
)NE WOMAN SPIRITED AWAY.
When She Was Brought Back the
Committees Detective Was Ac.
cused of Kidnapping.

NEW YORK, Oct. "a = Counsel Golf
startled the Lexow committee when it re-
convened this morning by saving excitedly:
Il am compelled TO ask for an adjourn
nent until II o'clock. l told the commit
tee that our star witness. IA woman who
had paid money to iigh officials. had been
stolen in the dead of night. Her name is
Matilda Hermann. Our detectives struck
her trail aud finally ran her down in Chi
eago. She consented to come East, and
when the party arrived at Jersey City
this morning the outrage was committed.
The police Of New York got the police of
Jersey City 10 arrest the party on charge
Of kidnapping. 1t is trumped-up charge
designed TO detain her,"
SIS she over u years of ageP" asked
Chairman Lexow.
Yes, and. moreover. is willing to come
here" answered Golf. "This woman will
tell how the police raised fund TO get her
and another woman OF her class out of the
city. There is colony of them now in
Chicago waiting for the committee to ad-
journ.''
1--WE may never adjourn" broke in
Chairman Lexow.
Goff said he hoped to prove how much
money had been contributed in further
aDce of the alleged police conspiracy to
spirit away Mrs. Hermann.
When Mrs. Hermann was arraigned be-
fore Justice Potts in Jersey City Senator
Daley appeared as her counsel. He said
he had been retained for that purpose by
Gustav Dork of New York, who told him
an attempt was to be made to abduct Mrs.
Hermann on her arrival from the West.
Senator Daley said Mrs. Hermann told
him while the LeXow detectives were talk
ing with her that she did not wish TO re.
turn to New York. The detectives tried
TO force the woman to 60 with them, and
they and the woman were arrested. JUS
tice Potts held upon the evidence of De-
teciive KearDey that Mrs. Hermann was a
fugitive from justice. and committed her
TO jail for thirty days under bonds of $1,000
to await extradition papers. The Jersey
City police then preferred charges against
the Lexow detective of attem pied abduc-
tion.
The chairman, after hearing the state
ment of what had been done with Mrs
Hermann In Jersey City, said it had been
the intention to examine Police Commits
sioner Sheehan to-day. but that gentle
man had asked to be excused in order that
he might attend meeting of the board.
No other witnesses had been called and
the sitting adjourned until tomorrow.
In answer to questions Mr.. Golf said the
story that Mrs. Hermann had been de-
coyed from Chicago to jersey City by a
telegram stating mat her husband had
broken his leg was totally false.
"She came Voluntarily" said Goff, ''and
even paid her own railroad fare. The
man alleged to be her husband broke his
leg before she left the city. She was nurs-
ing him when she went away, and, more
over, since she left him he has been taken
away secretly. too."
The Evening Post has the following:
"Mrs. Hermann was desired by Mr.. Golf to
give testimony against the police of the
Fifteenth Precinct Of this city, to whom it
is alleged she has paid large sums of
money to be allowed to operate four alleged
disorderiv houses. Her sudden disappear
ance resul ed in Mr.. Goff's suspecting that
some subpe1a-serveEs were in colluSion
with the police under suspicion, and
Private Detective Wells was engaged to
look her up. He found her at the Colon
made Hotel, Chicago. and endeavored to
induce her to return and testify before the
committee. She refused. Wells then
communicated with Sergeani-at-Arms
Thomas Kearney of the Lexow committee,
and bo gus telegram was sent to her with
the information that her husband had
broken his leg and was lying in hospital
in Hoboken in a critical condition. Mrs.
Hermann lost no time in coming to he1
IN no MD iSta nd cha
the Pennsylv ania railroad station at Z 80
o'clock this morning. Detective Wells
was shadnwiug her, Near the railway
leading 10 Montgomery street. Sergeant-at-
Arms Kearley intercepted the woman.
He asked her to consent to go with him to
New York and subsequently Detective
Wells Joined in the conversation. The
woman became highly indignant and was
gesticulating wildly when Senator William
d. Daley of New Jersey appeared and
told her he had been retained as her coun-
sell Kearney and Wells wanted to compel
the woman to go to New York, but Sena-
tor Daley demonstrated as he declared he
would not permit her to be 'kidnaped.'
such confusion was caused in the station
that Policemen Boyle and McNaIly ar
rested Sergeant-at-Arms Kearney and
Wells and Mrs. Hermann, charging them
with dis0rderly conduct and took the
prisoners 10 police headquarters 10 Jersey
City. How Senator Daley learned that
Mrs. Hermann had left Chicago is puz-
zling the Lexow committee detet-
tives and there is suspicion that the
New York police and certain attaches of
the Lexow committee are in coiusion
with the Jersey City Police to head off
dana ging witnesses"