Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-24
A Sensation Before the Le1ow Com
mittee.
Mr. COTS Charges Against the
New York Police.
THERE Is 4 LEAK SOMEWHERE

NEW YORK. October 24-Counsel Goff
startled the Lexow committee when they re-
convened this morning by saying the police
had made away with a witness who would
give the most sensational testimony yet pro-
duced MIR. Goff entered the court room and
said, eXcitediy:
For the first time am compelled to ask
for Al adjournment until O'Clock. / told
the committee that our star witness-a
woman who had paid money to high OFF,
ciaIs-had been stolen from at the dead of
night. We had her under subpoena and
under surveillance in the day time, but at
midnight the police or their agents came in
carriage and stole the woman. ! now tell
you her name for the first time-Matilda
Hermann. The police or their agents hurried
her to Canada and then to the large cities
OF the west Our detectives stuck to the
trail and finally ran her down in Chicago.
She consented to come east.
I'm company with our detectives she has
been journeying eastward all yesterday.
When the party arrived In Jersey City this
morning an outrage was committed. The
police of New York got the police of Jersey
City to arrest all our party on a charge OF
kidnaping-a trumped up charge designed
to detain her. The police of Jersey City
even went so far as to try to get the wo-
man to leave our detectives"
Chairman Lexow broke in with: rs she
over twenty -One years OF age.
Yes; and moreover. willing to come
here" answered Mr.. Golf.
This woman will tell how the police
raised a fund to get her and other women
OF her class out of the city. There Is a col
ony of them now in Chicago. waiting for
the committee to adjourn"
We may never adjourn" broke in Chair
man Lexow.
much money had been contributed in
furthersnce OF the alleged police conspiracy
to spirit away Mrs. Hermann.
Mrs. Hcrmnnn's Testimony.
This evenings Post has the following:
Mrs Hermann was desired by Mr.. Goff
to give testimony against the police of the
fifteenth precinct of this city, to whom 1t
Is alleged she has paid large sums of money
to be allowed to operate four alleged dis
orderly houses. Some months ago she was
served with subpoenas to appear before
the committee. Her sudden disappearance
resulted In MIR. COTS suspecting that some
of the subpoena servers were In collision
with policemen under suspicion. Private
Detective Wells was engaged to look her
up. He found her dt the Collonade Hotel
Chicago. and endeavOred to induce her to
return and testify before the committee
She refused. Wells communicated with
Sergeant-at-Arms Thomas Kearney of the
Lexow committee and bogus telegram was
sent to her with the information that her
husband had broken his leg and was lying
in "a hospital in Hoboken in a critical con-
dltion.
Mrs. Hermann lost time in coming to
her husbands assistance. She arrived in
the Pennsylvania railroad station at 1::5O
O'Clock this morning. Detective Wells was
shadOwing her. Near the stairway aiding
to Montgomery street Sergeant-at-Arms
kcarney intercepted the woman. He asked
her to consent to- so with him to New York
and subsequently detective Wells Joined
in the conversation.
1.-The woman became highly indignant
ana was gestulating wildly when Senator
William ID. DAILY Of New Jersey approa ched
her and told her he had been retained as
her counsel. ksarney and Wells wanted
t. compel the woman to go to New York,
but Senator DAILY demonstrated and de-
clared he would not permit her to be kid
nape1.' "
A crowd collected; Mrs. Hermann shout
ed that Mr.. Goff hal teleSrarhed her.
threatening to cause her Indictment IL she
did not return to New York, ard that she
bad been inveigled to come east by her enc
mes. Such confusion was caused in the
station that Policeman Boyle finally ar
rested Sergeant-at-arms kearney, Detective
Wells and Mrs. Hermann, charging them
WITH dlsorderiy conduct. and took mis- pris-
oners tC police headquarters IN Jersey city.
How Senator DAILY learned that Mrs.
Hermann had left Chicago is puzzling the
LexOw committee detectives, and there Is d.
Suspicion that the New York police and GER
tain attaches OF the Lexow committee are
in collision with the Jersey City police to
head OFF damaging witnesses"