The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-09-08
HARRIS LOOKED on.
How He Caught Rumpf and
Mayer Moving Their Stock
A STRANGE MIDNIGHT SCENE.
Applfe.tfsa for Receiver Brings out
ths Kxpisnsffen why Harris
Got Hss Money.

A revelation IN the Rnmpf- Msyer-Basye
transaction came out IN Judge Lsngisys
court yesterday which throws consider
able light upon the methods pursued oy
those individuals before Rnmpf skipped.
leaving numerous creditors 10 secure
the goods sold to him - best
they could The story Was told on
the application Of the Rockford Watch
Company. creditor OF Mayer and R1npf,
for the appointment OF n receiver Tor the
stock Of Mayer. now in the New York
block, who introduced q number OF affida-
Wits 20 support the application. IL was
thought necessary to have an affidavit
from William Harris. who attached May
er's stock and thereby realized on q
note held against the firm. but
Samuel II. Piles. attorney for the watch
company. told the court that Mr.. Harris
vas unwilling to make affidavit. He was.
however. willing 10 testify in the case, aud
Mr.. Plies in the following words related
what Mr.. Harris was willing TO testify. TO:
"Rumpt u Mayer owed William Harris
81, 40. for " hich he held their proinissorv
note. Harris was working for ]. X. Basys Il
Co. and noticed Basye and Mayer for seve-
raj days In close. private conversation. Har-
rls went TO Cline, a member OF the firm OF j.
X. Basye & Co., and asked him If Rumpf
& Mayer were in any financial difficulty,
and Cline said they we're not That same
evening Harris accidentally learned that
either Cline or Basye had notified one of
the clerks 10 have the store unlocked and
be there at IL that night; that gools
wonld be brought there at that hour.
After dark that evening Harris saw Basye
and Cline 60 out and in roundabout way
TO Mayors place in the New YORK block.
u - l.. X "A
TO swear out an attachment, but couldn't
find any friends owing to the lateness of
the hour TO go on his bonds. | told him
TO drop the matter for the day. but TO have
men stationed around the building and
watch any attempt TO carry away
the goods, and If any attempt was made
for Harris to- expose them and demand
his money. Harris did this. He
employed two men to help him watch the
premises. That night at IL O'Clock, while
Harris was in q crouching position in the
alley. he saw men coming out OF the rear
entrance. A third person, German, APP
pcared on the scene. and. thinking Harris
was burglar, approached him with =
heavy cane, and would have killed him,
but the latter explained his position. and
then the two men watched together. From
Mayors place goods were carried
along the alley into Rumpfs
place by back entrance Harris
then walked into Rumpfs place. and
there found Rumpf. Cline. Mayer and
the iatter's brother, taking care of the
goods which had been carried In from
Mayors store. Harris appearance was
something of q surprise. Addressing
them. he said:
"'Ah. ha. gentlemen, so this is the kind
of fraud you are perpetrating, is it?
I'll now 20 to Mayors store, and see what
is being done thereP
''At this, Cline started on the run ahead
of Harris, and reached Mayors place first.
He attempted to slam the door, but Harris
placed his foot in the crack. and forced his
way IN. Inside were Mayer and Basye,
fixing the goods To be carried over 10
Mayors place. Harris notified them that
he would hold them all responsible tor the
fraud. Later he found Basye, Cline and
Rumpf changing the combination on the
safe, and again warned them of fraud.
Harris then sent a carriage to my home,
aud at O'Clock in the morning attach
ments were levied on both Rumpfs aud
Mayors places.
THE next morning at o'clock Harris
met the parties on the street, aud again
notified them that he would hold them
responsible. This was before banking
hours, and Basye had ample time TO stop
payment on the check for 5000 which
Basye says he gave Rumpf in payment for
the lat,er's goods. The same morning
Cline told Harris:
- Harris, you must excuse me for not
telling you Rumpf and Mayer were in
trouble. | was pledged to secrecy
But Mayer, finding his property all
attached, got some money and paid Harris
the 81, s50 which he owed. / have no doubt
that We will be able TO prove that this
81, $50 came out of the 5000 check gwen
By Basye TO Rumpf. and that all the parties
named except Harris were In conspiracy
to defraud the creditorSp