The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-05-03
BERTHOLF CAUGHT.
Admit Western Unions
Connection With Green
Goods Men.
GRAND JURY INVESTIGATING
Chief Murphy's Detectives, Masquer-
aiding as Farmers, Force
the Acknowledgment.

The probabilities are that the Western
Union Telegraph Company officials will be
indicted for aiding and abetting crime. The
Grand Jury has begun a thorough investi-
cation Of the %company's connection with
green goods swindlcrs. The investigation
began yesterday afternoon, and resulted in
an acknowledgement being forced from
Superintendent Bertholf, of the Exchange
place office, that kilograms received at the
local office, sent to fictitious addresses. were
sent to New York. This sensational develop
ment was brought about by q clever ruse
adopted by Chief Of Police Murphy. For
the past six or seven months Mayor Wanser
and all of the police officials have received
copies of ssgreen goods" circulars, and in
each one care was taken to direct the in
tended victim to use the Western Union
wires and never use the mails. Chief Muir
ply preserved every circular he received
and made a note of the addresses given.
CHIEF MURPHY's TRAP.
Last Monday he decided on a plan where
by he hoped to establish the company's con-
nection with the 'sereen goods" operators.
He sent Detective Doyle to Elizabeth and
directed him to telegraph to II. Monroe, No.
1876 Hudson street, this city. Doyle did as
directed. Detective Douglass was sent to
Brooklyn with instructions to send a de-
spatch to the same address. In the after
noon Chief Murphy sent Policeman O'Don-
nell to the Exchange place Office to inquire
If a telegram had been received from Eliza
beth. sent to H. Monroe. Superintendent
Bertholf declared that no such telegram had
been received.
Subsequently Policeman Donegan was
sent to the Office to make similar inquiries
concerning the Brooklyn despatch. Bertholf
denied having received any: The detectives
M cot,@ -, RrolHIun nd Llf1o hath ~ (.
tabiish The fact that the message had been
properly sent from those cities. The oper-
ators declared that they had not only been
regularly sent, but received at the Jersey
City Office. Chief Murphy presented these
facts to the Grand Jury and Superintendent
Bertholf's ~arraignment before that body was
the result. He was compelled to produce for
the inspection of the jurymen copies of all
kilograms received at the Exchange place
Office during the past week.
BERTHoLFS ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
When Bertholf was shown the testimony
of the police he declared that the messages
had been received but forwarded to New
York. His only excuse, however, was that
ne had no means of knowing that they were
messages to s.green goods men.
Chief Murphy, before allowing Bertholf
to depart from the Grand Jury room, gave
him a list of fictitious addresses in this city
used by the green goods" men IN. COM
municating with their intended victims.
The addresses were Monroe's, Thomas
Jefferson, No. 81 York street, George MILE
can and Henry Butler, No. 2SS Hudson
street, and Thomas Hunt, of No. $40 Hud7
son street. There are no houses at present
on these addresses, and messages sent to
them are at once forwarded to the head
quarters of the green goods" operators in
New York.
Superintendent Bertholf was warned that
unless all kilograms sen to the above adj
dresses were were turned over to Chief MUIR
ply he would cause his arrest. The Grand
Jury will probably make a presentment in
the case in a dav or two, as Foreman Smith
declared that the evidence was complete, SO
far as establishing the connection of the
company with the swindlers. In years past
the ''green goods men carried on their me-
farious business through the mails, but the
postal laws nave become so strict hat the
telegraph had to be resorted to.
The first circular sent IN intended victim
comes through the mail, but thereafter all
arrangements are carried out by telegraph.
Chief Murphy believes that by the time
the present investigation is concluded the
city will be rid of its unenviable reputation
of being the headquarters of 'sgreen goods
swindlers.