The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-11-13
WORTH$17O,OOO
immense Quantity Of Plumber Re-
covered by Boston Police.
BOX OF STOCKS AND BONDS
Slowed Away In the Cellar Of
James S. Chaffee.

Boston, Nov. i3-The arrest of James
Stevens Chaffee of this city by the police
Monday. and the recovery OF $4,000 worth
of stolen plumber, were followed yesterday
and last night by even more startling dis
coveries. In addition 20 the property re-
covered Monday, stocks and bonds TO the
extent Of nearly $3.50, 900 (par yalue) were
brought TO the inspectors office.
Yesterday afternoon Chief Inspector
Watts and Assistant Inspector Dugan ao-
companied Prisoner Chaffee to his house
on Mount Vernon street, West Roxbury,
for the purpose OF unearthing more plum
der, which Chaffee said was secreted In the
cold-air box Of the furnace in his cellar.
His cellar was searched, but nothing was
found.
The party went back to headquarters
and were surprised 10 find Mrs. Chaf1ee
awaiting their return. After some hesi-
tation she informed Chief Watts that If he
would bring her husband home again she
would hand over the stocks and bonds.
She said she had removed the box con-
tanning them from the cold-air box in the
cellar. The police drove TO the Chaifee
house again and Mrs. Chaffee went TO the
back stairway and brought out the box
from underneath the stairs, 1t was taken
TO headquarters, where the contents were
examined.
There were found certificate No. rs for
1000 shares of the o.. X. Sold Mining com
pany's stock, valued at 500 n share; GER
t~ificates Nos. So and % for 20 shares each OF
the &. n. Nelson Lumber company of st.
Paul, dated Oct. %, 1881, value $1,000 a
share. and debenture bond, No. 573, of the
Central Iowa railroad, value $1,000.
Three Smith 81 Wesson revolyers were
also found in the box. and among other
things Of value were POS sheets of foreign
postage stamps and "a large number of
United States stamps, some of which
were valued as highly as 500 each. An
agreement was found, signed by Mrs.
William Barrett, by which she turned
Sver all her husbands property 10 Chaffee.
Barrett is a notorious criminal, now
serving a life sentence for murder in this
state, and Chaffee claimed when arrested
Monday night that all the stuff which
was found in his premises had been given
to him by Barrett in return for his having
spent a great deal OF money in Barrett's
defense at tho time of the murder trial.
Chaffee Not a burglar.
Important letters were also brought to
light from the bottom Of the box which
shows that Chaffee did not operate with
Barrett In his burglaries, by which. doubt
lessly, the bulk of the property was OBJ
tanned. He sticks 10 his story in the main
ms told by him Monday, and the police
place considerable credence in 1t, except
ing that part In which he stated he did
not know the goods were stolen when he
received them. One charge against Chat
fee has accordingly been changed from
that Of breaking and entering To shat of
receiving stolen goods, while Knowing
them TO have been stolen. The total
amount of plumber by the police now
reaches $4,000 In value.
Mrs. Ames, widow of the late Fred l..
Ames of this city, called at the inspectors
Office yesterday and identified n numbe
of articles which were stolen from the
Ames' residence several years ago. She
also recognized several articles which
were stolen from the North Easton resi-
dence of the late Ex-Governor Oliver Ames.
Mr.. Kidder, OF tho banking firm of Kid
der, Peabody & Co., the discovery of whose
collection of postage stamps in Chaffee's
possession also led TO the latter's arrest,
also called. He, too, recognized some OF
the goods which were stolen during "a rob-
berry at his Milton residence six years ago.
Many others called during the day, and
some of the smaller articles were also
identified.
Inspector Joseph Dugan said last night:
81 am convinced that Chaffee has not been
concerned in any OF the robberies and did
not steal any of these goods, for, in my
opinion, he entirely lacks the pluck and
nerve to be a burglar of merit, and was
never made for such work. / consider
him nothing but a weak, deluded tool Of
Barrett's."
The police 90 not place much faith in
enc story circulated that Chafree is a
brother of William Barrett.
Wood Engraving