Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-05
LEGAL Brokers Asked to Buy Worth
less Bonds.
STOLEN SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE
But for a Slip, $4,000 Would
Have Been Advanced.
A DETECT We STORY

A most interesting detective story was
enacted in Washington last week. with the
result that two very much frightened New
Workers are nobody knows where and one
or two Washington brokers still shudder
when the thought of their hairbreadth es-
cape occurs to them.
Fourteen years ago the little town of
Attica. N. Y. issued $4,000 of bonds for
water works. These bonds were paid over
to company for putting in the improve
ments. Not long after they were thus
turned over s10.0o0 worth of these bonds
We're stolen from Mr.. Frost the secretary
of the county. From that day until last
Saturday these bonds were not seen by
any of the parties most interested in them
and other bonds had been issued in lieu of
the stolen documents.
Ten days ago Russell l.. Kinsey of Buff
falo, NY, applied to Yerlzes Il Baker, brok-
kers. of this city. for a loan of 5000 or
$1,000 of Attica, N. Y. bonds. Mr.. Yerkes
knowing Mr.. Fred c. Stevens of this city,
who had always been director in the At
tra Water Company, went to see him
something must be wrong. and he went to
Attica and the officers of the COM
pany there. He found that Mr.. Loomis,
the president OF the company, alone held
$4,000 of the original issue of $4,000. 1t
was. of course. plain that these bonds Of
fered here in Washington must be those
that had been stolen. Mr.. Stevens went to
Mr.. John h. Larner his counsel and laid
the matter before him for action on behalf
of the water company.
Mr.. Larner proceeded to get the whole
story from Mr.. Yerkes-how the bonds were
numbered from 81 to 40 inclusive. were for
$1,000 each and had all the coupons re-
moved except one. due in June next, when
the bonds were to mature Acting upon
Mr.. Larner's advice, Mr.. Yerkes told Kin
sey he must see and deal with the princi-
pal kinsey said the man who held the
bonds was Frank W. Hayden of Buffalo,
". Y, and formerly manager of the Tiff
House in that city. A meeting was
ranged to take place Saturday. at noon, at
Mr.. Larner's office, where he. ostensibly as
attorney for Yerlses & Baker. would ex-
anime the bonds and report to the brokers'.
The Trap Set.
Kinsey and Hayden were promptly on
hand Saturday Hayden having been in the
city all the while and not in New York, as
Kinsey said Mr.. Yerkes and Mr.. Loomis,
whs had come on from New York. were
waiting in a rear room. When Mr.. Larner
asked Hayden for the bonds, the latter
handed him nine $1,000 Attica water
bonds. from which the coupons had been
removed, with the exception of the one due
n June, 1875. To Mr.. Larners questions.
Hayden said the coupons had all been
paid except this last one The tenth
bend. he said. had been hypothecated. but
would be secured and put up with the
to make the loan. All this time there sat
In the room Deputy United States Marshal
Wallace Kirby. who had been duly equip
ped with a writ of replevin for which
due and sufficient bond had been given at
the marshals office.
The Trap Sprung.
Turning to Mr.. Kirby Mr.. Larner said:
"Are these the bonds. Mr.. kirby?"
Mr. Kirby took them in his hand. looked
them over carefully. compared them with
the description in his writ and said he
thought they were.
WELL" said Mr.. Larner. this is Mr..
Kinsey."
Thereupon the deputy produced his writ
and said: II am a deputy United States
Karshal. and / am directed by the Presi-
dent of the United States to take possess
siCn of these bonds"
The two New Workers. We're naturally
thunders truck. They said tSey didn't know
they were handling stolen bonds. They
certainly did not mean to impose on any
ore. In the conversation that followed
HAYDEN said he got the Attica bonds from
Elijah Johnson, n man now dead. They
had been left in the safe in the Tiff house,
he said. When Mr.. Loomis declared that
the coupons on the stolen bonds had never
been paid Hayden admitted that he had
himself cut them off. The two men backed
down and made no effort to keep the
bonds.
The bonds have been sent to the water
company for identification and will be cam
ceIed. IL remains to be found where the
other 1000 bond that had been hypothe-
Gated now is. Hayden and Lindsey have
disappeared. The latter represented him.
self TO be a lawyer in Buffalo. Had they
remained here few hours longer they
would have been arrested and 1T is likely
they may be caught yet.