New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-13
A FORTUNE IN STOLEN GOODS.
GIVEN UP BY JAMES s. CHAFFEE. A
PRISONER, IN BOSTON.

AMONG THE COLLECTION ARE BRIc-A-BRAc FROM
THE HOUSE OF MRS FREDERICK L. AMEs.
COSTLY STAMPS OF MR. KIDDER AND
STOCK CERTIFICATES OF A PAR VALUE
OF s2ooOoo-cHAFFEEs STORY.
Boston, Nov. l2-The police think it Is likely
that James S. Chaffee, whJ was arrested yester-
day charged with Offering for sale stolen goods.
and in whose rooms were found $4,000 worth OF
stolen property, may be brother OF William
Barrett, alias Bassett now serving life sem
tcnce for murder, and from whom Chaffee said
he had received the goods for services rendered
at the time Of the murder trial The two have
many strong points Of resemblance, and are
known to have had remarkably close relations
aside from criminal matters.
At Police Headquarters to-day there were sew
eral callers to identify property from among
the array OF goods secured by the officers yes
terday Never before has such valuable lot
Of property been seen at Headquarters. Mrs
Frederick H. Ames was one of the callers ana
she identified various articles Of brc-a-brac, stoi-
en from her house at the time OF the Famous
picture theft. 1t Is thought that Barrett was re-
- onsible for the theft Of the paintings, WHICH
as will be remembered We're returned throush
middlemen after substantial reward hac oeel
offered and the promise made that no questions
would be asked. Mr.. Kidder. the banker, also
recognized the postage stamps recovered as A
portion Of his valuable collection, which was
stolen eight years ago from his Milton house
Early I'm the afternoon Chief Inspector watts
and Assistant Chief Inspector Dugan TOOK ChaI-
fee TO his former house on Mount Nerhoh-st'
Roxbury. where he said more property was
stored which he would turn over TO the oiiicers'
Arriving there. the party went into the pase-
ment where a box, In which Chanee SAID lhe
articles We're was found to be empty. CnaHee
declared that he was nonplussed, and had no
idea where the articles were.
Returning to Headquarters. Mrs. Chaffee.
wife of the prisoner was found. and she IN
formed the officers that she herself had changed
the hiding place Of the articles after the offi-
GERS had visited the house yesterday. She ac-
companied the inspectors to the house ana
there produced a box from which were taken
225 sheets Of postage stamps, being part OF
the kidder collection a large number OF stock
certificates. the par value or when aggregates
nearly 100000. and also large number Oh
letters written to Chaffee by Mr.. and Mrs.
Barrett tor BassetO, which tended to show
that Chafee's story as to how the property
came into his possession was true. ana that ne
was not implicated in any OF the robDerles.
Among them was an agreement in which she
gave Chaffee full control Of all properties De-
longing to her husband, William Bassett, or
herself, Ito dispose OF as ne sees NJ.
Even If it could be proved that Chafree had
been implicated in the crimes with Barrett, IL
is doubtful II he could now be reached by the
law, on account of the statute of limitations
The police however. are apparently satlsned
that he was not corrected with Barrett in the
robberes and. he has done all that he could
do since his arrest. to aid the officers III turn
ing over the property it is dc ubtfu If they VIII
push a charge OF breaking and entering against
him. However. a warrant has been secured for
his arrest on a charge Of receiving stolen prop
erty and he will be arraigned tomorrow.
Included In the list of stock certihcates louna
to-day were the folowing Certificate No. ia,
OF the O. X. Gold Mining Company. for loo
shares, par value $780, mortgage note or the
Lombard Investment Company for $500 pay
able to Thomas wilkins due June %, 1887: GER
thcate No. 50. for twenty shares in the G. NJ
Nelson Lumber Company. St Paul, dated Oc-
tober 25 1891. par value 81 900: certificate No.
Sc in the same company. for the same num-
ber of shares. made out in the name or AnSei
Arnold, Willimantic. Conn. and debenture
bond OF the Central Iowa Railroad for Sl,OOo,
dated July 81, 1850, and numbered 3I3.