The Portland daily press., 1895-11-13
The Chaffee Arrest In Boston Is a
PuzzIer.
WAS HE AN ACCOMPLICE OF BAR.
RETT OR INNOCENT.

ing Stolen Property.
not to blame for the fact that $40, 600
worth of jewelry. precious stones, china
and silyerware now awaits Identification
at headquarters, nor for the taking into
custody of Chaffey.
+. Trifet dealer in rare stamps at 36
Bromfield street, is the man who did the
real detective work on the case and
furnished the information which made
an arrest compulsory.
Mr.. Trifet says:
Nathaniel L. Kidder began to buy
stamps of me in 1872 when he was a mere
boy just out of college. For seventeen
years we had dealings in business way
constantly.
lin 1884 or So bought sheets of Byron
Weston ledger paper, put a border around
each and ruled them off into squares to
correspond with the stamps of Mr..
stamps and my writing was affixed,
giving prices and other particulars.
Eight years ago Mr.. Kidder. consider
ably excited, came into my office and told
how his house had been robbed Of valua-
bl9s, including the collection of stamps,
which was then worth about $4,000. l
suggested that he inform the police. At
the same time I inserted in papers devoted
to my line of business notices of the
robbery and requesting that dealers keep
d lookout for the stolen articles, notify
ing me of any cleWs.
II had had made for Mr.. Kidder
wooden box, lined with satin, with q
cover of turkey morocco, the hinges and
lock being silver plated This box was
found on the day after the breab ing and
entering, out in the yard, with the blank
sheets strewed about promiscuously. The
thieT or thieves had evidently thought
thai it contained jewelry.
From that time up to last Friday
nothing was heard of the missing stamps.
On that day a man presented himself at
my office (it was Chaffee) with Virgin
Island stamps, which he wished to SELL
This variety is of two kinds. one water
marked, the other not. The value OF
Virgin Island stamps depends on this
fact. | raised stamp to see if it were
water marked. and was astonlshed to IND
my own handwriting underneath.
There were tine original prices IN my
own figures.
''Two of the stamps were torn and an
examination of them showed that they
had been repaired with ohe Identical
paper on which had drawn the border
lines-there were the lines.
II didn't want to have the man
arrested at once for wanted to give him
little rope and see if the whole
collection could not be recovered.
II asked Chaffee if he did not have
other stamps to sell. He replied that he
had some from Turkey and Russia. L
thought that he had read those names re-
IN, hn thQSo
countries are much in the public prints
at present. Probably he had mentioned
them offhand in consequence.
81 purchased the Virgin Island stamps
and he agreed to call again on Saturday.
.'As soon as Chaffee had departed 1
went to see Chief Inspector Watts. AS
have stated, my idea of detective work
was to allow my man to go his way
temporarily. even losing all trace of him,
in order to recover the remainder OF the
stamps if possible before taking him into
custody. I told Watts that I did not
know the stamps belonged to the Kidder
collection until after Chaffee had left my
office Watts said that is too bad, too
bad' Chief inspector introduced me to
McGrath, who, after he had heard the
story, promised to come to my place of
business on Saturday.
''Next morning McGrath didn't show
up but Began was sent from head
quarters. Began stayed in the Office all
day, although several times he wanted to
give up the Job, [ demonstrating and tell
ing him that very probably the stamp
seller would not appear until evening.
''As it turned out Chaffee didn't come
that day.
"Monday no officer from headquarters
appeared at my office. Chaffee walked in
about 4. 80 and produced one stamp from
Ceylon. No inspector was present to take
him into custody. I engaged Chatfee in
conversation, asking him if he didn't
have other stamps to sell: Finally he
fished three more out of his pockets
81 made an excuse to go into the back
room and there told the lady clerk to go
into the mail room upstairs and send the
boy for a policeman.
II managed to keep Chaffee interesed,
but was afraid all the time that he might
make his escape. I made up my mind to
give him a fight ii he attempted to leave
the premises
snEhe office boy found officer Mains ON
the corner of fremont and Beacon streets
and the latter soon arrived on the scene.
[ told the patrolman that l charged
Chaffee with having stolen property in
his possession, that he was wanted at
police headquarters, and demanded that
an arrest be made.
II went with the party to station 2 and
told my story to the officer in charge He
telephoned to headquarters Began came
down to the station, and then we took up
our march to Pemberton square.
''Such is the story of the arrest of
Chaffee.
Searched at headquarters, 400 or 500
stamps were found upon the person of
the prisoner, although he had averred to
me that he had showed me all he had in
his possession. Those stamps were worth
from 5000 to $780, He also had jewelry
and pearls and other valuables in his
pockets, including paper which may
prove to be an important olew for use in
working out the case.
.sThe Kidder collection of stamps has
risen in value considerably since it was
stolen, and if it can be recovered in toto
that gentleman will have earned more on
the money invested than if he had placed
it in a savings bank. -
It is true that the inspectors, after the
information had been received, after Mr.
Trifet had sent out on the street to bring
in an ordinary patrolman to make the
arrest aroused the detective spirits and
went out to West Roxbury and brought
back $40. O(O worth of gold and silver and
gems