New-York tribune., 1896-05-13
A PUZZLED POSTMASTER.
CHARGED THREE SOLDIERS WITH FALSE.
LY CAsHING A MONEY ORDER.

THE MAN WHO DID CASH THE ORDER HOWEVER,
EscApED-BADLY MIXED Up IN HIS rEsrI-
MONY-DEFENDANTs DISCHARGED.
Three prvates OF Battery c, lst Artillery Sta
toned at Fort Wadsworth and the postmaster OF
Rosebank Staten Island. Peter ], Herman. were
the actors in a little drama before Commissioners
Morle and Assistant D:str.ct-Attorney Roy In the
Federal Building yesterday afternoon. When it
wss over the postmaster retired from the held
badly worsted. Postmaster Kiernan has now to
make good little sum OF SOS to the Government
which he foolishy paid out to one Of Uncle Sans
deserters
The prvates John Kpter. w. J. Fitzpatrick
and II. Kernell The men were arrested by deputy
marshas Monday afternoon at the FORT charged
with completely In obtaining the money falsely on
two postofice orders. Another man, Max do
Schnargk, a private in the Army, but now de-
serter. who known to certain persons as Cap
tain Johnson. figures IN the case. which, from the
point OF view OF the postmaster, Is rather mixed
affair Captain Johnson alias DE Schnargk. is al.
legged TO be the real culprit but he Is far beyond
jurisdiction at the present time.
The story dates back several weeks Down at the
fort he was pointed the German lieutenant"
and to substantiate his claim he exhibited to the
at different times the uniform OF an officer Of
the German Army. When De Schnargk was not
drilling at the fort he was either in Jersey City or
Poughkeepsie. teaching tactics to citizen soldiers
His last outside command was with Polish COM
pany in New-York City In this connection Do
Schnargk became acquainted with Dr. II. p. New
andowski. of No. 81 Clinton Place. New-York
There is to be a Polish celebration soon. and some
time ago the doctor was told by De Schnargk that
there was to be public sale OF uniforms and ac-
coutrements on May l. The doctor, II seems.
wanted 10 purchase lot of uniforms and accoutre-
ments for the company A bargain was soon
made. and the result that the Polish physician
agreed to give to De Schnargk. who had been in
troduced to MIN Captain Johnson. sos for the
stuff. On April IS the money arrived at Rosebank
IN two orders, for 500 and the other for s.
The following day De Sohnargk applied to the
posofiice for payment, but was told by Kiernan's
assistant that there not sufficient money In
the Office. Herman was not there at the time. but
from hearsay he supposed Private Kipfer to b
De Schnargk's companion
That same day the German lieutenant" sue
ceeded In inducing Charles Felten. a barkeeper at
the hotel to cash the Sc order and later a store
keeper. W. Mansell. cashed the larger order but
Mansell little suspicious Of IT, and before do
ing so first asked Kiernan II IT was all right The
postmaster replied that 1t was. and said that az
soon funds arrived from Washington he would
cash the order. De Schnargk obtained the money
and waited around until about a week ago. when
he disappeared. In the mean time Newandowski
became suspicious OF the non-arrval of the uni
forms. and investigated.
ALL THESE MEN ARRESTED.
The postmaster dumfounded He remem-
bered having seen De Schnargk around the village.
and the three soldiers at different times with him,
and jumped 10 the conclusion that they
must be implicated. The afar ran along until Nom
day. when, upon complaint Of the postmaster, Major
Egan, commandant OF the fort, caused the men to
be arrested and placed in the guardhouse until
taken in charge by the deputymarshals. From the
fact that Private Kpfer had turned in receipt for
a money order, the postmaster at once said that
Kipfer must BE- the main accomplice, although he
had no special grounds for so believing At the ex
rst nlaced upon iae sand In ,he c,rse Of the ex
animation Mr.. Roy asked:
Did you pay this money to Captain Johnson?
TO the best of my belief did not; his assistant
did, think"
Il have seen him around the postofice. AID took
him to be that man; at least supposed So"
Did he wear the uniform OF a captain?"
Postmaster Herman in reply said that he hadn't
noticed, but he added that Captain Johnson had a
uniform on to the best Of his belief.
Cant You tell the difference between captains
dress and privateS?
Il don't know. sir. I-I-rm sure the man had .
uniform on though"
The examination was continued in this strain for
some time ana the postmaster became 50 pauIy
told whether Kipfer was Captain Johnson, or
se h any any @ e b De sbparsk Frem
the answers. which were with difficulty gotten at, II
was apparent that Kiernan dimly realized that he
would have TO account to the Government for tho
loss OF the sl06 paid by his office through mistake
So far as the Assistant t could dis
Johnson at the fort, and took the private TO be the
captain merely on the ground that he had presented
the order bearing such name.
FORGOT ABOUT THE UNIFORM 8,
Felten testified that he had cashed the S. but that
he had never known De Schnargks real name. He
supposed. however that long he had presented
a money order bearing the name OF Captain john
son. that must be his name. Felten seemed to un-
derstand the difference between a private's and
ust to be accommodatns ne this fac;
seemed TO have escaped his attention
prIvaies took part in tn cross-examinaton Of both
Kiernan and Fe.ten. Mr. Roys questioning sue
% that nearly onethTd of fi the enlisted men at Fort
Wadsworth were there under assumed names
they hsy se ID aop The fn%ss S
them are known at the post under one name and
apoher name an sent to apr private box address
three timas in his life. He corroborated Felten's
assumed names. He said that he had known PM
yaO Kpfsr ever since hi bis ,hsss
good private and an honest married man."
THERE WAS NO CAPTAIN JOHNSON.
do you know such man Captain Johnson az
the fort?"
II never heard of such a man. sir. De Schnargk
always went by his own name at the fort and at
pany in Poughkeepsie and IN Jersey City, for which
he paid. 1t is common thing for soldiers to
receive money orders from home. l have myself.
but haven't the slightest idea why was thrown
into the guardhouse'
Private Kernel was not examiaed. II guess"
said Mr. Roy. there is nothing to hold these men
on, and they would better go back to the fort. I
think however that the postmaster will have 70
settle with the Government to the extent OF $0S.
Or. Nowandowski did not appear
DEATH OF MATTHIAS KOENNE.
4, orf>,