The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-02-15
BLACKMA|L!
ChargedMOtiVe in
Stcinert Case.
Jos. N. Mann Indignantly
Denies Allegations.
Pres
ident of Steinert Co.
He Declares That Armstrong Paid
Voluntarily.
Expert Hume Says That There Was
Actual Shortage.
He Declares That Armstrong Paid
Voluntarily.
Expert Hume Says That There Was
Actual Shortage.

A NEWS reporter interviewed Mr.. Al
exander %steinert, president of the NJ.
Steinert 81 Sons Co., at Boston. yesterday,
and asked him what he had to say rela-
tive to the charges against the Providence
branch of his concern. Mr.. Steinert made
the following statement: "There is nc
truth in the current report relative to
the Armstrong matter. The facts Of the
case are these: The accounts of NJ. Stein
ert & Sons, Providence, were short in
1892 to the sum of al u $4,000. Ties
fact was proven upon an examination of
the books. MIR. Armstrong had been in
the employ of NJ. Steinert & Sons. for a
nun Der of years, and hau sole charge of
the books of the company. This shortage
was discovered and Mr.. Armstrong volun-
tarily settled with us for the deficiency"
Mr.. A. NJ. Hume, the expert referred to
in thursdays NEWS as the third account
ant.who examined the Steinerts' books in
1882, is a bookkeeper in the Boston housa-
OF the nj. Steinert x Som Company. He
was also seen yesterday, but at first re-
fused TO make any statements. He was
present, however. at the interview with
President Alexander steinert, and cor
roborated the above statement of his en-
ployer. He practically denied the state
ment that he had found only u clerical
error of $1,000 in Mr.. Armstrong; ac-
counts, and that there had been no actu-
al deficiency in the cash.
THE THEORY OF SUICIDE.
Friends of the steinerts denounce as
absurd the claims of the administrators of
the Armstrong estate that the unfortu-
nate bookkeeper was undo such cruel
pressure from his old employers that he
was obliged to steal and then
driven to suicide. They say that the
suicide occurred three years after Mr..
Armstrong had lett the employ of the
Steinerts, and furthermore that the claims
against him In the old book account had
been settled voluntarily by him, ana that
he had been released from all further OBJ
legations upon the payment of the $1,000
long before he embezzled the money of
the Roger Williams Loan Association.
thu TWO sroRIhs.
There are then two stories in this
most sensational case i'm direct contradic-
tion to each other One that Cyrus {.
Armstrong, a bookkeeper in the employ
of M. Steirert q Son Company, was
~wrongfully accused of embezzling Si2, OOO,
which he denied, but that he never he
less was frightened into trying to pay
what he had not taken; that he sold his
property and gave the 5000 which he
realized from that sale and that he was
then prosecuted and called upon to fur
nish the balance, that under this pressure
he stole $4,000 from the Loan Association
and that lastly to avoid the disgrace of
exposure he killed himself.
The other story is That the deficiency of
Sl2, 900 was not only n clerical error on
The books but an actual shortage on the
cash accounts; that Mr.. Armstrong con-
fessed that he had EN- bezzled it and vol
UNFAIRLY offered to refund, that the Stein
arfa orRpnfod ~c0l0 for affIar.ap N ~ "a .ko4
then II there ait relations tetween the
Steiperts and Mr.. Armstrong ceased
The second story is told Just as posi-
lively rs the first, but il calls from those
who tell IL a new explanation Of the pres
ent sensation which the first story in it
self does not explain.
CHARaE OF BLACKMAILI.
This explanation, which is no less sensa-
tional, Is given ny those who refute the
charges OF persecution against Steiuert.
They say that the whole story originated
of Mann & Eccles, piano dealers
on Mathewson street. The charges
against the Steinerts are thus de-
MED as absolutely false and Mr.. Mann is
charged with falsely making them and
giving them publicity for the sake OF
blackmail; that is, with the intention of
injuring the business of the Steinert
branch in this city INK helping to a cor
responding degree the business of Mann
& Eccles.
Mr.. MANN TO- SURPRISED.
Mr.. Mann was interviewed this fore
noon and told a NEWS reporter hat he
had teen charged with blackmail. He
replied that he was not Mt all surprised
and only wondered why it had not come
before.
Mr.. Mann and Mr.. EccIes left the en-
ploy of the Steinert concern in Providence
on the fourth day OF last November TO
establish a business of their own. The
leave-taking was not pleasant OF either
side, and there was no exchange OF good
wishes for future prosperity.
The head of the new firm said today
that at the time he LETT the Steinerts de-
clared that they would do anything TO
crush him and ruin his new enterprise.
This Armstrong matter, Mr.. Mann con-
tlnued, had furnished the first opportun-
ity, and they had accepted Il by i%nsinuat-
ing that he had circulated n false and
sensational story Of Injustice aud criminal
persecution.
"They have tried other methods 10
hurt u.s. said Mr.. Mann. "by selling pianos
for less than cost in order to undermine
our trade, but these efforts have been USE
less for our books To-Day show that we
taken away 90 per cent. Of the stein
ert business. III these charges against the
are not true, why don't they
disprove themT' Mr.. Mann asked, aud
then answered his w question with the