Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-10-20
THEY ARE HIS BONDS.
MR.. scHOoLCRAFT CLAIMS THE
SECURITIES FOUND IN CHICAGO.
THE POLICE BELIEVE his STORY.
Little Doubt That These Papers
Were stolen Along with Those Of
Mr.. Downey, which Carpenter Re-
stored-Wbo Is George Craft

Mr.. ]. Lawrence Schoolcraft, who is be-
leved to be the owner of the bonds left
in a trunk at the Saratoga Hotel, appear
ed at the Office of Assistant-Chief-of-Po
lice Ross this morning. and claimed the
documents. He said they were stolen
from him while in Richmond some years
ago. confirming the theory of the police
and OF the Dispatch.
II do not know until / have investl-
gated the matter further" said Assistant
Chief Ross tonight, whether this man
Is telling the truth or not, but / am in
clined to believe what he says. He told
the numbers of the bonds. and gave other
evidence of knowing all about them.
Chief-Inspector Fitzpatrick and myself
are practically the only persons who were
aware OF these numbers. He might have
worked i'm the Office where the bonds
were owned, however. and learned OF
them in that way" Mr.. Ross was too
busy to take the matter up more thor
oughly this morning. 1t was arranged
that the claimant should come again to-
morrow afternoon and furnish further
proofs of his identity and ownership Of
the documents.
TELLS A STRAIGHT STORY.
Mr.. Schoolcraft, II such is his name.
says he inherited considerable property
from his father some time ago. 81 vas
member OF the firm of Campbell & School
craft. brokers'" he said, when a clerk
stole a large amount of bonds and other
securities from us. He returned some of
oil ha had
taken. There was a large number still
missing, however, and / believe these are
part Of them" He left. without giving any
further details beyond saying that he
| lived in Chicago.
! The police have not been able to locate
| the man who left the 10000 worth Of
| papers in the trunk at the Saratoga. They
| have continued wiring in every direction
| for him without result.
ANOTHER j. /. SCHOOLCRAFT.
The ]. l.. Schoolcraft who addresses en-
| velOpes at 40 Dearborn street claims that
he stopped at the hotel some years ago,
and left q trunk In payment for his bill.
| He does not claim, however, that he ever
| owned $4,000 worth OF bonds, and only
reported the matter TO the police in the
| light of n coincidence.
The description Of the bonds given by
this mornings caller was perfect, the
| numbers given were correct and Chief
| Ross thinks he is the owner. 'In the
first place." said Assistant-Chief Ross, II
think we are going TO have a great many
applicants for those bonds. but Of all
have seen or heard of, so far, none i'm
press me as favorably as the man who
called this morning | am sorry now that
did not devote more time 10 him. He
| describes the bonds perfectly. and says
| they were stolen from him. and that he
| did not leave them at the hotel, There
were, he says, fifteen Of the bonds. and
| his partner, at the time they dissolved
| partnership, took eight of them, and he
kept the seven. II seems TO me that he
was telling the truth about them, and 1t
| strikes me that the man who left the
| bonds AZ the hotel in payment OF a small
board bill must have come by them in q
crooked manner or he would surely have
sold part OF them and taken away his
trunk. and not left them In a hotel cellar
as long as he did. However, ] VIII have
an understanding with this man when he
| calls Tomorrow and determine whether
he is the owner of the bonds
THE FIRST CLAIMANT.
A seedy-looking individual yesterday
announced that he was j. Lawrep e
Schoolcraft. the owner Of the bonds. Il
refused to give his address, and, as hi'
actions did not have tendency TO CO :
vince the police Of his identity with u G
missing bondholder, the papers were no
handed over to him. Proprietor Sebree
Of the hotel, saw the man, and he says
he is not the George Craft who LETT th'
mysterious trunk at his house.
Later Developments snow that the rea
Lawrence Schoolcraft is supposed to be
living in poverty in Chicago at the pres
ent time. This has given some color u
the theory that the applicant to-day MAJ
| have been the man for whom search b
heing made. Chief-of-Police Badenoc'
said tonight: There Is absolutely
nothing new in the case. We are still
working with view of finding this MAJ
Craft, whoever he may be. would hk'
to know how he came into possession =
the securities