The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-10-21
THOSE MYSTERIOUS BONDS.
Believed to Be the Property Of ].
Lawrence SChOolCTaft.
CLAIMED BY AN ENVELOPE ADDRESSER
The Police Authorities Believe His State
ment and VIII Have Another Inter
view With Him-Where Is Croft,
and How Did He Get Them?

The following special telegram from
Chicago was received by The Times last
night:
John Lawrence Schoolcraft aIpeared at
police headquarters yesterday as claim
ant for the. .schooicraft' bonds found a
few DAYS ago in trunk at the Saratoga
Hotel storags-rocm. fie described ana
gaye the number of the Louis'hi", CinciA-
nat. and Lexington railroad bonds, ana
IN other ways satisfied Assistant ehiei
Ross that Zee was the right owner. An
appointment was made Tor the stranger TO
meet Chief BadenOch tomorrow evening.
In the meantime 1he department is await
mg replies TO numerous telesrams sent
out, with a view 10 locating Cfatt, IN
whose trunk the papers were found. 80
tar 10 clew has been obtained.
BELIEVED TO BE STRAIGHT.
Mr ScnOolcraft represented himself as
"a NrB.man, although he IS travelling
about most OK the time.
Said Assistant Chief Ross when ne
stepped out OF the room. lie did not
give his Chicago address. 1 feel positive
this man - The owner OF the bonos.
am sorry now 1 did not devote more
time TO him, ana at least have him fol-
lowed when he refused TO give his adj
dress. lie described the bonds perfectly.
lie says they were stolen from him. and
mat he did not leave them at the hotel.
lneie were. BIO says, fifteen OF the bonds,
and his partner. at the time they dis
solved partnership, took eight of them
ana he kept seven.
HOW CRAFT GOT THEM.
IL seemed TO me that he was telling the
TRUTH and that the man who left the
bonds at the hotel in payment of a small
hoard Diil, must have come by them in
crooked manner, or he would surely
nave sold a part OF them, and taken away
MS trunk, and not left them in a hofel
Tor 80 many months as he did
HAD VARIED EXPERIENCES
The Chicago Record Of Mondly SAYS:
'Jonn Lawrence Schoolcraft addresses
envelopes IN room l3 40 Dearborn street.
and IL is said he also owns the bonds
ana other papers found in Il trunk in the
Saratoga Hotel last week When School
craft read the report Of the finding OF the
bonds he hurried over TO the hotel and
called for Manager Sebrec. Don't YOU
remember that / came here September
lS 1895. stayed two days and went away,
leaving a trunk and valise behind?" lie
looked up the records and found that
Schoolcrafts memory was correct. and
that he had paid his bill before Depart
ing Schooicraft then told bis story 10
the manager. and later repeated il TO As
sistant CHIEF of Police Ross. who is now
satisfied that the shahbily dressed en-
velope addrcsser is the owner of the pa
Tors. The substance Of SchoOcraft s
story Is that he is the son Of a millionaire
New York banker. who died about thirty
years ago. leaving John $iGoeO as his
share Of the property. About fifteen years
ago he embarked I'm a brokerage business
with sprigg Campbell In Richmond. Va.
The firm failed i'm business. and School
craft. after n good deal Of marital trou-
BE. finally reached Chicago with nothing
loft of his former fortune but a wallet
STAMPED Campbell & schoolcraft and con-
tanning the papers now in The hands of
tho police. Schoolcraft cannot explain
why he loft the papers In the trunk when
he left the hotol. Tho police are now
fotinv stops 10 make certain a. School
raft's identity Down in Richmond. Va
thore f. another story about these same
bonds. Tt is this. Some fifteen years ago
q clerk I'm schoolCrafts employ stole VAL
r1lle securities and ran or 70 Canada.
Tie finally came back and surrendered the
papers. While be was gone tho securities
wcro ou1awc1 and duplicated"
This is only a theory.