The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-03
WEST POINTS GUNSTRACED
EARLY ARRESTED o STEALING,
BERNSTEIN FOR BUYING THEM.

Brohcn Up ana Two sent TO Germany.
Some time in February or March four bronco
cannon, trophies of the Mexican and civil wars,
were stolen from Fort Clinton, West Point. One
of the guns was u four-pounder, captured on the
field OF Monterey, the most highly priced Of tho
relic guns in the War Department. Yesterday
afternoon Thomas NJ. Early, u plumber of High
land Falls, and Max Bernstein, a junk dealer at
80 Hester street, this city, were arraigned before
United States Commissioner Shields charged
with the theft of these guns. They were held in
81, 800 each for examination on Friday after
noon at 2 o'clock. Bernstein furnished bail.
Early was locked up in Ludlow Street Jail.
The guns were missed first two weeks ago.
When tho loss was reported to Col. Ernst.
Superintendent OF the United States Military
Academy, he communicated with the War De-
partment and the agents of the Governments
secret service Of this district were placed at his
disposal. Agent William J. McManus was de-
tailed on the case. lie Immediately went up to
West Point and campcd there. Fort Clinton
being an inclosed space of the famous West
Point plain. iutting out over tho river, McManus
concluded that the guns must have been carried
Off by boat. The next thing was TO find the
boat. 1t was taken for granted that the thieves
would get tho guns to New York as quick.
ly as possible, and it was also supposed
ut that time that all tho guns had
been taken at one time and that only n day or
two before their loss was discovered. The only
boats regularly carrying freight between this
city and West Point are those OF the Homer
Ramsdcll Transportation Company. McManus
inquired of the ltamsdcll people II they had
transported any cannon from West Point to
New York. An examination of the books OF the
line showed that on March Z Thomas NJ. Early
had shipped from Highland Falls two boxes con-
tanning, according to the shipping receipts, 1907
pounds of brass. McManus that
two of the stolen cannon weighed about
$50 pounds each. Tho shipping receipts also
showed that the boxes had been consigned to
Max Bernstein, 40 Hester street. New York.
The books of the company were carefully gone
over for several months prior and subsequent to
March :. No other such shipments. or any ship
ments to which suspicion could be attached.
could be found.
All right" said McManus to the company's
representative, you keep quiet about this
until you hear from me-"
Then he began looking mp the records of Early
and Bernstein. He found that Early was well
known in Highland Falls, where he had an ex-
ccllent reputation. Bernstein, he learned. was
an aged Hebrew. who had travelled through the
country about West Point and Highland Falls
for years. picking up whatever he could cx-
change in his little Hester street shop for money.
information about those two boxes OF brass from
the junk dealer than from Early, so he came
| back TO New lOrk. lie went INTO the JCN 5 snOp
one morning about ten days ago and said:
Hello, Bernstein. What became of the cannon
you bought OF Earlyi'
WHAT Early What amor
oh, Early up at Highland Falls! You know,
oh, iftheyre all right IA give 10 cents a
Doa. ME-! Ds..r nsf What q pityi sold
those cannon 10 Kahn Brothers for rs, cents q
pound, and from n rich man with u collection l
could have got 10 cents. There Is no more any
luck for me or profit in junk"
Who's Kahn Brothers, and when did you sell
Kahn Brothers are smelters at 52l East
Nineteenth street, and 4! sold the two cannon TO
them on March g." was Bernstcin's answer.
What about the other two you bought of
II bought no more cannon of him. 1t was
only old brass. He sold me two cases OF broken
pieces OF brass about the middle OF February. l
gave him five cents a pound for the 800 or 900
1 pounds in both cases, and God knows paid too
Dc you mean to tell me you didn't buy, four
cannon of Early : He says you did" said Nc
III he said that. he lied" was the Jews blunt
> ESjoindeT. ~ bought TIVE 20 cases HSf,r OF broken ina, up ?
i YoTE smelling . Worfs' IN West t Thirteenth
i'FSs'i S STass '' ,Ser Sq Tor ! ! c sEla a 'h nSu 5MG cases of
NGMi MAJ cot ont rs Of the J., Junk * TaoB as R soon Hor as
There he found a vcritcation OF n part of Kern.
r stems story. Bernstein bad sold and delivered
y Two 9Ta :; ga, M. TO The he! K naTn1 on Marsh VIA 1Ia o; Th hs
tho guns we're sold by Kahn Brothers 70
r II: Hepponheimsr of 3od East Ninety'ffth 7
r directly to FrnnnktoTt-on-the.Manln. Germany,M il.
:. Now York smelling Works people reported that
Q the junkinqn had sold them two cases Of broken
d pounds p1G n Gs.S3 McS Il a%s w S@H S back , U" Bernstein r"S"i &c
e Two " al Of brass had reached Sew York.
bernstein said that the river being closed in
February Early had shipped the cases OF brass
by the West Shore road. This was also found
to be true.
=" with the shipping receipts, in which he appeared
as The consiEnor. he admitted having sold the
"A guns TO bernstein, but snid he bought them from
10 u third person. Tho name OF the third person
" though. he refused to reveal; After TALKING
- days ago, he formed a copartnership with a mar
rs named Kelly in HIGHLAND Falls to carry on .
re sPhap. FEe sHS MaMsn Sna r .ass .aSy Il, o" co., Spf Ernst
he and Early was arrested at his home on Tues
N day ,o ]oys"diT NJ II He tn was o.R Rro sttas, 1 no,i Ssw s,a x9pl
Of over night. Berns!eip's arrest followed yEester
day noon: Never itaoinT n.r Of lao East hopd hTSad
sSs I1,s aid ! ihas . 3f sSins days = %sf% SsI tho y 5irs
shSp; and snii he had some brass I,
3D. fore he named a price. Early prod uced samples
W and these Bernstein took 70 the New forl
w brass like them. He was told 7 cents a pound
rs Ile then offered Early . cents = pound, and tn
IL offer WAS accepted. Three ar four days late
RI tho goods arrived. Three weeks after that h
" bought the cannon.
~, Early refused to discuss his case. and Nc
III Manus would say nothing to add TO what IN
20 already been. told, except that other arrests, II
~ the case would follow soon. Tho detective IN
\, timated that Early had acComplices and tina
" their names were known.
In IL was learned that pieces OF the brass In tn
IL two cases sold To the New York Smelling Work
:" bore fragments of inscriptions and that on On n
II. OF the pieces fhcrC were letters that looked Xix
II. y. Y. The Monterey. gun weighed only abou
rr zoo pounds. The guns sold to Kahn brothers eac
" weighed over 700 pounds. From this 1t Is conclut
cd that the Monterey gun, in fragments. was .
one or both OF tho cases first shipped by Early
8. II that IL the case, the War department ha
suffered n heavy loss and regular army officer
or Will feel as ii they had sustained "A personal lost
~ for the Monterey gun was known and priced b
every officer in The army As for the Other gun
which were captlrad i'll the late war, and whiC
~ were shipped to Germany. il is hardly probabl
;" that They can bc got hnck. In All pr4babilit
he They hANn hCCm mClird mn. knhM lbrOlhCrs sh