The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-01-13
Chief Murphy Causes His
Arrest For the Second
Time For A~idingGraen
Goods Men.
EVIDENCE GIVEN BY A COME ON
He Sent kilograms to No. 81
Montgomery Street This
City and Received
Answers.

John B.. Bertholf, Jersey City manager
of the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany, who was indicted by the Hudson
County Grand Jury a week ago for aiding
and abetting green goods swindlers, was
arrested again last night for the same of
Tense on a warrant issued by Police JUS
tice Nevins, at the instance of Chief OF
Police Murphy. Chief Murphy caused
Bertholf's arrest on information received
from Reuben Percival, of Ithaca, New
York.
Percival called on the Chief yesterday
afternoon and told him of his dealings
with green goods men. Last week he re-
ceived a circular. telling him that if he de-
sired to buy he was to telegraph e. F.
Garland, No. 81 Montgomery street, Jer-
sey City, saying Save me a thousand
pieces He sent the telegram on Satur-
day, signing the name assigned him, A.
Albeit. BY the first mail Monday morn
ing he received a reply enclosing a SAM
ple' of the green goods, a good bill, and
instructing him to go at once to the Grand
Union Hotel, New York, and wait until
he was visited by a representative of his
correspondent Ii In a. tlOl CnAiS IA az
was to telegraph again saying mo COM
m~unication." Percival went to the hotel
and waited twenty-four hours without
hearing from the green goods people. He
then sent the telegram but signed his
name instead of that given him by the
operator. After waiting in vain for an
answer to his telegram Percival came to
Jersey City and went to the address given,
No. 81 Montgomery street, where he in
quired for Garland. The hotel clerk told
him Garland had not been there in two
months, and advised him to go and see
Chief Murphy as there was something pc
culiar about Garland. The clerk went with
Pereival to Chief Murphy's Office and told
his experience. Chief Murphy instructed
him to go to the office of the Western
Union Company and ask if his last mes
sage had been delivered. He did as the
Chief directed. Bertholf told him he
could give him no information.
IF my message was not delivered =
asked Pereival, why was it NOT returned
to me at the Grand Union Hotel?',
Bertholf would not give him a satisfac-
tory answer
Then Percival reported to Chief Murphy
the result of his interview with Bertholf.
He at once secured a warrant for his ar
rest. 1t was served by Detective Doyle.
Bertholf was arraigned without delay.
He was represented by Senator Allan Me-
Dermott. Mr. McDermott asked for his
immediate discharge on the ground that
he was merely obeying the Instructions Of
his employers. The Western Union Com
pany, as a public carrier, he contended,
was obliged to deliver all kilograms re-
ceived at its offices.
81 do not see,' he said, s'how Mr.. Ber-
tholf could do otherwise than receive the
messages sent him and if possible deliver
them. ! 10 not find any fault with the
Chief of Police for causing the arrest Of
for what he has done in the interests Of
Jersey City. If Mr.. Bertholf had a guilty
knowledge that the kilograms related to
different light. l think that inasmuch as
Mr., Bertholf is now under Indictment and
has furnished a heavy bail he should be
paroled.'
Mr.. McDermott held that under the law
of 1855 Bertholf was not at liberty to
make public amy information respecting
messages received by the Western Union
Company in its capacity as a common
carrier.
In reply to Senator McDermott's argu-
ments, Chief of Police Murphy said:-'I
CcIldlltly IL oO1ilC ~ l.
motifs remarks. 1 believe this mar has
a guilty knowledge. AS to the statement
of the Senator regarding the law OF 1888,
which says that telegraph companies
shall not disclose the contents of mes
sages received by it, it is only obeyed and
RESPECTED as far as 1t relates to green
goods messages. Mr.. Bertholf will not
deny that time and time again he has
disclosed to me valuable information
contained in kilograms forwarded to his
| office. On information received over his
wires / have made many Die ar
rests. If you can tell me how the law
of 1855 can be so twisted, / am willing
| that Mr.. Bertholf should be set at lib
| erty without delay. / know that he is
| guilty, and he knows that he is guilty and
has been guilty of aiding and abetting
| question of the fact in this case. He IS
| already under Indictment for the same
offense.'
Chief Murphy then perused the cyl
dence in the Percival case and asked that
| Bertholf be held for the Grand Jury. He
| was held in $500 bail.
Reuben P%ercival, the come on who
furnished Chief Murphy with the 1nfor,
was secured, has been held in $500 ball
| as a witness. He has not yet secured
a bondsman. Percival keeps a stationery
| store and snews stand in ithaca. He ad-
| mitted to Chief Murphy that he does not
| read the ~newspaper If he had read
| them he would have learned something
about Garland and Bertholf and the green
goods swindle.
He was seen at Police Headquarters
this morning by a reporter for 1.-The
| News He acted sheepish and seemed
ashamed of the part he took in the trans
| action. He pretended this morning that
| he came down here to expose the green
goods game. He admitted that he had
| been in correspondence with the men
/ since October. Asked If he had any OF
the letters they sent him he replied thai
| he DESTROYED them as soon as they were