The sun., 1900-07-11
RANSOM FOR FAMILY TREE.
COUNT sTEINICH'S CHARGE AGAINST
W. A. BENJAMIN.

Nebisman Says $4,000 was Demanded for
the Return Of His Genealogical Documents
An Arrest at . Hotel Followed by
the Restoratiea Of the Missins Papers.
YoNKERs. July io-Deputy Sheriff Philip
Kuss this afternoon arrested q man. who.
Il 10 charged. held for $4,000 ransom valu-
able documents stolen nve years ago
from Count A. r. stsinich Of White Plains. Tho
man placed under arrest d W. A. Benjamin.
and he has been living with his wife and three
children at the Sturtevant House In New York
He was found at that hotel and taken to White
Plains.
The Disappearance Of the property dates back
to q time Eve years ago when friend OF
the Count visited White Plains. He was
q medical man and student OF genealogy
Becoming interested In the Counts
history he pursuaded the aged nobeman to loan
him the family record. Some time later. shortly
before the departure Of the doctor, the
Count asked him 70 return the documents.
Search was made and they could not be
found. The Count and bis friend used
every endeavor to trace the missing
property. but were unable to secure
any clue to 1t until three weeks ago. The
Count refused to divulge the name Of the med
ical man. giving 40 his reason that he felt sure
'hv friend was In nowise responsible for the
disappearanoe Of the records.
A letter dated three weeks ago and signed
w. A. Benjamin contained the frst in
dmation the Count received Of the where
abouts Of the property. This letter.
he says. made q demand for $4,000
ransom. the writer asserting that he
knew the man who possessed the documents
and only upon the payment Of that sum OF
money would they be returned correspond
enoe between the Count and tho stranger termi-
mated In visit TO the Seurtevant House by the
Counts son. Stephen W here he held conference
with Benjamin. Tho latter. young Steinich
says. refused to give any information concern
Ing the dlsappearance OF the papers.
sS their nsy psi0 sauns to man sSs
pay !Ss ptios dsmsndsd Returning On an ap. p
pointed day. young Steinich met the man
a. 2. agreed: but the latter; A.s;o. 4, Is do al.
men!s for reasons Which he refused to
divulgs. Another date was set. BENJAMIN. 1t
is charged, again making a positive, statement
mssns Former aASs CHEZ o. Of pPscs GO % MccuaSS u %
Formerly 20 NY ,aas ADAMS s'nan Has.
sued Farfsnt for the arrest Of Benjamin.
TO the theft Of the papers. Deputy Sher-
w Men TO S.G YORK; %h wa
he and HSss saf the
BY ,Sp sSsparate ,satrahSe' BENJAMIN vas sttn:
b: !nvl!sd sench 70 ne ladies
saying that he had part OF the documents and
would deliver them when he received $1,000.
Offlosr .Kuss then forcibly entered the .paror on
n signal from Steinich. Benjamin was ndcnant
Krss would not be denied. He seized Benjam
and hustled him out OF the hotel to the Grand
Contra Station, The party boarded Harlem
Before the train started Benjamin confessed
that he knew the locati OF the remaining prop
erty and offered to take the officer to it Kuss
tne W spns sTee he
Bowery. they entered saloon and met John
Kiek: professional safs.oPensr The
sn. ss ADMITTED eSs he sem had over tho to d0sS the
Deputy sheriff Kuss then took his
prisoner lack TO the station and went to White
Plains, Kick said he had found the documents
BENJAMIN 10 open year ago
The documents might prove OF great worth
70 thieves by assisting to substantiate bogus
claim to the title OF the Count. The diploma
which was missing Ia signed by Empress Marie
Teresa Of Austria, apd Is dated In la
IT raised the steinich family TO nobility
deeds on battleficlds. Another article highly
priced by the Count was an illuminated
album, which II took years to compile.
datng from the thirteenth TO the 81 Iteenth GEN.
turies 1t contains pictures and castles and
history of the SteinIch family since the tenth
century. The work was performed by monks
in Austria. Two chronological charts Of tho
i"T Ths Ssust Csus msh hss been resident of White
Plains for forty-nine years and for over
quarter OF century he has interT reted in the
County and supreme courts He speaks
nearly a dozen languages. He Earned the pro-
fession OF civil engineering In Austria, Ne was
once attached to the United States Coast Sur
vey. The Count Is now in his eighty fourth
year.
Stephen Steinich said tonight that the doctor
to Whom his father had loaned the document
was DR.. Smith. a former resident of North
Adams, the city in which Benz jamin livod. Tho
risoner says he Is a real estate broker, with
offices at $50 Broadway