The Washington times., 1901-08-09
ACCUSED OF CONSPIRACY.
Arrests Follow a Complaint by
Street Railway Company.
Two Men \nid TO Have Attempted to
Exact Money From the Corpora
ton for Alleged Injuries What
the PoIice Claim to Know.

Samuel Einkestein. alias Semel, aged
thirty-four years. and Samuel Kupfer-
berg, forty years old were arrested last
night, charged with conspiring to defraud
the Washington Traction and Electric
Company. Finkelstein, it is said. brought
an alleged false claim against the com
pany for damages. which claim was
groundless, according to officials of the
corporation, while kupferberg is alleged
to have furthered the claim in various
ways. The men are held for a hearing
this morning in the Police Court.
Finkelstein and kupferberg came here
one week ago, and secured lodgings at
different places. 1t was not suspected
that they knew each other. nor did this
fact become evident until the arrests
were made yesterday afternoon. on the
afternoon of the 5th inst. Finkelstein
boarded a car of the Ninth Street branch
OF the Washington Traction Company
somewhere near his lodging house, 5n
Four -and-a-half Street southwest. He
was bound apparently for the uptown dis
trict of the city, but while In the neigh
borhood of the Pennsylvania depot he
fell from the car and rolled into the
street. Among those who went to his
assistance, according to the police and
railroad officials, was kupferberg who
witnessed the accident from the sidewalk
nearby.
Finkelstein was assisted to a convey
ance of some kind and removed to his
boarding house. Kupferberg is said to
have accompanied him, but however this
may be, a physician was summoned to
attend the man who had suffered the fall
1t is not yet clear who called the physi-
clan, although the police suspect that
Kupferberg figured in this feature of the
case
For several days, 1t appears, Finkelstein
remained at home Not so with Kupfer-
berg. The police say they believe that
the latter interested himself greatly in an
effort to secure money from the railroad
company in ordsr to settle what was said
to be claim against the corporation for
damages because of injuries sustained by
Finkelstein in his fall from the car. Yes
terday Finkelstein called at the offices of
the railroad company at the ear barn on
Fifteenth Street to see about his claim.
Previously Kupferberg had urged this
matter upon the officials of the company
and had. it is said asked the sum of
81 500 In settlement in full of the claim of
Finkelstein. This sum had been denied
and there are those who say that K up
"
eistein, next set his figure at $500 for set
tlement of the claim. Afterward the sum
was again reduced. it is said to s40o,
which was demanded from the company
in behalf of Finkelstein.
Matters were in this shape yesterday
when -Finkelstein sought the company Off
cials in person, to secure some recogni-
ton of his alleged claim. Meanwhile the
railroad people had consulted detectives,
and Detectives Miller. Peck and Flather
had begun work on the case. They had
secured description of both Finkelstein
and Kupferbsrg. and when the former ap-
peared yesterday at the car barr he was
taken into custody. He was taken to
Headquarters and after questioning was
locked up at the Sitsth precinct station
Later in the, evening kupferberg, who
had learned of the capture OF tlnkelsteln,
vas arrested at the Pennsylvania depot,
as he was apparently about to leave the
city on train for the North. kupferberg
said he knew nothing about Finkelstein, |
but the latter, IL is said, had already
admitted knowing the man who had
pressed his claim for money with the rail-
road company. a large valiSe carried by |
Kupferberg was searched, and articles !
said to belong To Finkeistein were found |
therein. Kupferberg is held at the First
precinct station.
Little is vet known about the prisoners. |
except that they have been at various |
times in Boston, Mass, New York city, |
Baltimore and possibly in the West !
Their records will be fully investigated
In his cell last night kupferberg said ne
had nothing to do with Finkelstein. He !
said he did not know the latter. and did |
not want to know him. He claimed to !
know nothing about any demand for |
money from the Washington Traction and
Electric Company, or any other street |
railway company. Finkelstein says he is !
a peddler He was put through close ex-
animation last night by the detectives and