The Jersey City news., 1901-11-21
UP TO Der THOLF.
Chief Murphy Traces Green
Goods Messages to
Western Union
Manager.
THE WHY OF THAT INDICTMENT
Operator Kershaw Tells Who
Delivered the Dis
patches.

John B. Bertholf, of No. 40 West Hamsl-
ton place. Eastern New Jersey manager
of the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany, was arrested this morning at his
office, No, rs Montgomery street. by De-
teetive Frank Bennett of Police Head
quarters, on a charge of aiding and abet-
ting green goods swindlers. He was taken
to Police Headquarters to Chief Murphy's
office and there he was kept prisoner
until he gave bonds for his appearance
in court. Chief Murphy says he has made
out most convincing case against Bert
holf and that Bertholfs indictment and
conviction are merely matter of time.
Bertholf has for years been one of the
chief executive officers of the Western
Union Company in this State, and
strangely enough the green goods swim
dlers have done all their preliminary
work in the matter of getting come-ons
from Jersey City. Despite the efforts OF
Chief Murphy it has been almost impos-
sibie up to a few months ago to get any
tangible evidence against the men. 1t
has been known for years that this city
was known to those Westerners who were
prospective victims as the headquarters
of the sWindlers, because all their pros
pectuses bore a Jersey City address and
the victims were given explicit instruc-
tons to telegraph the swindlers in this
city.
All were told to use only the Western
Union Telegraph Company. The green
goods men dare not receive any commune
cations through the mail because there is
a very strong law against nsiug the mails
for Illegal purposes. So they have re-
sorted to the use of the telegraph sys-
tenn. The Western Union Company is
given the business because it refuses at
all times to tell anything about those to
whom the kilograms are sent or deliv-
cred.
Chief Murphy has decided that about
the only way to stop the operations of
green goods men is to punish the tele-
graph company officials. With this OBJ
ject in view he began an Investigation
some time ago that resulted in the arrest
of Charles P. Adams, Superintendent OF
the Western Union Company along the
line of the Central Railroad of New Jer-
sey, and Alfred Kaiser, an agent at the
Claremont station. Adams was indicted
with Bertholf Tuesday, 1t is said, by the
Grand Jury.
Some time ago man named F. w. Ma
son OF Stilwell, Indian Territory, con;-
.nunicated with Chief Murphy and enclos-
ed a Letter sent him by a green goods man
who gave his name as ]. w. Ellis. The
green goods man told Mason that if he
decided to do business to telegraph him
al No. s95 Ivy street, Greenville. Chez
Murphy instructed Mason to do just what
the circular said and to tell him every
step taken in the deal. Mason did as lie
was told and the Chief learned that the
swindlers kilograms were received at the
office of Isaac Kershaw at Danforth ane
Ocean aves. Detective Bennett interviewed
Kershaw, who said that he had refused
to deliver any green goods messages since
the Arrest of Adams and Kaiser, but that
he had transmitted them to Bertholf's
office under Bertholf's instructions, and
if the green goods men got them there at
all Bertholf delivered them. When Ber-
tholf was asked about the messages he
said he had not delivered them. Chief
Murphy says he has proof that the mes
sages wer received by the green goods
men, and as ,Bertholf alone had these
messages, he must have delivered them.
Bertholf refused to say anything for
publication.