The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-03-12

A tall, distinguished looking gentle
man named Edward A. Roper, who
conducted stock jobber's office on the
sixth floor of the Connell building up
to February 20, is now lodged in II cell
in the Tombs prison, New York city,
awaiting the arrival of Detective Rob
ert Deter with requisition papers and
a warrant for his arrest, on the charge
of embezzlement.
Roper came to town about year and
a half ago, as the representative of
Murphy & Co, brokers, of Broadway,
N. Y, and engaged a suite of offices in
the Connell building which he fur
nished elaborately. Business came rap
idly, and his Office was often crowded
with small stock spectators, watch
ing the changes in the figures on the
big blackboard, which told the story of
some mems luck and others misfor-
tune.
Among one of Roper's customers was
Thomas knight, of North Main ave-
nue. dealer in hides and tallows. Roper
talked to him quite recently about the
advantage of investing in United States
Steel company stocks, and Knight
finally decided to give him s., 300 to in
vest. He paid the money over and was
told that his stock certificates would
arrive in few days, Just as soon as
the deal could be made. He kept call
ing around every few days to inquire
if the certificates had arrived, and
Roper kept suavely putting him off.
ROPER LEFT THE CITY.
Knight finally decided that he had
had enough palavering, and he told
Roper so. The latter then promised to
have the certificates on hand on Febru-
| airy %, and Knight went away satis-
| fed. Bright and early on the morning
| of that date he took the elevator for
| the sixth floor of the Connel building,
but when he reached the broker's office
| he found it locked and with a sign, on
which read as follows:
"Office closed on account of absence
| from the city of L. A. Roper
| Mr. Knight decided that it was all
day with his $1,000. and secured the SER
vices of Detective Will Clifford to as
| sist him in ascertaining the where
abouts of the missing Mr. Roper. The
police We're later notified, and Detec-
| tive Deter was also put at work on
the case. The first thing definitely as
! certained was that the missing man
had left for New York city. In some
| manner the detectives learned that
Roper had left his trunks in charge of
a friend in this city.
When these trunks We're shipped to
New York. Detective Clifford went with
them on the same train and camped
| alongside of them at the Hoboken
| ferry-house in New York for a number
of hours. They We're not called for, and
| Clifford was relieved by a detective
| from the New York central office, who
| followed them to the house of one of
| Ropers friends. Here the knowledge of
| the New York end of the case ended,
as far as the local police are concerned
| until Monday night when a telegram
| was received by Superintendent Day,
| announcing that Roper had been ar
rested and was being held in the
Tombs prison to await the arrival of
requisition papers. The local police be-
lieve that the New York detectives Sc
cured a knowledge of Roper's where
abouts through following his trunks.
LOOKING AFTER OTHERS.
An investigation is being made OF
| such of his papers and effects as were
left behind, for the purpose of ascer-
tanning if there are any other victims
besides Knight. 1t is rumored that
there are, but the police claim that nc
other cases have been reported to them
1t has been learned that Roper's con-
necton with the New York house was
severed some few weeks before he tool
his sudden departure, and the police
are inclined to believe that he feeCeC
| many of the persons who transacted
business with him in the interim. One
story told by tenants in the building
has it that the telegraph wires leading
into the Office We're disconnected about
two weeks before Roper closed up, anC
that device was rugged up which KEEP
the instruments ticking merrily away
just as If stock reports We're being re-
ceived hot" from the New York office
Requisition papers are being pre-
pared and Detective Deter will leave
for Harrisburg and then for New York
either tonight or tomorrow morning.