The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-10-29
HOW STILLMAN
WAS CAPTURED
Telephone Records Aided Police
TO Locate the DefauIter.
TRACED TO MRS G0RD0N'S
Waves Rights and Returns 10 JsrssJ City
Without Insisting Upon RsqIlslilon
PapsTs-Ruuss May Be Attached.
TRACED TO MRS GORDON'S

IoPvts uvuse wei W Nheehsss
New York. Oct 2s-Claude L. Stiliman.
assistant secretary OF the Murphy VAR
nish company, OF Newark. N. j., yester-
day waived his rights ana was taken to
New Jersey without the delay of extra
dition. He has confessed to having stolen
$4,000 from the company he served, but
II is feared his pilferings amount to
much larger sum
The Murphy Varnish company has
branches In Boston. Chicago. Philadsi-
phia and various other cities. and until
the accounts are all gone over. IL cannot
be determined definitely how much Still
mans defalcation amounts to.
1t IL now charged that during June and
the first two weeks OF July OF the present
year Stillman succeeded In robbing his
employers OF $50 .ooo 1t is singular coin
cidence that Mrs. Elka Gordon. the
woman with whom Sullman was infat-
uated. late in July purchased the house
In l01st street In which she Is now living.
and paid $4,000 for IT.
The house was handsomely furnished
at cost OF about $780, and during the
last two weeks Of July and the month OF
September stillman In said TO have
stolen 5000 from the Arm which employed
him.
There was much activity lase night at
the home OF Mrs. Elka Gordon. As West
l01st street. Just at dusk q big truck
drove up In front OF the house and took
away about 5000 worth Of beautiful furni-
ture. Then a cab drove up. and In 1t were
placed several fine oil paintings The
cab drove away and returned to take an
other load OF paintings.
During the night strange men were no.
ticed lurking in 1olst street. They were
seen by Mrs. Gordon. and IT is believed
that they caused her to change her plans.
Mrs. Gordon was twice seen to open the
door and, after peertng into the street,
return TO the house, notwithstanding the
fact that she was dressed for walk. She
was still at home at midnight. but she
refused to receive callers or even accept
a message.
Investigation Is being made into the
manner in which Mrs. Gordon came into
possession OF the property In lo1st street.
and IL possible the Murphy Varnish COM
pany will attach IT, alleging that II was
purchased with funds stolen from the
company.
HOW HE WAS CAPTURED.
Much interest surrounds Mrs. Gordon.
who not only is believed to have been re-
sponsibie for the downfall OF Stillman.
but who Indirectly Is responsible for his
apprehension. When he could get away
from his business Stilman spent his
time with her. Some of his associates
knew he was paying more attention TO
woman than a married man should TO one
not his wife.
They believed he was In the habit OF
meeting her IN Broadway hotel. and so
they were able 10 give little information
TO the police which was of assistance TO
them. His arrest was brought about by
detective agency. Its employees follow
Ing a clew furnished by a stenographer
who knew Stillman had often telephoned
to New York.
After the hotels had been watched for
a week without result the private detec-
tives examined the records of the tele-
phone company and thus learned that
Stillman had often called No. 26l3 River
side, New York. Investigation I'm this city
developed the fact that this telephone be-
onged 10 Mrs. f. Gordon. who lives at
2ls West 101st street The telephone IL
what Is known as a private instrument.
and Is not given in the public telephone
directory.
Watch was placed upon Mrs. Gordons
house last Friday, and early In the even
ing Stilman was seen to enter. He left
three hours later In the company OF Mrs.
Gordon, and the two after a short walk
returned to the house. from which neith-
er emerged again until the next morning.
This is a part OF the records OF the de-
tectives, though Mrs. Gordon asserts
that she knows Stilman only in a casual
way. on Saturday morning Stillman was
traced about the city. and after he had
seated himself for luncheon in an up
town hotel he was arrested by a Central
offico detective to whom he was pointed
out
stillman's wife had heard the rumors
OF her husbands dishonesty, but believ-
ing in his innocence, she was preparing
to join him In this city when she receiv-
ed positive proof of his infatuation for
Mrs Gordon Thereupon Mrs. Stilman.
with her two daughters, aged twelve
and ten years, respectively. returned to
the home OF her parents in Elmlra.
IN AN OIL SCHEME.
That Stlllman hoped to and believed
that ne could still extricate himself from
the dilemma In which he found himself
as result OF his dishonest methods
would seem TO be proved by his failure
to attempt 20 escape from New York
while the opportunity was still his.
II is now known that he and another OF
his kind were planning to float the stock
OF two wildcat Texas oil companies. Still
man was TO receive 81. .0oo. 900 OF stock OF
each of these concerns. He believed he
could dispose OF this paper for a large
enough sum 10 repay what he had stolen
In New Jersey and still leave him a bal
ance. His plans were maturing when he