The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-04-27
FIGURES TOLD OF THEFT.
DETECTIVES CUT AWAY BOATS
CABIN FOR EVIDENCE.

j. S. Lambdin, Trusted Foreman OF
Virginia-CarOlina Chemical Com
pany. Confessed His Crime
When Board From Cabin Was
shown Him in His Cell-Had Fig
ured on 1t How Much He Should
Get for Stolen Brass-Peter Peter
son, Captain of Barge SOuther,
Aided Him in Thefts and Both Men
Are Under Arrest.
With evidence of his guilt of theft in
black and white in the cabin of the
barge Joseph Souther, ]. S. Lanbdin, a
trusted foreman at the works
of the Virginia Carolina Chemi-
cal Company, refused to make
a confession until City Detec-
tives Murphy and Wall had cut
away the damaging part of the boats
cabin, and presented it to him in his
cell at the police station house.
The piece of wood showed in Lamb
din's handwriting where he had dis
posed of brass stolen from the chemi-
cal company, and further showed
where the money had gone. In its pres
ence Lambdin admitted that he has
been robbing the company that en-
ployed him of brass and lead,
Capt. Peter Peterson of the barge
Souther assisted in the thefts, and he
too, is a prisoner at the police station.
Both men were arrested by Detectives
Murphy and Wall and have admitted
their guilt of the charge of larceny en-
tered against them. The detectives
claim that the stealing has been going
on since last December.
The theft of brass and lead from the
chemical company's works west of the
city has been going on for some time,
it is alleged. Pieces of machinery were
carried bodily away and upon each oc-
casion Lambdin would report the loss
to Supt. Mansfield. On last Wednes-
day Lambdin was discovered taking a
heavy wheel apart, and made some
trivial excuse for the work. On the fol-
lowing morning a piece of the wheel
was missing. 1t was brass and weighed
about 100 pounds. The foreman was at
once suspected, and the matter was re-
ported at police headquarters and the
case placed in the hands of Detectives
Murphy and Wall.
They made the discovery that certain
of, and secured evidence enough to
warrant them in placing both Lambdin
and Peterson under arrest. The barge
of which Peterson is captain carried
phosphate rock from Port Royal to the
company's work, and Peterson and
Lambdin worked together. When the
arrest was made the captain had little
or nothing to say, but Lambdin APP
peared to be in a fury. He declared
that his incarceration was an outrage,
and announced that if he was placed in
confiement he would enter suit against
the company for false Imprisonment
and defamation of character.
The detectives put their prisoners be-
hind the bars and continued their in
vestigation. Their visit to the barge
was rewarded by the finding of fig
ures on the side of the cabin. In pen
Gil on the inside Lambdin had figured
out where 10 pounds of brass had been
sold at cents a pound. On the $3.50
received for the plumber Peterson only
got one-third. Lambdin claimed that
there was another man in on the deal,
and only after the arrests were made
did the captain discover that ne mad
been beaten by the man who was act
| uaIly committing the thefts. 1t had
been agreed that the money should be
equally divided, and Peterson was not
at all pleased when he learned that lie
had been getting the worst of it.
When the officers found the convinc-
ing figures they secured saw, and re-
lieved the cabin of the board that con-
tanned the valuable information. In
the event that the prisoner do not plead
guilty, the board will be introduced in
evidence, along with the confession
that it forced from Lambdin. The
heavy piece of brass taken Wednesday
| by the foreman is now in the bottom
of the Savannah river, and diver will
90 after it tomorrow. Capt. Peter
son admitted that while mG%ring it to
the barge it dropped overheard. The
brass itself is worth So as junk, as a
piece of machinery it is much more
va1IIahIa