The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-28
MINISTER NAMED AS CRATER.
ACCUSER DIED WHILE CHARGE
WAS BEING INVESTIGATED.
sigmund Jacobi. . Lottery Ticket Seller,
said He Paid Clergyman for Acting
tho Go-t3etween for Police, to Whom
He Gave $50 O MOnth--kept Accounts.

no tAso DDW MOnlh-mepa AUC~uhAn.
queer tale Of graft, involving seller
OF lottery tickets, clergyman, a politician
and many police officers, has just cropped
out In Brooklyn, where 1t has been under
investigation for some time by Deputy
Police Commissioner Ebstein and District
Attorney Clarke. The death Of the seller
OF lottery tickets OF time when no had
about made up his mind to give evidence
against the men who, he said, had been
bleeding him for years brought all Off
cial action in the matter to an end, and there
is now no chance of anything ever coming
OF the charges, although the authorities
have the names of the accused men and
an account book belonging to tho dead
seller of lottery tickets, which contains
records Of very large and mysterious pay
ments by the dead man. Opposite TO some
Of them are the names Of tho clergyman
and the politician.
Sigmund jacob, of 10 Beaver street
Brooklyn, an old German was arrested
some weeks ago by Capt. Condor Of the
Hamburg avenue police station. charged
with being dealer in lottery tickets. ia
cobb never made any attempt to deny the
charge. He had been dealer in tickets
on the Havana and Hamburg lotteries for
years and had lot Of customers among
the williamsburg Germans. Winning tick
cts sold by Jacob were always promptly
paid and he was reputed to be wealthy.
After Jacobs arrest he made a state
ment in which he said that he had paid tie
police for protection and was entitled to it.
This STORY was repeated to Inspector Bald
win, who called on Jacob and got him 10
repeat his statement before witnesses.
Jacobs tale was that he was first arrested
about year ago and that soon afterward
"a clergyman, whose name he mentioned.
called on him and told him that the case
against him could be settled If he would pay
a certain amount of money. In all he said,
he paid 81, 100 to individuals whose names
he mentioned, ard the case against him was
dropped.
Shortly after that, he said, the clergyman
called again and told him that the easiest
way to save a repetition Of this expensive
experience was to arrange for regular
monthly payments. He agreed to pay S.
a month for protection, he said and did so
for almost a year. Inspector Baldwin
took Jacob before District Attorney Clarke
TO repeat his story, but jacob weakened
and refused, to say anything, He
was lowering between a disposition to con-
fess all and fear Of the consequences Of
sue h an action when he was taken i'll and
died.
Jacobs wife says that her husband was
bounded to his death, and that he had been
impoverished by the demands of the grafters.
She turned over to the police a little ac-
count book which he kept and which con
tanned, she said, only the records OF the
blackmail money that was extorted from
him. This account book has been in the
possession of Major Ebstein and Mr. Clarke
for some weeks, and they have been
trying TO figure out some way Of using the
interesting Information that it contains
Under a date shortly after Jacobs first
arrest there are three entries aggregating
o., 100. One is for $3.50, another for 81 800
and a third for $3.50 Entries from July,
1902, until April, 1903, show payments Of
$50 month by jacob Opposite some of
the entries are names. opposite others MOTH
ing at all. Several entries of amounts rang
ing from $25 to SIS are credited to May
Wine"
According to the police the grafters who
got Jacobs money used elaborate precal-
tons to protect themselves. Each monthly
payment of $50 was sent TO a certain saloon
by boy, who would place it on a table
and then leave the place. After the boy
had gone the grafters would come In and
take the money
Major Ebstein said yesterday that the
death of Jacob rendered any prosecu-
ton OF the grafters impossible. He said,
however, that the eyes of the authorities
were on the men and that they would be
closely watched.