Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-02-04
(Concluded.)

(Concluded.)
Mr.. Olmsted learned, that, in his
early life, Mr.. Astor kept for many
; years his first and only bank account
with the Manhattan bank, and as the
books of the bank are all preserved,
he was enabled, by a plausible pretext,
to secure an examination of Mr.. AS
tors financial transactions from the
beginning. His idea, in his search,
was to learn if Mr.. Astor's fortune had
increased at the same time as that of
the French Canadian. The business of
4 both Mr.. Astor and the bank was small
in those early days. and the entries of
the customers accounts were much
more in detail than in our time, when
] as rule, only amounts are recorded.
The account commenced in 1898, being
one of the first accounts opened after
the picturesque organization of the
bank by Aaron Burr, and for several
years the total deposits for an entire
/ year did not exceed $4,000. He ship
ped some of his furs abroad, and 9TH
ers were sold to dealers and manufac-
turers, and whenever he drew on a
customer with the bill Of lading, the
/ books of the bank show virtually the
whole transactions. Entries like the
following are of frequent occurrence:
Ger. j. j. Astor s93, proceeds draft
, Tor sale of 40 muskrat, 4 bear, 8 deer
and IL mink skins"
"Credit John j. Astor $49.5O, pro-
ceeds of draft for sale of 400 skunk
skins"
"Cr. John Jacob Astor s1s1, proceeds
Z of draft on London for 926, los for
: sale 81 otter skins, 46 mink and 80
beaver pelts."
Each year showed a modest increase
In the volume of business of the thrift
ty furrier, but the aggregates were
only moderate until the year 1901, be-
ing the same year the Canadian trader
bought of Mr.. Olmsted a portion of
! Deer Isle. when the volume of bank
transactions reached, for the time,
enormous dimensions, springing, from
an aggregate for the year 1899 of s4,-
OIL to over 100000 for the year 1901.
Among the entries in the latter year
are two of the same date for cheques
to Jaques Cartier, the French Cana
dian: one of $193 40 drawn "In settle
ment fur account" and one for $4,000,
In settlement to date" Inasmuch as
in each previous year the aggregate
fur transactions with Mr.. Cartier had
never exceeded $500, the entry of
$4,000 seemed inexplicable on any or
binary grounds.
The enormous growth of Mr.. Astor's
own transactions also seemed equally
mysterious. MR.. Aston had evidently
visited England in the year 1901, as
the bank entries are filled with credits
to him OF drafts RENTED by him from
Roderfck Streeter, varying from G10,-'
900 to 100000, and aggregating, dur
ing the year, nearly $495, 900. Credits
of the same Streeter drafts are made
also during the two following years to
the amount of over 100000 more, or
total of over $1,300,00O, when the
Streeter remittances abruptly cease
Edwin w. Streeter, of London, is at
the present time one of the largest
dealers in precious stones in the world
and as in England the same business
is often continued in family for
many generations, it occurred to Mr..
Frederic Law Olmsted, who, from the.
facts already given, had become great
ly Interested in following the matter
tc-A conclusion, that the Streeter who
had made the vast, remittances to Mr..
.Astor might be an ancestor of the pre-
sent London merchant. An inquiry by
mail developed the fact that the pre-
sent Mr.. Streeter was a great grand
son of Roderick Streeter, and that the
business had been continued in the
family for five generations. Mr.. Ohm
sted thereupon sent a confidential
agent to London, who succeeded in
getting access to the books of the
Streeter firm for the years 1898 to 1902
inclusive. Here was found detailed
statement of the transactions with
Mr.. Astor. The first item was for
q 100000, entered as Advances on an
Gent French and Spanish gold coins"
deposited by Mr.. Astor, and later an
other of G4,213, IS for Balance due
for French and Spanish gold coins"
All other entries were for the the sale
OF precious stones, mostly diamonds,
rubies, and pearls, which, in all, with
the sums paid for the French and
Spanish gold, reached the enormous
aggregate heretofore given. Certain
OF the gems were purchased outright
by Mr.. Streeter, and the others were
sold by him, as broker, for account
! of Mr.. Astor, and the proceeds duly
RENTED during me years 1801-02. The
whole account corresponded exactly,
item for item, with the various entries
of Streeter remittances shown on the
books of the Manhattan bank. H.
The facts gathered thus far enabled
Mr.. Olmsted to formulate a theory in
substance as follows That Jasques
Cartier had found the box containing
the buried treasures of Captain Kidd;
that he had taken it to New York and
delivered it to Mr. Aston; that Mr.. AS
tor had bought the contents of the
box, or his interest in them, for the
cheque of $4,000; that he had taken
the contents to England, and had from
their sale. realized the vast sums paid
him by Mr.. Streeter Many links in
the chain of evidence, however, were
still missing, and great point would
be gained if the mysterious box could
be traced to the custody of Mr.. Astor.
1t seemed reasonable that this box, if
ever in the possession of Mr.. Aston,
and II it's contents were of such great
value, would be retained by him with
\ scrupulous care, and that, if he had
impaired the secret to his children, it
a p Z 10