Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-06-13
Of Stock on Way from
New York to Boston.
Henry ". Comstock, Boston,
Robbed on Steamer Puritan.
Receives Word That for Suitable Sum He
Can Have His VaIuabIes.

Boston, June 1.-THE stealing of Sc
w. Comstock of this city, from his
stateroOm on board the Fall River Lin
or Puritan, between New York and
Newport, during the night, followed
during the forenoon by a telephone
message to Mr.. COmstock from New
York, telling him how he could regain
the papers by paying Il suitable amount
of cash. form the chief features Of a
mysterious robbery which was report
ed. today, to the Boston police.
The securities were taken from I'M
der Mr. ComstOck's pillow in his BERTH
presumably by some person who en-
tered the staterOOm through the cabin
window. The police of this city OBJ
served the utmost secrecy with refer
ence to the matter, merely announcing
the fact of the robbery, together with
the nature of the securities, until Mr..
Comstock's declaration that he had been
offered the valuables for a sufficient
consideration when it was decided to
give out the name of the person robbed.
together with some of the details of
the robbery.
Aut SoIISloth DCiCNSo eifit iiC "es'
robbed by a man who followed him in
New York City, who watched him while
he was making transfer of securities
in the Broadway Central Hotel, last
Saturday morning. and who, under the
belief that Mr.. ComstOck was in the
possession of a large amount of cash,
or certainly of negotiable paper. fol-
lowed him on board the Fall River
Lines Puritan, Saturday night, and at
a convenient moment during the night.
crawled into Comstock's stateroom and
secured the papers while Mr.. COmstock
slept.
Mr.. ComstOck said, this afternoon:
81 believe that l was made the OBJ
ject of a conspiracy. l think 1 will be
able to gse back the securities by Of
fering 4 nominal sum of money. In
deed, negotiations would have been
started by me. had not Chief Watts of
the Boston police. advised me to turn
the entire matter over to District At
torney Jerome of New York. He be-
lieves that the New York authorities
will be able to locate both the person
who telephoned to me and the securi-
ties themselves
The telephone message was received
by Mr.. Comstock over his private tele-
phone at the United States hotel, this
city. where he has lived for many
years. When he answered the call he
was told that the person talking was a
lawyer in New York City The person
refused to divulge his name. but said
that he had been authorized to ar
ranged with Mr.. COmstOck how the lat
ter could secure from a third person in
New York, the missing papers.
The lawyer informed Mr.. Comstock
how he was to be communicated with
in order to begin negotiations. though
Mr.. Comstock reserved for the police
the details of that part of his inter-
view with the New Yorker.
Mr.. Comstock conducted the CONVEX
saties over the telephone without Civ
ing notice as to what procedure he
would pursue and upon Ei:, conclusion
he at once placed the facts in the pos
session of the police.
The theft involved 1865 shares of rail-
road stock and 243 shares Of United
States Steel preferred. A detailed list
of these securities is as follows:
Two certificates of 100 shares each Of
AtchIsOn. Topeka & Santa Fe common;
two certificates of 100 shares each Of
Erie Railroad 1st preferred; one certifi-
cate of so shares of Erie Railroad LIST
preferred: one of 10 shares of Union Pa
ciiic Railroad common; one of 100
shares of Union Pacific Railroad COM
mon: one of 10 shares of Union Pacific
common; one Of 30 shares of Erie Rail-
road common; 10 certificates of 1901
shares each of Erie Railroad common;
one certificate of 43 shares of United
States Steel preferred; two certificates
of 100 shares each Of United States
Steel.
Mr.. Comstock said that he was IN
New York last week in connection with |
business transactions. On Saturda-
morning on a Lre-arraEgeG plan, in a |
public room of the Broadway Central |
Hotel he exchanged certain of his IN
terostS for certificates of stock in yari |
Gus railroads and the United States |
Steel Corporation. He said he noticed |
at the time that strange looking man |
was observing him. Later he discussed |
the transaction with his business ac-
quaintance in the lobby of the hotel
and he noted at the time that the same
stranger was near at hand watching
them. MIR. Comstock describes the man
as ''repulsiNe looking" with n heavy
black moustache and dark complexion
He was about 35 years old. S feet. 10
inches in height and weighed about $50
pounds.
Having been called to Poughkeepsie
by the sudden illness Of his wife, Mr..
Comstock was unable to conduct with
the Saturday evening boat for Boston
and he decided to come here lost
night. He said he had an fndistinct
of seeing the stranger on the
boat, ana on this account he decided to
be especially careful OF bis securities.
to sit up all night in his state
room. He fell asleep, however, after
having placed the papers in an en-
velope under his pillow ard forgetting
10 fasten the blind of his window. the
window i'seif being left iaised. He dis
covered his loss just before tho hoa+