The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-08
WHOGOTROTHSCHILD PAPERS?
THEY WENT BACK, GRUBER'SAYS.
TO PRISON SUPT. COLLINS.
They We're Taken From COnIOn's CeIi and
Formed Part or the RothschIid Con-
fessiOn--some Sing Sins OmclaiS May
Lose Their Jobs-Grand Jury Busy.

Something Of the story that the Grand
Jury has been hearing Of how confessions
made by David Rothsohild, wreoker Of the
Federal Bank and father Of the Globe
Security Company, reached Abe Gruber,
Republican leader Of the Twenty-first
Assembly district, came out yesterday.
! Gruber says that Rothsohild Is wrongfully
trying to implicate Armitage Mathews,
secretary Of the Republican county COM
mittee, in order to get out Of prison himself.
Gruber is Mathews's counsel.
Around the District Attorneys Office,
however, there is a feeling that before the
Grand Jury gets through with it's investiga-
ton certain Republican politicians and
State officials will find themselves in trouble.
It Is understood that as a result OF District
! Attorney Jerome 3 trip to Albany on Wednes-
day, when he saw Gov. Higgins, there may
be few vacant places in the stan OF Sing
Sing Prison IL the statements made by
! Rothschld are verified. Also, there may
be some indictments
Piecing together the testimony the Grand
Jury heard yesterday and on Thursday
it seems that about the middle OF February
Assistant District Attorney Kresel made
three trips to Sing Sing Prison to see Roths-
child. Each time he saw Rothschild
and at each interview a keeper was present.
Then Rothschild began to write out his
confession. He got a hint, it is under
stood, that the prison officials had an idea
Of what he was doing. Rothschild became
frightened and turned over what he had
written to Martin Conlon, a lawyer, who is
serving a term for larceny.
One day prison officials made a visit
to Rothschilds cell and searched il. APP
parently they didn't find what they wanted.
Then they went to Conlon's cell and were
more successful. They turned up the con-
fession made by Rothschid. According to
the prison regulations the confession should
have been turned over to Warden johnson,
and it was Mr. johnson sent it on by
special messenger to his superior, State
Superintendent Of Prisons Collins, who
lives in Troy. That is the home town Of
Frank S. Black, a member Of Griber's law
firm. When Mr.. Black was Governor he
appointed Mr.. Collins State Superintendent
Of Prisons.
It IL understood that Mr.. Black saw
Rothschilds confession in Troy. Whether
he did or not, it was forwarded by special
messenger TO Mr.. Gruber. Then Roths-
child was brought down from Sing Sing.
After being pumped for two days by Mr..
Kresel in the District Attorneys Office,
a long statement was prepared and sworn
10 by Rothsohild. That was late on Tues
day night. The following day Mr.. jerome
and Mr.. kTesel hustled up 20 Albany. They
saw the Governor and had long oonfab,
during which the statements made by
Rothschild were gone over at length.
Mr. jerome 5 interview with the Governor
was very satisfactory, II is said At its
close Mr.. jerome telephoned to his agents
TO serve subpDnas at once on Mr.. Collins,
Warden johnson Of Sing Sing, Head Keeper
Connaughton, Supt. Powers Of the in
dustTial department. OF workshops, State
Detective jackson and other prison Of
ficials At the same time Abe Gruber
was served with a subpoena In this city.
That night there was a conference at
the Hotel Manhattan in this city. The
subpPnas were not issued until late in
the afternoon. But strangely enough sew
eral persons who had been summoned by
the Grand Jury found it convenient to gather
that night at the Hotel Manhattan. They
Included Grlber, Collins, Powers and john
son. Ex-Gov Black lives at the hotel, and
Of course il wasn't strange that he should
ia We a NlluN WIN AllN Ia" lulNhtl n man
from his home town, and maybe some OF
the others. At some period Of the con-
versation Gruber handed over TO Warden
johnson a batch OF papers. Gruber said
yesterday that they were papers parts Of
Rothschild's confession) which Supt. Col
Inns had asked him to return. The next
day the Grand Jury asked TO see the papers
and Warden johnson handed them over.
Mr.. jerome now has them. Grlber had
other papers which he didn't give to War
den johnson. He said yesterday that they
consisted Of six statements in Rothschild's |
handwriting. Evidently the Grand Jury
would like TO see them too. Yesterday
Gruber was subppnaed TO appear before !
the Grand Jury on Monday. This time
Grlber confesses that he was served with
a subpoena duces tecum, calling for the
Rothschild statements
Mr. Gruber was asked yesterday about
the conference. He said
"Oh, just dropped in there TO see the !
Governor MIR. Black as 1 often do, but |
he wasn't there. He came in as we we're /
leaving
How about the Others named' Were
they thereiE
you know, and came to the city It |
wasn't a prearran ged meeting, he said. |
The papers he turned over to johnson |
were those he had received about the Roths- |
child matter by special delivery. Mr.. |
Collins wanted him % return them, he said. |
1--WE got a half a dozen statements from /
Rothschild in his own handwriting which i
kept, but jerome won't get them
what are you going to do with them3' /
SGive them TO the Grand jury said /
Gf1iber positively, liz viii be novel /
proceeding for the Grand jury TO hide any
thing from the District Attorney
For two hours yesterday morning the
Grand Jury listened 10 testimony In the /
investigation. Mr., jerome and Mr.. Rand
examined the witnesses. Conlon was ques-
toned at great length. Other witnesses
were the following Sing Sing officials:
Head Keeper Connaughton. Supt, Powers,
Warden johnson and Secretary Reynolds
Of the prison.
Rothschild will not be examined until
Monday. IL IA said that he IL not over
anxious TO testify. Conlon, according TO
reports, felt the same way, and Il is not
known that he was a willing witness.
ArmitaRe Mathews said yesterday that
he had never seen Rothschild until the
Bankers Surety Company Of Cleveland went
on a $500 900 bond for Rothschild when he
was made temporary receiver Of the Weissell
estate. Mr.. Mathews was counsel for the
surety company. IL Il said that the surety