The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-09
OUEEREST BAIT FOR BANKER.
PINKERTON LETTER ASKED HIM
TO HOTEL ASTOR.
Moore OF New Amsterdam Got
Real sleuth to Follow Hlm-Ttcket
Spectator Melted Police Suspect
HOldup or Blackmail Enterprise.

Spectator Melted Police Suspect
Holdup or BIackmal Enterprise.
What looks like a new sort Of holdup
game came to light yesterday when the
story was told In court Of how Robert r.
Moore, president Of the New Amsterdam
National Bank, was induced on Wednesday
to visit the Hotel Aston by a note signed
with the name Of the manager ofthe Pinker-
ton Detective Agency. Harry Tillsbury
Of zee West Forty-third street, who pre-
sented the letter to Mr.. Moore and later
accompanied him to the hotel, was held
on a charge of forgery in the jefferson
Market police court, in order that the
police might have a chance to find out
what there really is in the case. Last night
they were completely puzzled as to the pur-
pose of the game and by the methods en-
ployed in it.
According to the doorman at the New
Amsterdam banking house, at Fortieth
street and Broadway. Tillsbury, who is a
tall young man, neatly dressed, made his
first appearance there last Monday. He
asked to see Mr.. Moore, the president, per-
sonally, but Mr.. Moore was out. He called
again on Tuesday, with the same result.
When he returned on Wednesday Mr..
Moore was in his Office, and the visitor was
at once shown in. He handed a letter to
Mr.. Moore. 1t was written oil the paper
Of the Hotel Aston and read as follows:
Mr.. Moore.
DEAR SIR: I have just discovered what
seems to be a scheme to obtain a large sum Of
money from you that has a rather queer look
| about it, and l have detained the man until
you can see II anything is wrong. He claims
to be closely related to you and asserts that
you understand the matter. He registered
last night under an assumed name and as !
am not known to you will meet with no un-
pleasantness.
For certain reasons / would advise you to
come at once without delay. have enga eed
the room next his apartment. and unless you
wish your presence need not become known
to him-the bearer, my assistant, will show
you 1t. JNo. CORNISH.
Mgr. Pinkerton Agency.
The letter was 30 improbable that 1t at
once aroused Mr.. Moore's suspicious. He
told Tillsbury that he could not go until he
had completed SON important business.
Leaving the room ostensibly for this pur-
pose, he called up the downtown office of
the Pinkerton agency, at 81 Broadway,
and asked to speak with Mr.. Cornish. Supt.
Dougherty answered the phone. He said
Mr.. Cornish was in, but was 80 busy that
he could not be called on the telephone.
That's strange" said Mr.. Moore. Il
have a note from him asking me to meet
him at once at the Hotel Aston"
Manager Cornish was then interrupted
at once. There was a hurried consultation,
and Mr.. Moore was asked to detain the
messenger until a detective could reach
him.
Detective Duhain arrived In a few min
utes, He kept Tillsbury from suspecting
anything by entering the presidents Office
through a side door. He asked Mr.. Moore
to 90 on to the Hotel Aston with Tillsbury
while he followed.
Mr.. Moore went at once. Tillsbury guided
him to the fourth floor Of the hotel. AT this
point Tillsbury seemed to find something
amiss. When he knocked at one Of the
rooms there was no answer, and he asked
the bank president TO wait around the
corridor for him for a few moments. When
he returned he said that the man they had
come to see was dressing, but 1t would be
all right il Mr.. Moore would wait in a room
he had at the hotel.
Detective Duhain had remained down
stairs long enough to check his hat and coat,
80 that now in the guise Of a guest, he
was able to loiter about the hotel corridors
while Tllsbury was engaged with Mr..
Moore. Finally, when he saw that there
was a hitch in the proceedings and it looked
as II the game would not dev elop, he placed
the man under arrest. Police Headquar-
tens was notified, and Detective Sergeant
Arthur Carey was sent up
Hello! What's your graft now, Tills-
bury?" was his salutation when he saw
Duhain's prisoner.
Tillsbury denied that he was after any
graft, and when he was taken before In
| spector Mclaughlin at the Detective Bureau
stuck to it. He admitted, however, that he
had registered on Monday night at the
Hotel st. Andrew as c. H. Coles; on Tues
day night under the name of Barty at the
Hotel Belleclaire, and on Wednesday as
| John Cornish at the Aston. He couldn't
explain this frequent change Of residence.
No explanation of the letter to Mr.. Moore
| could be extracted from him.
The Central Office detectives worked all
day yesterday on the case, but they couldn't
find out anything except a corroboration
OF Tillsbury's story that he had registered
and stayed at the three hotels. One thing,
they say, he forgot to mention-that he
had settled his bill at none Of them.
Magistrate Walsh in the Jefferson Market
! police court yesterday set %Tillsbury's
bail at 81 900 and adjourned the case until
tomorrow. The register Of the Hotel
Aston was brought to court as evidence.
Tillsbury admitted that the slgnat ure
John Cornish" was written by him. He
could not furnish bail and was locked up
In the court prison.
Tillsbury says that he is a theatre ticket
speculator. The detectives found a speou-
lator's license in his pockets. 1t was as a
ticket Spectator that Detective Car ey
Knew him. Fifteen cents formed the sole
additional yield of his pockets.
Duhain said last night that the affair
looked to him like IN attempted holdup,
either for blackmail OF for whatever Moore
had in his clothes. Tillsbury, Duhain
thought. had taken another official Of the
bank, who is a slender man weighing about
l25 pounds, for President Moore and in
tended to get the little man into the room
at the Aston. The apparent plan was either