The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-11-23
OLD SPECTATORS HARD LUCK
GAVE Up An TO SQUARE MATTERS
But rs NOW IN JAN.
Employer Insists on Prosecuting Him. Al
though He Got Everything B~Ookkeeper
Had. Even His Home Court and
Prosecutor sympathlze With Prisoner.

\. j., who confessed TO a theft Of several
| thousand dollars two years ago, was ar
raigned in the Tombs police court yesterday
under circumstances that made both Magis-
trate Walsh and Assistant District Attorney
Paul Krotel express regret that they could
not give him his freedom.
John w. Hankin Of the firm Of John
w. Hankin 4 Bro, contracting engineers
of $50 West Twenty-fifth street, was in
court "a the complainant. Pridgeman il
a small man Of genteel appearance with
snow white hair. so completely surprised
was he by his arrest after this lapse OF
time that he could hardly stand during the
arraignment. He had made all the resti-
tuition OF which he was capable, giving up
his life savings and his homein New Jersey,
under, he declares. a solemn promise Of
immunity from arrest and exposure.
Among those in court were the defend
ants wife, made an invalid by worry. land
their daughter, who for the same cause
was in a similar condition.
Bridgeman went to work for Hankin as
his bookkeeper. He got s25 a week. II
was ample for himself and family and he
prosRered. adding slowly to his bank &C
count. One day a mar he believed to be
his friend called and began to tell him Of
a wonderful gold mine in which he was
interested. Never had there been anything
like this mine, he said. II was located
near BOULDER, Col.
Next day he commissioned his friend
to invest $500 at s cents a share. Within a
week it had jumped as the friend had
promised TO 10 cents and he sold out at a
profit OF $1,000.
The next day the stock jumped to 20
ant and .ha ,IA hzalL.AAa. -os,,.o..al
his original $500, his profits and took an
other thousand out of the bank. The
stock began TO climb. Before he got his
money in It was around 80.
Then Bridgeman decided to make it a
big cleanup and he took 81 900 from his
firms bank account, covering it up by
raising checks and padding payrolls. The
stock continued to rise and he wanted to
sell, but his friend advised him not to let
go under 81. SO he continued to take
the firms money. This lasted about a
year and a half. Their came the discovery.
Bridgeman confessed, believing that
his stock and %, 200 worth of the mining
c~ompsny's bonds which he had were worth
many thousand dollars in excess of what
he had taken. He had bought 10000
shares of stock at prices ranging from ) to
so cents. and the quotations" the friend"
said. then showed it to be a good investment.
"Ill turn it all over TO you, and you can
take out what | owe you and give me the
balance" said Bridgemsn TO Hankin. Tn
firm took the stock, tried TO sell il and found
It, they say, worthless.
Bridgeman's wife and daughter knew
nothing of his speculations, but they con-
sented to turn over the homestead, the
furniture, everything, if only they could
keep it a secret. Bridgeman and his wife
old Magistrate Walsh that Mr.. Hankin
had solemDly assured them he won Id not
prosecute if they did this. They we're
left without a dollar. For months Bridge
man tried to get employment, but every
where he was told he was too old. About
a year ago the Salvation Army found him
! a place at 81 a week, and he was working
there yesterday when arrested. He says
he never suspected that he would be prose-
cuted after the lapse of years and making
restitution so far as it lay in his power.
District Attorney Jerome was disinclined
to take the case up when Mr.. Hankin brought
it to him, saying il looked strange that
he should wish to go ahead after two years
had elapsed and after Bridgeman had
turned over everything apparently with
the understanding that he should be left
alone.
Il never agreed not to prosecute him
~criminally. and the only reason did not
do so at that time was because he left the
firms finances in such bad shape that our
creditors would have descended on us and
bankrupted us had they known" said Mr..
Hankin.
When further questioned in court Mr..
Hankin repeated that he wanted Mr.. Bridge
man prosecuted purely for the principle
involved"
This is an unusual case and I'd like to
dismiss it if ! had the power said the
Magistrate. But | can't do that. The
Grand Jury, however. have the power to
hear a defendant. though they seldom
exercise it. You just write FOUR side Of
this case to the foreman and | think he'll
settle this case right then and there"
He then committed the aged prisoner TO
the Tombs in default OF 81 900 bail. Bridge
man asked permission to speak TO his wife.
who thought when she saw him coming
toward her that he had been released.
"GOod-by. mother, he said, kissing her.
I've got to go TO prison"
MY God, to prison? After all we've
lone and he said he would not send you
theret" cried the white haired old woman.
Then she fell ~fainting into her daughters
arms.
Bridgeman said his wife had not a dollar
and he handed over a watch, an old heirloom,
to the daughter, asking her to sell it.
Father won live long now I" said the
daughter. "Mr. Hankin has a policy of
s. 900 on his life and perhaps IL father dies
and he can collect that he'll be satisfied
Mr.. Hankin declined to say anything
further about the case except that his losses
through Bridgeman's wild speculations
were not less thar $4,000. or sI3 coo in
excess Of the amount restored by the sale OF
the Bridgeman homestead.
Il will say nothing. as | might be mis-
quoted" he said. IF | said anything il
would be in writing"
In their efforts to keep the matter n secret
the Bridgemans never employed a lawyer
to look after their interests. Now they have
no money to do so or to get bonds for Mr..
Bridgeman. BY the advice Of a friend they
submitted their case to the Legal Aid
SAntnfWy