The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-23
TESTIFY AGAINST. Wendell.
SIX WITNESSES HEARD AND -
MORE ARE 81 RPEN iED.
Jerome's Once Looking into the Graft
Charges Against the First Battery
Captain-v cndc Himself viii only
Say That the Accusations Are All Lies.

Captaln-wc nacI Himself viii only
Say That the Accusations Are All Lies.
Six witnesses who have been employed
m various capacities lin the SiXty-siNth
street armory OF Capt. Louis Wendel's
First Battery Of Artillery were examined
by Assistant District Attorney Hart in
the Criminal Courts Building yesterday
as TO their knowledge of the formal charges
of blackmail. bribery and eXtortion against
Capt Wendell which were filed with the
District Attorney ON Friday afternoon.
After the examination Assistant District
Attorney Hart, who has charge OF the case
which has grown out Of the charges made
against the National Guard Captain. APP
piled 10 MGgistrato Brecn for thirteen sub
pnna for Witnesses who are 10 appear at a
further inquiry into the charges contained
In tho many a~Fidlvits. The thirteen
subpnnas were issued 10y the Magistrate
and the examination Of these witnesses will
come up tomorrow.
Capt. Wendell would make no reply yes
terday TO tho charges. Of former and present
employees Of the armory that in order TO
secure and retain their places in the armory
for which they were paid by the city
they had TO give over about half their
salaries for rent OF houses owned by the
Captain and which in some cases they
say they never saw; that in the case of Ed
ward Martini, former assistant engineer
of the ar!nory, blRCkmail direct was levied
and collected to the amount Of 1886; that
persons not members of the battery have
stabbed their riding horses in the armory
for a considerations; that armory employees
paid from the city's funds have been com
PEELED TO work on sundays during the sum
mer season AT Capt. Mendel's resort, Fort
Wendcl, at l96th street and Amsterdam
avenue; that the Captain has a suite OF
rooms in the armory which he uses for his
own purposes, and many minor charges.
It's all a made up game" said the Cap
tain early in the afternoon. An foolish
ness. All nonsense. All damn lies"
When asked for further details later in
the day Capt. Wendell was even less talka-
tive. lie merely repeated again and again
that he had absolutely nothing TO say, but
that he would nave "A statement ready
some time later. He would not tell whether
he had engaged a lawyer.
Capt. Wendell isn't here very much
said a servant al the Captains home at
Kingsbridge road and Aqueduct avenue.
The Bronx. Mrs. Wendell can't he seen
DftuuNt Nllt " III vi bNNf oAlA INV NfARNhAA
lives most of the time in his apartments
In the armory in Manhattan"
This house and the three adjoining are
owned by the Captain. The house directly
next TO his is now occupied by William
Fuchs, ianitor of the armory. The corner
has disappearance Of a military reservation.
There are tall aagpoles on the lawns and
Immense wooden cannon, painted black to
1o,ly lilo fbo raul fhipr rna IF uvbiCh haa
a barrel about twelve feet long.
we moved in this house, which belongs
70 Capt. Wendell" explained Mrs. Fuchs
yesterday, at the time my hu sband got
his present Job at the armory. No, | didn't
like the idea Of moving away up here from
Manhattan, but we were told we hard TO
move, and l consented to do SO in order
that nv hu sband could keep his Job. Mayb DO
well get used TO living here after A while.
The house next 70 us Is vacant now since
George Richards lost his job az the armory
and moved out. But a mar named Grover
Never. who has Just got a place a. assistant
engineer AZ Capt. Wandel's armory, II going
20 give up his home in Manhattan very soon
and take the house.
Grover Meyer was one Of the witnesses
who appeared yesterday before Assistant
District Attorney Hart. The others were
John j. Jansen, first sergeant and armorer
at the armory; Janitor William Fuchs,
Emil DADRtlnAn ana M liz Dtn1cTs ldDOT-
erS at the armory; and Edward Martini.
Martini has brought a civil suit against
Capt. Wendell to recover this money and
this case will be particularized by Assistant
District Attorney Hart at to-morrow's
hearing as a test case. Capt. Wendell wa
served with a summons and complaint in
the civil suit on Friday. Martini swears
that he got a 81 n day job as assistant engi-
neer in the mo in June, 1903, on the
understanding that he was to, give up 81
An,k lawv 10 haaA hi HAh until a 400 hnA
been paid. He says he paid all the 81 600
except $14 and that some of the payments
were made TO a third party and some to
the Captain. Then he lost his job. he
says. Part Of his military service, he says,
was 70 take charge Of the peanut stand at
Fort Wendell on Sundays and adds that his
brother-in-law had 10 accept the billet of
commandments of the frankfurter
pavilion, with nothing doing in extra pay.
William Groth says in hiS attldavit that
he got a Job paying 500 a month from the
Captain as hOstler in the armory on condi-
ton that he would pay $40 a month rent
for a house AZ kingshridge road and Aque-
duct avenue that ne never saw. He says
he was old to say nothing of this to any
one. Otho Arens, another hostler. aftirms
in his affidavit that after conversations with
the Captain and his son, Charles Wendell,
he got his armory jon and mad to pay 81
n day rent for n house that he never oc-
cupied, AZ 1O6th street and Amsterdam
avenue, and that he had to carry meat from
Manhattan to the Captains Bronx hotel
besides. Otto Winkler, who was night
vatchman AT the armory, in Sixty-sixth
street, says that IN addition 10 sl6 a month
board he had TO pay the Captain he was
required 10 clean the yard and milk the COW
and do other chores mp in The Bronx.
Capt, GrimsRart, a professional riding
master. said yesterday AZ the armory
when asked If he kept his horses there:
Yes, l stable two OF my horses here. !
don't know who made the arrangements
with me, but / suppose 1t was the Captain.
No, | am not a member Of the battery"
When |. NJ, Einkelstein, a diamond broker,
who lives at l2 East Eighty-seventh street,
was called upon last night for information
as 10 whether he stabbed two saddle horses
IN the srmory a woman who responded
20 the inquiry first said that Mr.. Fnkelstein
had the horses there. When asked for
details the woman said that she knew moth
ing about the matter and that Mr., Einkel-
stein wasn't home.
Capt. Wendell will be- remembered a. the
picturesque artillery Captain with a stan
of brigadier- generals. Although at first
q Republlcan he was a strong friend Of many
prominent TammS.lv men, and about 1889