New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-19
A QUEER COLLECTION
Where the Exhibits IN Famous
Criminal Cases Go.


what becomes Of the peoples exhibits In
criminal cases?' and us IL possible TO regain
possession of them when once they have been
submitted as evidence?" questions thae
often arise and are seldom answered.
When any articles or papers that are TO be
used as evidence in case either by the de-
PENDANT OF the prosecutor arrive and given
in charge OF the court clerk to be numbered by
the stenographer as Exhibit A. Exhibit b.!
etc. they become the property OF the court, and
it is not possible in the county 70 regain pos
session of them unless a special decision -
given by the Judge 20 that effect Such q do
cision is made only occasionally, as, for tns
stance, when IL is necessary that certain papers
be returned in order 70 verify signatures They
are then returned to the original owners In an
cases the District Attorney is provided With
copies OF the papers OF letters used exhthitsu
and the originals are kept with the clerk OF
the court except at such times they arr
needed for the trial. After the case has beeu
finally decided these exhibits are classified ana
filed with the clerk of the Court OF Gsnxa1
Sessions.
Firearms and other dangerous weapons to-
gether with any personal property OF -suspt-
cious'' character taken from the prisoner az tho
time of the arrest and anything evtdentta&
found at the scene OF the crime. delivered
into the charge OF the property clerk AT Police
Headquarters. where they are numbered and
recorded and kept until wanted for the trial.
Then an officer is appointed TO take them %
the courtroom. and he is required 70 give hin
receipt for them. becoming personally respon-
sible for the property all the time that 1t Is OUT
of the possession OF the property clerk At the
close OF the trial IL is returned TO Police Head
quarters and there awaits the final decision
OF the case. After that II is set aside for
period of from six TO twelve months. and at
the expiration OF that time is supposed to be de-
stroyed sold at auction
The exhibits in OF theft at present in
possession of the property clerk many and
varied. ranging from pair Of shoes or rubbers
10 a case of jewels. A great many OF these OBJ
jects OF lesser value are returned TO the prop
erty clerk and never reclaimed By order OF the
court the more valuable are returned TO their
owners.
\ visit TO the Office OF the property clerk at
Police Headquarters opens ones eyes with
constituent. so curious is the collection OF ex-
hibits kept there There are two large safes
filed with jewelry. money and valuables that
have been stolen. or lost and found, representing
thousands OF dollars. In one corner OF the room
IS an assortment OF canes and umbrellas that
have histories and also have long sharp swords
that can be unsheathed by the release of clsv-
erIy COICeaIeO SpTlISs anu Otl ZIG ucSA Is LA
that TO all outward appearance is a harmless
vanity but which conceals a treacherous knife.
One long case at the end of the room is packed
with revolvers and pistols and guns OF every
make. which on account of new regulations.
cannot. formerly. be sold az auction. but viii
be destroyed. In a corner OF one OF the base
ment used for the storage OF the niscel-
laneous articles that come 70 the property clerk
are more reviewers. Remington magazine pistols
and knives boxes and baskets filed with them.
that will all have 10 be destroyed at the expira-
ton OF a set time
Another room used for the storage OF these
articles is filled with loot from raids Of opiura
joints and pooIrooms and other gambling place@
of the town. There are rows OF slot nlachinea
standing as they were taken with the nickels all
inside. and complete outfits OF Chinese dives.
And in another corner there is a more grewsonA
pile OF trunks. coats hats and umbrellas, pockets
books and battered travelling bags. all unidenti<
fed taken from the scene OF great wreck ON
the New York Central What tales OF pain and
sorrow they could tell! Another room looks Ike
a trunk salesroom: trunks OF every size and de-
scription piled higher than the visitors head.
and shelves and compartments from floor TO
ceiling stacked with packages enough TO stock
department store If opened and sorted Con-
spfcuously hanging on pegs are two Adams
Express caps. which would induce TO de-
liver over packages TO the wearers. These were
worn short time ago by pair OF clever thieves
Most of these articles sold at public
ton once a year and the returns go TO the PEN
sion fund of the New York police. Those which
have reached the dignity OF exhibits in cases
of crime and have not been ordered restored by
the court destroyed unless they have asso-
Citations that will make them OF especial interest
10 the public AS many of such possible
kept in a sort OF museum AT Police Headquarters
and here are some that date back forty or fifty
years For instance here is some of "Old Man
Brockway's" counterfeit money and plates:
bogus bonds that tell a story Of swindling on a
large scale. sectional jimmies found In the pos
session of particularly daring bank robbers; an
internal machine that sent 10 Governor
Roswell P Flower; a fragment of a bomb used
in the famous Haymarket, Chicago. at the tinae
of the great anarchist outbreak there; the knife
with which Lawrence MoultOn was killed by
William O'Brien. about 1868: bowie knife taken
from George ID. Barrow. who. assisted by his
wife and a nurse. kidnapped twenty rnOnths-old
Marion Clark from Central Park: masks and tho
ropes that were used at the hanging Of three OF
the last men To be hanged in this state. These
and many others that have been used as ex-
hibits in famous cases OF the past are locked up
In this dusty old case. which Will be opened enly
to receive another contribution. such as, per-
haps the naive diary of Evelyn Nesbit Thaw or
the famous stolen Observation-Disclosures? letter OF
E H. Hartman