The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-09-02
Charles R. Thompson Rush
ed to Pittsburg Jail in
Automobile and Train.
CHARGE WAS TRUMPED UP
Arrested for Stealing a Watch
Which Was Given to Him, he
Says.-Real Reason of Ills
Arrest Believed to Be an
Unpaid Note.

PITTSBURG. Sept. Kidnapped
from his summer home at New Mon
mouth. N. j., hurried thirteen miles in
an automobile to Jersey City. and then
placed on a Pennsylvania Railroad
train, which reached this city Saturday
night, Charles R. Thompson, a wealthy
real estate dealer of New York City,
with Offices at 20 Broad street, lies in
jail here, having refused to furnish
ball on what the authorities admit Is
a trumped-up charge.
The charge on which Mr. Thompson
was brought here is the larceny of a
watch and chain from John K. Damas-
Gus. a real estate dealer of prominence
in this city. Mr.. Thompson asserts
that the watch and chain were given
to him by Mr.. Damascus. The real
charge upon which he is wanted is
giving Mr. Damascus a note for $500
in a street railroad deal, which, 1t is
alleged, proved to be worthless. Mr..
Thompson admits having given the
note. and also admits that he did not
make 1t good, his reason being, he says,
that he received only $2S2 in value for
the note.
The whole trouble dates back to last
June, when Mr.. Thompson and Mr..
Damascus became interested in q new
electric railroad that is to run through
Fayette and Westmoreland counties,
in this end of the State. 1t was at
| that time that Mr.. Thompson gave
i Mr.. Damascus the note, and also at
that time that the watch was prs
sented to Mr. Thompson
Mr.. Damascus consulted attorneys in
this city, and he was told he could
not bring any action against Mr..
Thompson regarding the note that
would permit of the New Yorker being
extradited. 1t was then that Mr..
Damascus thought of the watch Incl
dent, and a charge of petty larceny
was brought against Mr.. Thompson.
Two weeks ago a warrant for the
arrest of Mr.. Thompson was sworn out
and given to Fred Wills, of the local
detective force. He went to Harris
burg. where Governor Stuart issued a
requisition on Governor Stokes. of New
Jersey. Wills then went to New Mon
mouth, where he found that Mr..
Thompson had retained ex-State Sena-
tor Aaron Johnston. ex-District Attoi
ney of Monmouth County. and Charles
Harvey, of Freehold to represent him.
The attorneys for Mr.. Thompson re-
fused to give him up and announced
that they would fight the requisition.
Governor Stokes was at Long Branch
spending his vacation, and Mr.. john
ston hurried there and urged him not
to grant the requisition papers. When
Detective Wills arrived at Long Branch
the following day the Governor told
him he would look into the matter.
Last Monday Wills received a letter
from e. d. Fox, executive clerk to
Governor Stokes, saying he would honor
the requisition. Wills hurried back to
New Jersey, received Governor Stokess
signature to the papers and then
started after Mr.. Thompson, but the
latter could not be found.
Wills got the help of John D. Rue,
county detective of Monmouth County,
and last Friday the two We're in Red
Bank. During the afternoon Rue's wife
saw Mr.. Thompson alight from the boat
at Atlantic Highlands. She telephoned
her husband and he and Wills got an
automobile, in which they made a
record run of thirteen miles to Mr..
Thompsons summer home. There, in
spite of the presence of two big bull
dogs, they caught Mr.. Thompson nap
ping and placed him under arrest.