The sun., 1908-12-10
PdIQR Raid JEVELRY SALE
SAT MOCK AUCTION WAS GOING
ON AT 1857 BROADWAY.
Place Formerly Occupied by IAndo
Brothers, and keishbering Merchants
Became suspicieus - five Arrests
Purchasers Send In Complaints.

Brothers, and keiehbering Merchants
Became suspicieus - Five Arrests
Purchasers Send IN Complaints.
An auction sale of jewelry which has
been going on for nearly four months at
ti57 Broadway was ralded yesterday by
Detective Sergeants OConnor and Null
rooney and half dozen plain clothes
men Of Inspector McClusky's staff. The
detectives had six warrants calling for
the arrest of FIVE men and one woman on
the charge of operating mock auction,
q misdemeanor. The raid resulted In the
arrest OF everybody for whom warrants
had been issued except the woman.
The place formerly was occupied by
Lindo Bros. jewellers, who went into
bankruptcy several months ago after
having been in business at that spot for
twenty years. Their stock was sold at
a receivers sale by Charles s. Shongood.
auctioneer for the court, and the unex-
pired lease was disposed Of to downtown
jeweller who, it is alleged, stocked up the
place again and began conducting Auctions
on his own account.
Besides the auctioneers several men
we're employed to bid up the prices OF the
goods, it 10 charged, to price which
represented at least their intrinsic value.
This sale was conducted with the signs
of the bankrupt firm still left on the prem
ises. and the police say with man named
Lindo employed to pose as an expert
and talk up the goods to the bidders.
Neighboring merchants became sus-
picious and employed the firm Of Hayes.
Hershf1eld 4 Wolf Of l15 Broadway to in
vestigate. E. A. Sprague and c. l..
Fuller. detectives. obtained places as
salesmen and worked for ten days getting
evidence which was laid before Magis-
trate Herman in Jefferson Market court
yesterday morning and resulted in the
issuance Of the warrants. Then the
police. who already had received letters
from buyers who considered themselves
done. were notified and the place was
raided.
Those arrested we're Augustus Gates,
IS years old, OF 81 West l04th street; John
F. Turner, o2, Of 90 West Ninety-third
street; Charles Philipson, 72, Of 1859 Jack
son avenue, The Bronx; Emanuel Diamond,
s5, Of So West lilth street, and William A.
Baker, So. OF SOL South Third street. Brook
lyn. Gates and Turner were attested as
the auctioneers, the three others being
with doing the bidding, Baker
Is said to be a city marshal.
The police cay that sometimes an en-
ployee OF the firm made as much as 81, 600
worth of nominal purchases in single
day, by bidding in goods for which the
auctioneer couldn't obtain price repre-
senting the intrinsic worth.
The men were arraigned in the after
noon before Magistrate Herman, who
held them in $500 bail for examination on
December Is. Bail was furnished by
Charles p. Goldsmith, manufacturing
jeweller of 50 Gold street. who gave as
security diamonds and jewelry.'-
When the case comes UP again for |
hearing on the 18th some letters which |
he police have received from purchasers |
themselves i'll used may he
put in evidence. The last of these to be |
received came to Commissioner Bingham
ifter the raid had been made. 1t wos
written by a man who said that, acting
IN the adviceof bystander in the stcre,
le had bid In a diamond ring for sisS,
which ring turned out to be worth not
more than 500. The bystander had ap-
,raised the ring at $500.
Abraham Iindo said over the telephone
ast night that the goods being sold at
!uction at 1851 Broadway are from his
took. He added that he bid them in at
he receivers sale and lie now selling them
,ver again. Charles P, Goldsmith, he
aid. 10 not associated with him in the
which. he also sald. 10 being
onducted on legitimate lines.