The Washington times., 1908-01-16
KEMP ADMITS HIS GUILT
In TALK TO DETECTIVES
Accused Embezzer Tells Of Life After Taking Funds in
shington-Worked in Pennsylvania
After Leaving New York

Reports from Detectives McNamee
| and Evans, who have been sent to New
| Orleans to bring James Arthur Kemp to
| this city for trial on a charge Of en-
! bezzlement. confirm beyond all doubt the
/ incidents leading to the arrest Of the
| fugitive.
In an interview with Kemp, Il is said,
| he admits the crime he committed
| while chief clerk OF the Police De-
| partment, when he obtained about $1,000
| from the police fund.
The report received by Inspector
Boardman Is as follows:
The day after Christmas a man
about forty-six years OF age. clean
shaver, neatly attired, but whose face
wore a tired. hunted look, arrived IN this
city. He secured a room in a board
ing house. and then circulated freely
about town. He made friends. and
finally paid regular visits to the race
track. He did not bet high, however,
only now and then a few dollars.
Called by Name.
Detective Henry Scheffer, Of the city
force, walked up to the man and just
before reaching him exclaimed in a low
yet audible voice: Come here, I want
to see you, Kemp
1.-THE man walked slowly toward the
detective who had thus accosted him.
and just as Scheffer was about to
place his hand on his shoulder, Kemp
noticed approaching them L. J. BTen-
nan. Kemp said, addressing Schefher,
Ny name is not Kemp but IL was tCo|
late. Brennan had looked straight at
him and recognized him
How do you do. Kemp2' he asked.
and Kemp at once gave up and said:
It's no use, I'm Kemp
You had a mustache when that pic
ture was taken?' remarked Schefher.
Yes, light one nonchalantly an
swered Kemp.
e VIII you please telegraph at once
to Chief of Police Major Sylvester and
tell him that / admit that 1 am Kemp,
and 10 send Capt Daley here for me
and win go back without any requi-
sitiOn papers
- have known Major Sylvester for
twenty-five years officially and q squaT-
er, more truthful and honest man. you
cannot find anywhere. do not say this
with any hope at all that he viii show
me any leniency I know him well
enough 10 know that he will have me
punished as he would have any stranger
who might have committed similar
CRIME. He Is a strict disCiplinarian and
he will hand me over to the courts and
will have nothing further 10 do with
me, except &c prosecute the case.
Sorry for Family.
d" The only thing 1 feel sorry for is 10
face my family and my friends. They
esteemed me and I forfeited their es-
TEEN. and friendship. I thought that
would be able to make good the short |
ages in my accounts long before this, |
and since 1 left Washington. 1 have
been employed and saved a little money, |
which / placed in bank. I was all the !
time fearing that 1 might be appre- |
hended at first, but this apprehension
finally wore away. and nov I am glad Z
that I was arrested ] was on the point /
of surrendering myself several times |
and l firmly believe that IN day or /
two more ! would have sent word to /
Major Sylvester, and have told him |
where I was.
a. I left Washington on July 3, 1897, and /
went straight to New York / remained /
IN New York until July 8, when I went !
over into New Jersey. While in New /
York ] had some business with a prom /
inent New York detective under an as /
sUmed name. I saw him almost every [
day and at that time the city was
flooded with circulars giving my descTip-
ton and my picture, but he didn't /
recognize me.
- one day while was standing on the |
street in New York, heard man be- /
hind me eXclaim: Have you got a |
Washington paper? The reply was /
No" 1 turned and saw a Washington !
detective lust IN the act OF turning |
away from me. Of course. I did not J
make myself known, and after thinking (
a while 7 concluded that he had not /
recognized me because I had my back /
turned to him when he spoke, and had {
turned away when I turned toward 1
him. but it was certainly a narrow (
escape.
" After leaving New York I went to /
Pennsylvania and obtained employment |
in q country town. While there / was /
promoted and intrusted with funds OF /
the concern I was working for. l didn |
take anything from them On the con
trarv, the firm owes me $50 now. Well, !
I worked hard, determined TO retrieve !
M false step, and my employers trust |
cd me, and that's why I do not wish /
to saw any more. If 1 earned enough /
money to pay back what I had taken, !
I thought, why, then, ] viii turn my /
attention 70 getting money, and buy a /
little business in some country town. /
send for my wife and son. and COM /
mence life anew. It is true l am forty !
six wears of age, but I thought that / /
would not be too old TO start a new I
life.
No Washington News.
4" I have never heard a word from my
wife or family since I left Washing
ton. and rarely read any Of Washing