The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-12-05
"SIGNED FAKE CONFESSION
BRANDING HIM A THIEF
Robert JOurdan Didn't Know
What the Paper Was,
He Declares.
TELLS OF BEING SEARCHED
AND GOLD ON HIS PERSON
intimidation Charges Against
Walter Burstow, Herman Kohl
mar and julius Weinbrechts.

Alleging that his former employers
induced him to sign a false confession
of theft under intimidation and that 20
escape publicity and imprisonment he
paid them a deposit of S165 and later
signed other papers that he subsc-
quently found were deeds to all the
property he owned in the world, Robert
Jourdan. formerly of this city, but now
of 123 Mulberry street. New York, to-
day filed a bill in Chancery against
Walter Burstow, Herman Kollmar and
julius Weinbrecht, well-known jew
elry manufacturers, of Is Columbia
street, trading as Barstow, Kollmar
& Company.
his ignorance of the English language
alone led him, under duress. to Sign
the alleged papers, declares that he is
innocent of wrong doing. and asks the
Chancery Court to restore his property.
valued at $1,S15.
In his bill of complaint, filed by
Henry Pomerehne, a Newark lawyer.
years prior to April 15 last employed by
Barstow, Kollmar & Company, at that
time being foreman of the shop. On the
morning in question. the bill recites.
Eugene Schmidt, a handy man in the
company's employ, exhibited small
quantity of raw gold and asked per-
mission to melt it, which permission
was reluctantly given by Jourdan.
Schmidt placed the gold in a crucible
over a furnace. according to the bill,
and-the melting operation was started.
when one of the defendants called
Schmidt from the room. AS he left,
Schmidt asked Jourdan to look after the
gold, which, Jourdan says, he promised
to do. Finding the gold ready for re-
moval from the crucible, Jourdan says
he poured it into a mould, from which
he later took the ingot of gold. placing
it in his trousers pocket.
Searched and Gold Found.
About an hour later, the bill declares,
Jourdan was called to the office by
Weinbrecht and Kollmar. Answering,
he says he found three persons un-
known to him in the office. besides the
bookkeeper, Schmidt and the two mcm-
bers of the firm. One of the three men
seized him by the hands, he declares
while the others searched him and
found the gold.
Jourdan further alleges that Wein-
brecht informed him that one of the
three men was a lawyer, and the other
two were detectives who had a warrant
for his arrest, the charge being enlbes-
Element Jourdan declares he then
called upon Schmidt to state the man
ner in which he had acquired the gold,
but that Schmidt asserted he knew
nothing about the matter.
Thereafter, Jourdan AYERS in his bill,
Weinbrecht Informed and threatened
that unless he should pay to the firm
s165 on his person and execute certain
papers that they would cause to be
drawn up, that the police officers then
present would arrest and imprison him,
and that the defendants would cause
his name to be published as a thief.
and threatened to boycott and prevent
him from obtaining employment at his
trade
Should he comply with their de-
mands. Jourdan declares. he was told
that he would be given written ex-
oneration and the warrant would not
be pressed
Jourdan alleges that he then and
there, in fear of being unjustly and
wrongfully deprived of his liberty and
of being dishonored iii his good name
aao fame, and thus laboring under
great stress of mind and excitement
delivered to Weinbrecht the sum OF sf6l
and signed certain papers offered him
by Weinbrecht and Kollmar, and that
he was handed back one of the papers.
which he believes to be a duplicate and
which he then thought was an exonera-
ton."
calls "COnfession7 "a Fake.
He was told to return the following
day, he alleges, and on that occasion
he signed another paper.
Later he says, upon going to the law
office of Eugene II. Meyer, of this city,
he found the first paper to be a fake
confession ''in which he acknowledged
the theft of raw gold to the value NJ
$1,000, and agreed to pay the firm sf6a
in cash. SlS5 in sixty days, and to deed
over his equity in four lots in Hurter
don street on which he had paid s1,650.
the value Of which was $500 The
title to two of the lots was conveyed
outright: the other two lots were In ths
name Of the Twentieth Century Land
and improvements Conpanx an6 tha
balance due was $3.50.