Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-17
POLICE SEEKING
MISSING BANKER;
WIFE IN DESPAIR
Grand jury Takes Up Perth
AmbOy Mans Case for
Bonding Company.
SHE OFFERS JEWELS TO
PARTLY REPAY CREDITORS
Disappearance Results in Peti-
ton for More Stringent Money
Transmission Laws.
Especial to the Newark star.I

Especial 10 the Newark start
PERTH AMBOY, Jan. 1.-THE Mid
dlesex county grand jury today began
an Investigation into the financial af-
fairs of Armin Tomaschoff. the steam
ship ticket agent, who has been miss
ing since Monday, and who is accused
of Withholding money turned over to
him for transmission abroad Assist
ant Prosecutor Joseph r. Stricken has
taken over the case and it is said that
detectives are already making a
search for the missing agent.
Mrs. Tomaschoff today offered to
aid the authorities in finding her hus-
band. Yesterday she said he was on
fishing trip, but today, in despair,
she admitted she did not know where
he is, and as an evidence of her sim
cerity offered to sell her jewels to help
repay the creditors.
shortage May Be sa5.0O0.
1t is said that the shortage may
reach s25.000. Several hundred for
eigners are circulating petition di-
reeted to the Legislature through As
semblymen John P. Kirkpatrick and
Arthur A. Quinn, asking that the laws
governing steamship ticket agencies
be made more stringent. This is the
third time in the past three years that
foreign money exchange has been
closed in this city, and in the first Two
cases the creditors lost heavily. Sin.
gularly enough, all three agencies
have been on one street.
James w. Barry, of the Fidelity and
Deposit Company, of New York,
which gave a $4,000 bond for Ioma-
schoff. called the attention of the
grand Jury to his affairs. He SAID ne
is convinced that the agent is short.
! Bernard Hector, of the North Ger
man Lloyd Steamship Company, came
here and after investigation said that
a check for $477.50, given to the CON-
pany by Tomaschoff and drawn on
the Perth Amboy Trust Company, was
not good. :.
Europe sent him $1,000 In care OF
Tomaschoff and that he did not re-
eeive the money. He charges that
Toma schoff got it on January l.
w. F. O'Connor, local agent for the
limited states Express Company, for
which Tomasehoff acted as agent
said today that Tomaschoff was
about $1,000 short on outgoing money
OF aers. but that he could not tell how
/ tie accounts OF the incoming orders
-soed. .-s.s---ss-7
s. j. I.athrop, manager of the for
eisn money order department Of the
II s. Express Company, came here
and made an investigation of Tom
a schoff,s accounts. He said after
ward that he could make no definite
statement until he had received In
formation from Europe.
ut may be-" he said, that Tom
aschoff is short anywhere from Sl5,Ooo
to $4,000 but I cannot tell how
things stand at present.
His Goods Attached.
stephen F. Sonagyi, who says Tom
aschoff owes him $500, and Max Gold
berg, who declares he lent 5000 to the
missing agent, appeared in the Dis
trict Court and got attachments upon
the few effects of Tomaschoff in his
office.
T. H. Haley. Staten Island agent
for the United States Health and -Ac-
cident Insurance Company, for which
company Tomaschoff also was an
agent, was here in an effort to dis
cover how Tomaschoff's accounts
with that company stand. Mr.. Haley
said he could say nothing until after
he had made a more thorough inquiry
among the policyholders.
B, T. Hadden, of the Cunard Steam
ship Company, was here also to make
inquiries regarding Tomaschoff's ac-
counts. He said that his. company
would honor tickets up to the $4,000
for which Tomaschoff was bonded and
no further.
Mrs. Tomaschoff has engaged
Thomas F. Brown as attorney fol
her husband. The lawyer said to-
day:
Mr.. Tomaschoff has done nothing
criminal. He cannot be prosecuted
Many of those for whom Toma-
schoff has acted as go-between In
the transmission of money to and
from foreign companies appeared al
his office today. A few threatened
violence unless the money they said
they had paid to the steamship agent
to be sent to families abroad was re-
turned to them
Mrs. Tomaschoff appeared while the
excitement was at its height and said
to those at the office:
It am sorry that this trouble has
come up. My husband left several
days ago and said he was going or
a business trip. l have neither seer
nor heard from him since then. II
anything is wrong / will do all l can
to make 1t up. I will even sell my
jewels and give you the money"