New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-04-23
Admitted Letter Was His.

AumllIc0 Letter W dS MS.
When confronted at police headquar-
ters by Sheriff Grifenhagen' agent
Weinrop was at first inclined TO deny
all knowledge Of his letter 70 Mr..
/ Groehl. But the original was produced
and then he became more communlca-
tive. readily admitting that he knew
about the Communication 20 the deputy
assistant district attorney. He said he
had not written it, but dictated 1t 20
a woman. The letter read:
"a man comes over TO me and ne
said, ! should go to New YORK when
Harry Thaw's case comes up on the
twenty second of April and he Will give
me two more men and they VIII nave
an automobile to take Harry Thaw
away when he comes to court room 10
another State and he offered me one
thousand dollars and all expenses and
n security for any excellent happens
me in any responsible place, but ! re.
fused him the job because he wanted
me to 20 at once with him TO New
York but | wanted him TO give me 500
before 20 with him. He will not want
to do that he only wanted to pay me
car fair to New York and go there
with him to his office in New YORK.
This man Is q detective but he travels
from the city TO another. ] know him
but can't write you in this letter who
he is. But if could see you personally
] will tell who he is if you want me
YOU could wire me at once on your
expense and ! will come TO New YORK:
Now something about Welnrop. lie
is a man Of several addresses in this
city He has his mail addressed to 300
Washington Street, spends much Of his
being in the underworld district ct
Norfolk. But his home, he said, is at
500 Freemason Street. He says his
business ia that of buying and selling
lob lots and he also sells jewelry on
the instalment plan. according to his
story The police have their own the
ory. Weinrop knows many police Off
cials in New York. and he also was &C,
ouainted with "Dopey Benny and
ether members Of East Side gangs.
Says He Aided Whitman
When Charles s. Whitman was Dis.
+r;ct Attorney. Weinrop said. he did
much secret work for him, and he also
was employed for time by the Rookie
TELLER white slave committee. He has
had exciting experiences in New orK'
one of which was an assault on him
by gangsters which required several
stitches in his lip. Another time ne
was arrested and his picture got into
the Rogues Gallery. He said he was
discharged on the complaint agalns,t,
him. which was a police frame up,
and through the efforts Of the late
MAGISTRATE Finn he succeeded after
much trouble in having his photo
graphs removed from Police H-adquar-
tiers. At another time Weinrop was in
business in the Tenderloin. He is about
forty-tive years old. with round bald
head and sharp gray eyes.
"How did Smith happen to come 20
vou?" Weinrop was asked to-day.
"Some friends Of mine in New York
recommended me-" he replied.
Once started. he talked volubly
about the plans mapped out by Smith.
81 met Smith here several months
ago" said eWinrop. ale used to come
here every once in awhile. Some
/ friends told him about me, and we used
TO meet occasionally. He talked to me
a great deal about the Thaw case, ask
/ ing about the laws Of Virginia. lie
/ wanted me to recommend him lawyer
who could post him. Then last Satur-
| day, to my great surprise, he became
very confidential. He told me that
large amount Of money was TO be spent
to get Thaw out Of New York and into
another state. He asked me to take
part in this plan and offered me 81. 900.
eyes. | was to furnish the automobile
and the two men. while he promised to
have four men in the courthouse. |
told Smith that he would have 10 pay
me $50 down, but he refused. Smith
was at a hotel here until last Sunday.
al wouldn't go into a thing like that
unless | knew where | got off"
Smith is described by Weinrop "a a
little. thin man. unlike the popular
physical conception of detective His
right arm is crippled and he writes
with his left hand, although for most
other purposes the detective Is able TO
use his crippled hand
Weinrop was put through sharp
examination as TO whether the date Of
the Thaw hearing IN the New York
court was told TO him by Smith or
whether he got it from some New York
City newspaper. He was certain he
had not read Of il, and the only way
he could have known Of il was from
Smith.