Last week, we set the stage for the reign of terror that the gang of horse poisoners called The Arsenic Club set upon the east side of Manhattan begun in 1909. If you missed that post, you can find it here.

When we last left this story in November of 1909, more than 60 horses had been killed by the gang at the Sheffield Farms Slawson-Decker Milk Company on Manhattan street, and both the New York City Police and the A.S.P.C.A. were working around the clock to uncover those leading the gang; with 16 detectives assigned to the case. Still, single arrests were getting nowhere. While individual arrests were occasionally made, by April, things were grim. Police just couldn’t seem to get a break in the case.

Then, in April of 1910, Isaac Goldberg, President of the Star Ice Cream Company, located at 614 Evergreen Avenue, received a letter.

“We do not like to make trouble for you, but would like to have 500 dollars. For this sum, you will become a member of the A.B.C. company and your horses and yourself will be protected. We know that you have hired a number of boys to look after your horses, but if you give us this money you won’t need to have them. We will give you three days to think it over. Someone will call to see you and talk the matter over with you. – The A.B.C. Company”

Goldberg took the letter down to the police station, where four detectives by the names of Drum, Reynolds, McCauley and Selinsky were immediately assigned to the case and a sting set up. Later the next day, Isaac Goldberg was standing in front of Star Ice Cream when two wagons rolled up. Three men approached him and asked him if he was ready to pay the money. Goldberg said he was considering the proposition and arrangements were made to meet the following day, at 4 pm at Bushwick Avenue and Varet street to make the exchange.

Goldberg arrived with the money; the bills had been marked. The detectives laid in wait in adjoining buildings. The three men arrived in horse-drawn wagons and sauntered around the corner. An argument was had; Goldberg only had 100 dollars, a diversion tactic to elongate the exchange. Suddenly, police rushed up to arrest the men, and the three men tried to escape, throwing the money into the street. Two men were caught immediately by the detectives, and a third almost escaped but was grabbed by a good samaritan named Louis Rothseiden. A fight ensued between the two men, and Rothseiden quickly took the upper hand with several punches to the face to “put him out of business.”

All three in hand, the men were identified as George Foersch, age 25, Herman Gilman, age 35, and and Joseph Toblinsky, age 30. (He is variously reported as Toblinsky and Tablinsky. I believe Toblinsky to be correct.)

Gilman had been beaten so badly by Rothseiden that an ambulance had to be called to “fix him up” before he could be taken into headquarters.

The next day, a fourth arrest followed when Israel Goldberg (not to be confused with Isaac Goldberg), the Treasurer of Star Ice Cream, was approached by Harry Foersch, brother of the arrested George Foersch, in a saloon. George Foersch offered 500 dollars if Goldberg would go to the district attorney and swear that they had never given money to anyone. George Foersch doesn’t seem especially bright. Not only were the detectives there at the time of the original arrest, but apparently he also told Israel Goldberg his real name. He was charged with bribery.

While Israel Goldberg was actually at police headquarters filling out paperwork, a woman called and asked for him by name. She threatened “If you don’t drop this case, I’ll kill you.” This is some crowd of crooks. Who thinks this was his wife? Poor thing.

All four men were indicted on April 22, and shockingly (is it?) they were released on bail after a man named Henry Senft posted more than 5,000 dollars. But…what a twist…Henry Senft himself was immediately arrested.

Next week, we’ll find out who exactly Henry Senft was, what exactly the job of “second hand brick dealer” entails (kidding) and we’ll conclude this look at a early cruelty investigation. Until then, friends.

-Audrey