Recorder Talmadge, and two
of the accused found at home were arrested and a large number of
letters belonging to Dr. C. found on the premises. J.C. Comstock
has not yet been arrested. It is said he is out of the city.

These two young men have for some months been trading sometimes
under the name of "Comstock & Brother", and sometimes as "Judson &
Co." at No. 9 John Street.

The same episode was also mentioned in the _Express_, the _Commercial
Advertiser_, and the _Tribune_. In fact, a spirited debate in the
"affair of the letters" was carried on in the pages of the press for a
week. The brothers defended themselves in the following notice printed
in the _Morning Express_ for May 31:

OBTAINING LETTERS

Painful as it is, we are again compelled to appear before the
public in defense of our character as citizens and business men.
The two letters referred to by L.S. Comstock (one of which
contained One Dollar only) _were both directed "Comstock & Co."
which letters we claim; and we repeat what we have before said, and
what we shall prove that no letter or letters from any source
directed to L.S. Comstock or Lucius S. Comstock have been taken or
obtained by either of us or any one in our employ_.

The public can judge whether a sense of "duty to the Post Office
Department and the community", induced our brother to make this
charge against us (which if proved would consign us to the
Penitentiary) and under the pretence of searching for letters,
which perhaps never existed; to send Police Officers to invade not
only our store, but our dwelling house, where not even the presence
of our aged Mother could protect from intrusion. These are the
means by which he has put himself

[Footnote 3: Receipts for these registrations were signed by the
prominent librarian, Charles Coffin Jewett, later to be superintendent
of the Boston Public Library for many years.]

[Illustration: FIGURE 2.--Wrapper for Oldridge's Balm of Columbia,
Comstock & Co., druggists.]

in possession of the _names of our customers; of our
correspondence_; and our private and business papers.

J.C. & GEO. WELLS COMSTOCK, firm of Comstock & Brother, No. 9 John
Street

Lucius, for his part, never deigned to recognize his opponents as
brothers but merely described them as "two young men who claim
relationship to me."

It