Frank Schmidt, known to the police as "Dutch Frank," a junk dealer operating in and around Red Hook Point faced trial for dealing in stolen goods, October 1855. Junk dealers made their living buying spare sails, ropes and old iron from sailors but, say the police the purchased goods don't always belong to the seller. In this case Frank bought sails and rope from two Norwegian sailors he met at a Red Hook saloon. The Norwegians later admitted to larceny but despite their claims that they tossed the goods from their ship to Frank's boat at 11 o'clock at night and promised to deny knowing him, Frank Schmidt claimed that bought the goods on good faith,