The New York herald., 1878-09-27
TRACING LOST JEWELS.
HOW CHICAGO FIRM SUFFERED RY THE
THEYIs OF BLACKMAuEp CLERK-sHARP
DETECTIVE WORK DY AN AMATEUR.
[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD

THESIs OF BLACKMAILED CLERK-sHARP
DETECTIVE WORK ny AN AMATEUR.
by TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.]
CHICAGO Sept 26 1878.
The preliminary inquiry into the Ma,son jswelry
robbery began this morning. all OF the interested
ties boing hand. The Investigator Is carried
IN the West Division Police S,atior Court Room, and
this place was thronged at an early hour The most
important testimony OF the day that OF Mr.. Z. A.
Cummings, real estate man who has developed into
a iull 1edged detective and Marchsi. the clerk al
legged to have been blackmailed by DR.. Secord and
Mrs. Mitchell Alter Mr.. Samuel " Perry, member
OF the drm Of Matson Company, had testified IN re-
gard 10 the mysterious disappearance OF jewelry
from time to time, Mr.. Cummings was called
DETECTIVES STORY.
He testified that about the Goth OF June last he re-
ceived word from Mr.. Pike, member OF the firm also.
that hc wanted 10 HIM. So he went over and had
talk with him and engaged to look tho case up.
Shortly after that he heard that Mrs. irwin had some
jewelry and wanted to trade It for horse. He got
gentleman Introduce him 10 DR.. secord, who pre-
sented him In turn to Mrs. Irwin. He then her
possession largo OF all kinds OF jewclry In
interview with her he said he had
horse down In the country which no wanted to
trace, and he montioned II because he under
stood she would Ike to get one She said
she would like to mako trado for good horse. He
told Mira Irwin that this horse Of his he wanted TO
trado for good tangible property II he could. She
asked whether ho would like 10 trade for jewelry'
Yes, he did not know but what no would, provided
OF course, the jewclry wasn't ''snidc." Then sho
showed him aquantity OF jsweiry. rhen it was ho
got tho numbers Of some jewelry and watch. Mrs.
Irwin AID the watch sbe specially wanted to trsdo
was being carried by DR.. Sccord. She would get IT,
Ho went away compared the numbers he had OBJ
tanned with those o; Natson d Co. = missing jewslry.
BUYING A WATCH
When he went back to Mrs. Irwin she had procured
tho watch from Socord, and witness got the numbor
Of II. This watch Witness bought OF Mrs. Irwin At
last Tor $50 Al tns point two letters, from the wit
ness to MRS. irwin and from her 10 him In reply,
were put In cvideucc, the defence consentng These
epislies simply showed how the negotiations were
made for the sale OF the time keeper aud mentioned
second watch. an Appleton Tracy. When witness
won't around, according TO agreement, 10 SEQ Mrs.
$50 tor IT, Continuing his evidence, no 'cs-
thcd that Mrs. Irwin first explained her pos
sns had received It compe nsaton for medical
wees. Aftcrward she said that she was running o
pro essonal vocation. AZ tho request OF Mr. Leonard
SWEET, counsui Tor Maison Co.. the witness then
told what measures ne employed to ind oct whether
Mra Irwin's statements were true.
UNoBsERvED OBSERVER.
He hired room, he saia right Mrs. Irwin's ane
Dr. Secords oise, ana after taking up part OF tue
nSor hole IN the pastering 80 as to get view
OF tho apartmsn,s below Here nc stationed man
TO watch and report. The witness frat went to
|. the room the night OF August 2lst but he aud
his assistant concluded after they had been raising
the floor, that they were making TOO much NOISE aud
SO dessied. Nothing was done Friday night, because
they thought somebody was listening beneath oot
Saturday the holes went throuuh tho ceiling and they
got birdseye view Of the room below. They dscov-
ered however, With considerable concern, the exist
OF lit;s heaps Of plaster dust the carpet
beneath mado by boring The holes. How TO remove
these possibly slltaie p.los was problem. Witness
! went out and procured u small rubber tube very
| long, aud, putting It down through tho hole sue
cssded In blowing the suspicious doUris away. Then
the man stationed to keep watch, nnd reported
| tNr tHA dnV In n nj thM
| evidence Mr. SWEET ked that no might remove the
! witness Tor few moments.
|
Tho defence consont!ng Mr.. Leverett J. Norton was
put the stand, and testified that the loss tho
hrm from goods missed Ia the regular inventories
thought had baon something like 5000 or 81, 900
or three or four years. they had missed things
| AS often as about once week; ono OF ito watches
shown the witness he identified having boon sent
to Michigan tor approval and returned 10 hcm being
registered both ''out" and .'in, as no phrased 1t
| no attcrvnrd II handed by MRrcAist 10 Dr.
| Socord.
In tho afternoon Mr. Cummings was recalled and
| und Marchts and Mrs. Mitchell meot tho room day
| after day. how they mad talked over thor plans; how
Secord made his Arrangements ~ bleed Marchis and
| how ut last thoy procured tho police officers and
pounced upon the whole gang.
BLAcKMAILERs VICTIM.
Alter a few important witnesses had testified
Marchisi took The stand ana told how Secord first
| got hoi1 OF him. About four years ago Sscord
physician In high standing in TINS city Al that limo
he atended Marchisi's wife during con nhnoment. An
| acquaintance sprang up between the two, ana Mar
cNisi borrowed key to Socord's room, whero no
socorI ..nsa'1 HIM wsrcbis had noth.n, hn. his
| salary and could not stand much, but Secord sug-
gested that watch Tor his (Sccords) Mistress Mrs.
| Irwin, would como In handy. He stole tho watch,
and continued to steal articles OF cwelry from Matson
Co. until at tho tnlo OF his arrest, no was stealing
| at the rate OF 500 per week.
| Tho examination was th en- postponed until to.mor
row.