Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-10-18
A Story of a Diamond Ring.
THE BOY TRAMP.

knocked at the door Of the residence OF
Mr.. NJ H. Haskell, on Park street. Mr..
Haskell answered the call, and the boy
asked for something to eat Mr.. Haskell
at first refused-to give him anything, tell
ing him be had better 90 home to his pa
rents. The boy who gave his name as Viii
lie Hess. burst into tears and said his pa
rents were dead. and also his sister; this
touched the sympathies of Mr.. Haskell's
heart. the boy was fed and told to call
again the next morning. At the appoint
ed time he again appeared and work was
furnished him about the place.
For tive or three days he worked we'll
and faithfully, and Mr.. Haskell kept him
for about three weeks. when having no
more work secured a situation for him in
the Chamberlin cheese factory at SaybroOk
depot, where he has since been.
THE RING.
About three weeks ago Mr.. J. Bieder dis
covered his son Fred with a gold ring and
asked him where procured 1t. He replied
that he had traded another ring containing
four settings with Mr.. Jas. K. Stebbins,
jeweler here, for it. Mr.. Bieder then asked
him where he got the other ring and he
said he had traded a silk handkerchief and
fifty cents for it with his brother Charlie.
Mr.. Bieder's curiosity was then aroused
and he interviewed Charles. who said he
procured it of E. P O'Loughliu. shoe
maker in the basement of HaskelPs block,
giving for it a silk handkerchief.
O'Loughlin said he had procured it of
Willie Hess, the boy who had worked for
Mr. Haskell; that he had given the boy an
old watch for it, and that he supposed the
ring to be an oraide one Mr. Bieder then
thought the ring bad been stolen from scme
member of Mr. HaskelI's family, and meet
ing Mrs. Haskell on the street last Monday
asked her il she had lost a ring. She re-
piled that she had not, but perhaps some
of her relatives by the same name had. She
thought no more of the matter until last
week Friday when she looked for her dia-
mond ring, and to her surprise after dill
gent search, found that it was missing,
together with a silver watch of Mr.. Has
kelTs which had been left with it. She
then went to Mr.. Bieder and informed him
of her loss. BE told her he did not have
the ring but if she would call later in the
day he thought he could get it for her.
On two occasions previous to this time, Mr..
Bieder had sent his son Fred to Mr.. Steb-
bins with the request to return the ring
but Mr.. Stebbins declined to trade back.
After the last conversation with Ms.
Haskell, Mr. Bieder went TO Mr.. Stebbins
and asked for the ring saying he had found
the owner of it, and that for his trouble
and time lost he would charge him $40,
and that his boy should be allowed to keep
the plain ring he had traded to him. Mr..
Bieder threatened to turn him over to the
law unless he complied with his request
within one hour.
Mr.. Haskell then interviewed the shoe
maker OLoughlin and learned that the boy
Hess had traded his watch TO Willie Lyons
for smother watch. He then called on
young Lyons and got his watch.
Last Saturday Mr. Haskell procured
warrant and accompanied by Marshal
Thorpe went to the Saybrook cheese fac
tory aud arrested Willie Hess. The boy
plead innocence, even after he was shown
the watch, but his actions indicated his
guilt, and he was taken before Justice
and when confronted by a num-
Der of witnesses and asked If he was guilty
or not guilty, be promptly answered guilty.
He was then bound over TO the Common
Pleas Court, his bail being fixed at 800,
but he failed to procure bondsman and
was confined in the lookup until Monday |
last when he was taken to the
county Jail,
0'Loughlin nor any of the boys knew |
the value of the ring as is clearly shown oy |
The small articles given in exchange for it |
during its many changes of ownership. |
When it came into the possession of Charlie |
Bieder the name-''Fannie C. Fitch"-on
the inner side. had been scratched and de-
faced, hut it was sufficiently plain he says
to read Fannie The ring Mr.. Stebbins
traded for it was cheap one, said to be
worth not over $3.50.
Mr.. Stebbins says he knew the ring was
l gold one with diamond settings, but that
be did not regard it as valuable one.
The engraved name he said he could not
make out as it had been badly defaced;
he admits that he FURNISHED the ring after
t came into his possession. In regard to
Mr. Bieder's charge for his time aud trouble
n getting the ring, he says he regards it as
case of blackmail and has turned it over
% his attorney.
After the arrest of the boy Hess he stated
low he stole the ring and watch. One sf-
,ernoon while the family were absent he
yained an entrance into the house through
! window which he found open, and he dis
posed Of his plqnder as described above.
ae is said to be a bright, well-appearing
Joy, and halls from Erie, Pa.
I