The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-04-10
THE STORY or 4 DIAMOND RING.
How Mr.. Smith Lost n, and why Joseph
White Dropped II In the East River.


Mr.. Melville G. Smith, cx-State Senator
OF Minnceota, has rooms at GO West Fourteenth
street He deals in real estate and rarond
securities there On the nth Of January. 1878,
he employed Joseph p. White. a young man NJ
pleasing address. livingwth his parents Mt G73
Van Buren, street BROOKLYN. as his prvnte
secretary. On tho 1st of April following. Mr..
Smith. who keeps bachelors quarters. asked
White to mark some clothing with indelibe
ink. White sat at II table near Mr.. Smiths writing
deck. In the drawer Of the central compart-
ment of the desk Mr.. Smith WAS accustomed TO
keep jcwelry md small sums OF money. AS
White marked the clothing, Mr.. Smith took II TO
the windows OF the rear room. and spread 1t
in the sunlight. On the following afternoon, as
Mr.. Smith was Dress ing TO 90 to dinner in the
Hotel st. Denis. he opened the drawer in the
central compartment OF his desk 10 take out
some jewelry. Then he missed a superb
solitaire diamond ring. There were many
unset diamonds and money in tho drawer
but they had not apparently. been touched.
Mr.. Smith hircd Detective Edward Nal
loy who was shot by The. Allen 10 shadow
White, but said, nothing to White about
@s aer %ho f 81 sad rPE Smith have ISy You 'Fst os
anything2 ! saw two negroes on the shed out
side OF the back windows when you were hang
ing out the clothes the other day. and one Of
them stopped down and picked no something.
He showed it to the other, md then thoy went
for several weeks and then had him arrested.
White gave bail. and was released He was
| tried Yesterday in tho General Sessions. HIS
nged mother and his sister. n pretty and re-
| ined-l9ekng girl. spoke cheeringly to him
Mir Smith testified to the loss Of the ring and
Whites unexpected communication to him. He
! got White. he continued, to repeat 4 in the
| charged White with stealing the ring. White
| protested his inno'cncc. put. when ne. the wit
ness said that he intended to direct u detective
| to look into Whites previous life, White con-
! iessed that he stole the ring. Hh said tnat he
! owed some money. and that he was mpelled by
| this necessity to steni the amount from the
| drawer in Mr.. Smiths desk. while Mr.. Smith
| WAS spreading the cloth ing at the windows ofthe
rear room. As he opened tho drawer the dia-
mond in the ring flashed in his eyes. and he
| yielded 10 the temptation. He put the ring In
his vest pocket. and carried II there for several
| days. A. tho ferryboat on which he was cross
| ing the East River. on the afternoon Of the ith
OF April nearcd the Brooklyn side, he saw De-
the boat landed he held back until the other
passengers had quilted II. Then he saw that
Detective Malloy was lingering IN the Terry
| ed to arrest him. he dropped the ring into tho
| rivnr.
| that his landlady Mrs. Page and her servant
| have access TO his rooms when he Is out, He
| had some business callers on tho LIST and % OF
| April hut to his knowledge they did not have
access 10 the drawer in his desk. He deals
largely in Western lands, and was one Of the
scheme TO tunnel Broadway, lie bought all the
railroad stocks that he ever held at the sugges-
| tion OF Commodore Vanderbilt. He Is some
| what OF "A believer in spirtunlism, and he con-
| suited a Mrs Maynard Of White Plains a clair
voyant. In regard 10 the loss OF the ring. She
| told him. while she was in what seemed to bo n
| trance that White stole the ring. He is not
| aware. however whether this has influenced
| him in prosecuting White, just before he had
| White arrested he lent White 81 to get n vau-
able locket out OF pawn. White gave the locket
| to him as security for the repayment OF the
| money. Soon afterward the witness turned the
| locket over 10 Detective Malloy. and asked him
| to collect the "a from White. The detective did
| not return either the money or the locket. E1-
Judge Gardner corrobornted Mr. Smith.
| The defence was substantially that Mr.. Smith
mislaid the ring. that II fell out Of tho cloth
| ing that he was summing on the day that h'
| missed H. hut that influenced by the statement
| Of Mrs Maynard. he determined to prosecute
| White. He gave White no rest. alternately
threatening that he was rich and powerful. an
| could send White to State prison NJ any mo.
| ment. and calong hi m into an admission that
| ne sto'c the ring hy uromis lng him money and
| a position on the elevated rai way or in ia,
| navy. Believing that he hld 10 chance tt
| escape from Mr. Smith and hoping that ht
| would secure good position, White made tn,
| desired admission.
The Jury deliberntel until late last evening
| Then they found White guilty. but recon.
mended him To judge Cowing's mercy.