The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-21
SUNG ron DIAMONDS.
The Arrest Of Mrs Peek, who was Accused
Of swIndIlng u. n. Babbitt

Mrs. II. w. Peck, who was conspicuous
Inst summer In connection with n charge OF
swlndng Mr.. b. T. Rabbit by obtaining a
large sum Of money on the pretense that she
WIS able to trace and recover the bonds which
his defaulting bookkcoper Beckwith. had
stolen. was arrested In her home at 3O7 Putnam
avenue Brooklyn. yesterday. by Detectives Cor
win and Will ans on a charge OF robbing
Iyonce LANCER, diamond merchant Of 653
Broadway. this city, OF II large diamond. worth
e. 600. on Jan. q. 1873. and Of fraudulently OBJ
tanning. before that time and since May I. 1877
diamonds worth $4,000 The warrant for Mrs
pcck's arrest has been out since Dec. 2G last
After compromising her difficulty with Mr..
Babhitt by giving n chnttel mortgage on her
furniture In her homo Mt 3O7 Putnam avenue.
she lived quietly there with her children. her
husband. who is an engineer on n Havana line
OF steamers. being absent many wooks at a
time. About the time that tho warrant for her
arrest was granted she went to the asylum for
tho insane in Morrstown. N. j.. entering as n
nay patient. She returned home three weeks
ago. but kept herself in doors. and the fact OF
her return was not learned by tho detectives
who had been searching for her until n day or
two ago. The officers searched the house yes
tcrday for her and they say that they found her
concealed in a closet In the Kitchen.
Mrs. Peck IL matronly woman. about 38
years OF age although she looks older. Sho IL
educated and has been much respected. Her
confinement has told upon her appearance. and
mt present she Is very much emacatcd, and
seems weak.
The nominal complainant in the case Is
Iyoncc LANCER. but the real prosecutor il said
to be Grady. the diamond peddler. The a1l-
daVit Of LANCER rccites that in May. 1877 Mrs.
Peck represented to him that she had a large
number Of friends to whom she could sell dia-
monds, watches. and jowery, and recited TO
She could Induce TO buy Jewels She solicited
the privilege II taking diamonds from the com
nlanant Tor sale. agreeing TO return thom in
the event Of her not selling them. and to return
To him the price fixed by him in advance on
those which she did sell. She said that she
owned $50 900 worth Of real estate in Worcester,
which her father had left her .dhat she also had
an estate at Deep River Conn. and that she
| owned her Brooklyn residence. She obtained
number OF diamonds. and returned the goods
| Ia some instances; but oftener the money for
| them. She got other diamonds In the place of
| those she left, and kept some on hand nearly all
| the time. She obtained diamonds Of unusual
| value from time To time by representing that
| she had purchasers for them. On Jan. ~, 1878,
she said that II she could get a diamond that
was large and valuable to show her customers,
| 80 that they could sec that she had means OF
obtaining, selling, and dealing in expensive
diamonds. i would increase their confidence
/ and greatly facilitate her endcavors. She chose
diamond pendent containing single stone
| worth 81 900. aud asked permission to take II
i9r eAnLp !, no price was h.d upon H. ana
| be returned. A day or two later the dealer
learned that the diamond was in Ncwman's
The complainant further alleges that Mrs
! Peok has o6tnined from him $4,000 worth Of
| diamonds. which she has refused TO return or
account for; and that the diamonds have hcen
| seen in the pawn shops In BROOKLYN and New
| York. where they were pledged for money OBJ
| tanned ON them. Her alleged representations
| OF her ownership Of real estate are also charged
| 10 have proved false.
Mrs. Peck coolly heard the recital OF the
charges against her, and said slowly, in re-
| spouse TO question by Justice Walsh 3" have
| nothing to say | cannot tell when | will he
| ready for examination. as' have no counsel
| The examination was set down for March %.
| Mrs. Peck said that she had had no transact
| tions with LANCER and that the arrest was "a
scheme TO blackmai her. for already threats
| had reached her that unless she paid money
silc would he arrested. She had explained the
| matter fully to her counsel. and he had advised
| her not to pay n cent. What diamonds she did
get she said she obtained from Grady. who did
not appear on the surface in the transaction :
and she had paid him in full for all that she had
| not returned.
Lawyer James W. Ridgway procured from
| Judge Moore AN order admitting Mrs. Peck To
| $1,000 tail. but she was unable to procure
| tondsmen. and was obliged to 20 to Jail Tho
| detectives aver that Mrs Peck went to the asy-
| lum and affected insanity to escape punish
ment ON this charge. There are suits pending
against herself and husband in the Supreme
| Court growing out OF her transactions with
| Mr.. Is. L. Rabbit.