The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-04-06
DIAMONDS In POLICE COURT
4 GLITTERING pILE THdT WAS ON JUS
ICE WILSH'S DESR.

Mira. Ellhn w. Itth Ol ouf IubildiH hNtHup,
Brooklyn. the wife OF an engineer of ono OF the
Havana steamers. was examined by Justice
Walsh on Thursday on charge of grand larceny
in takin diamond worth "a 900 from Lyonce
LANCER. diamond merchant in Broadway. OPP
posito tho Manhattan Savings Bank. and also
on n charge Of obtaining $4,000 worth Of dia-
monds under false prrenccs from Mr.. LANCER
to sell 20 her rich friends, and falling to return
them. or tho money for Thorn. Mrs. Peck Ii
delicate looking, buc-eycd woman nbcut 39
years OF age. She has three children. one
married daughter. For many years she has
moved in good society in Brooklyn. She lived
in a richly furnished house. and her husband,
who 10 wo-to-do. amply supplied her with
money. Processing 70 possess moro than ordi-
nary detective ability. she some time ago OBJ
tanned from Mr.. u. n. Babbitt about $40 900 as
expenses in the nttcmpi she said she was max
ing to get for him the t20O0 900 in bonds. which
| his bookkecpcr Beckwith had stolen. An officer
WAS In tho Justices court on Thursday with n
| bench warrant from Judge in this city for her
| arrest in connection with the complaint ~ Mr..
| Babhitt. She II said to havn had over SGOOOO IN
! the uast two years. and Superiniendru camp
| bells theory is that she has buried the money;
Lyonce LANCER. the complainant. r9lupd
/ i"s.it' Of Aprii or tho ilrSt Of Nay. 1877. She
| said she could sell n quantity OF diamonds
| and jewelry If she got commission ns she hnd
| the wca'thicst men in the United States. She
| represented that such mon were her friends.
| The witness remembered the name OF Coy.
| Wnshhurn ma among those she mentioned.
| On tho strength ~ her representations OF her
wealth. LANCER said, he gave her a quantity OF
/ diamonds. She said she was going 10 visit her
! wealthy friends at their homes and sell them
| the diamonds Shc aitorward sold a numncr
/ Of diamonds and returned the money Tor th"m.
] She also returned "a number of diamonds UNI
sold. but $4,000 worth OF diamonds sue neither
| sold nor returned.
la tho latter part of December. 1871. or Janu-
| airy. 1878 she asked for large diamond 10
| going to attend party which she wns going To-
/ give. She selected a pendant worth $4,000. ana
/ Mr.. Grady. tho Witness agent. took II 10 hcr III
/ Brooklyn. She returned the pendant in two
/ days. and in the latter part of January, 1873.
| she rot It again. She said that she could use
. its influence among her customers. Co. whom
/ She could prove by II that She had facilites Tor
| getting valuable diamonds and they would
/ therefore have more confidence In her. After
/ considerable length OF timc Mr.. GRADY nap
/ peued To- Ind that the pendant WAS IN a pawn
brokers' shop kept 10y one Newman. Mr. Grady
/ got 1t back with considerable work.
Mrs. Peck. the witness said. also got n star OF
diamonds worth $1,000, on the prctenco Of
| showing 10 t. her customers. He learned that
/ u pawnbruker IN New York hat the star She
| rot y pair Of earrings worth tl.2oO to show TO
Mr. Royal They were found IN pawnshop
tnry were the ones Mrs. Peck had taken from
/ him. and that were HiterwHrd found in pawn
! shops. Outshiniug all the rest WAS the beauli-
iul 81 900 diamond that had been In the
Tho witness gave Mrs. Pock in all s3l 900
worth OF diamonds. He made no inquiry 70
verify her representations. as Mr. Grady said
that he thought from the ncighhorhood. where
Mrs. Peck lived and whore he had made some
In reply To- LAWYER James W. Ridgeway's
questions. LANCER swore that he did not tell
Mrs. Peek to refuse to tell whore she got a
stolen watch. fnr the sale OF which she was ar
rested IN New York last year. rs II might make
trouble. He did not ask her 70 20 70 Canada Or
| any other place TO dispose Of goods which mad
been stolen for him. lie WAS never iui-rc-ted.
he said IN attempting TO recover Mr.. Bahbitt =
100000. and had not written any letters Tor
Grady the diamond pedder a short. smooth
shaver man with close-cut gray halr. small.
piercing eyes no collar. and shining solitaire
diamond in his shirt bosom. testified that Mrs.
Peck told him that her property brought her in
Inherited the property from her father. Hiram
q. Crosby and that her husband had pros
this city, the firm being Muldoon, Peck. Howard
h Lynch. Sho proiessed TO have a $4,000
America. and had a pension OF some $4,000 or
also showed papers OF the face value Of Is. 900.
with the recommendation OF Mr. Williams. her
surroundings. the coaches. the elegantly
her place, Influenced the firm 10 open an ac-
count with her for goods on commission. She
the witness that Mrs. Washburn had loaned
the, star TO her 70 wear at q party In Worcester.
She wrote me. said Grady. that the star was
the star Of the evening"
The examination was continued yesterday.
Grady again exhibited the diamonds on Justice
Wash's desk. Mrs. Peck . husband sat beside
her He ayers that most OF the revelations OF
his wife's doings made since her arrest are new
to him. Thomas Newman. n Fulton street pawn
broker. testified that the largo diamond was put
in pawn at his store on Jan. g. 1873, when he
loaned Mrs. Peck 5000 on II. ON Jan. . he loaned
Mrs. Peek $500 on 4 diamond cross. and sll5 on
a diamond star on Jan. u. The star was taken
ont, and twice alterward was pawned the last
time being in June 1873. She also pawned
diamond rings and other Iewelry and cloth ing.
Tho pendant which Grady said was worth
about 81 600 Mr.. Newman further testified that
Grady gave MIN 10 understand that he New
nam should not lose the money no advanced ~
Mrs Peck. and that Grady gave his consent to
HIS taking certain articles in pawn; He said that
by Mrs. Peck If he testified 10 certain things.
Alexander Goodman OF 7G7 Broadway. testi.
star. On June n, 1877. he loaned $40 on a sin
gle stons diamond earring. on June p, 1877.
name Of Mrs. W. A. Moore, on diamond studs
and earrings.
Lawyer KidgcwayzIsntyour place on the list
IN. the New York Police Headquarters US a
The Witness--I did not come here to be in
suited but will say that II is not.
Lawyer Ridgoway-Are you not the man who
loaned William Porter tthe late George How
ards associated 800 on Il diamond studl
Detective Wiam 2. Williams testified that
Mrs. Peck requested him 10 Introduce her to
some one who would let her have some dia-
monds to sell He believed that she was honest.
and heard that she owned property in Massa-
chusetts and In Connecticut He introduced her
| 10 Grady. but on cross exam nation he admitted
that before ho did so. he had received warrant
for her arrest on the complaint Of Mr.. Sage. a
De kalb avenue Jeweler. from whom she was
alleged To have obtained two watches on false
pretences. He admitted having written a letter
10 Mr.. b. T. Babbiu at Mrs. Peek's request but
II WINS not. ms She had said recommendation
OF her as a skilled and able detective but II was
70 secure her daughter Il situation with Mr..
Rabbit rs n eaeswoman. He afterwards heard
her say that she had got $4,000 from Mr. Bah
| bit, but denied that he ever received a share OF
II, or that he ever kept book in which he noted
shares that he received.
Gen. Tracy here rested the case. and Mr..
| james Ridgrway asked for Mrs. pecks dis
charge, alleging that IL had neither been proved
! that she had committed larceny nor that she had
Obtained goods by trick and device.
Justice Walsh decided to hold Mrs Peck to
await the action 81 the Grand jury She plead
ed not guilty. As long rs Grady controls the
bench warrants from the District Attorney =
office in New York. said Lawyer Ridgeway.
wall not try 10 get bail"
Mrs Peck. who WAS sent back TO Raymond
street Jail said to the reporter that the proceed
ing against her was prosecution and blnckmail.
and that although she had obtained much no.
tQriety, and had several times been arrested.
she still was not conscious OF having done any
wrong anninst tho Inv