The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-04-24
ALLEGED DIAMOND THIEVES.
Wen who Tally TO the Description
OF the Columbus Diamond Thieves.


Wen who Tally TO the Description
of the Columbus Diamond Thieves.
About two weeks ago City Marshal Nor
ton received the following letter concerning
the theft of lot of diamonds at Colum bus
City Marshal, Dallas;
My DEAR SIR--Some four or five DAYS
ago sent you postal describing lot of
iswelry stolen from widow lady, of COL
umbus, Texas, by the name of .Mrs. Bette
B. Tate" She made quite mistake in of.
fering such reward as she did, as the
jewelry was very valuable. Itwa, worth as
least two thousand dollars, and better res
ward ought to have beer offered. l take the
liberty OF writing you rs brother officer
to try aud give you all the points l have
made regarding it. The parties who
stole it are undoubtedly partt es
who are following Welsh &
Sands circus for such purposes.
The description of the parties are: One man
seems to be about As or 50 years old, grew
hair and has beard all over his face about
one inch long, and l think third finger off of
lef. hand. He also has with him a Young
man about five feet, eight or nine inch.s
high, with little musta che and dresses rather
fancy, and sometimes wears glasses. There
is also woman along selling lsces or pr,.
tending to. That Is a spo.ter for them.
They left the circus at Hampstead and Got
me off of their track. l would come up nv
self but just got telegram calling me home.
Please Keep look out for such parties.
and if you get them Telegraph me
and will telegraph YOU a
warrant that will hold them.until can come.
Enclosed you will fnd description of ,welrv
that the lady rad out herself and gave me.
Plesse investigate your pawn shops 81, rs |
believe from what can fad out they are in
your city probably waiting for circus.
respectfully,
II. B. MIDDLETON.
City Marshal,
Columbus, Texas.
Marshal Morton furnished each member
of the police force with description of the
parties, and yesterday morning at the Union
depot officers Mullins and Hodges came
upon the two men just as they were on the
eve of taking an east bound train for Min.
cola where the show was yesterday, and
placed them under arrest. They we're very
indignant and insisted with the officers that
they had taken in charge the wrong men They
wero taken TO the station.house aud locked
up. They said that they were sporting men
and had been following the Pacific show
playing poker and selling what is termed
"stutfed" ewelry. They had gone west with
the show to Wea,herford and Fort Wor tn,
where they laid over, and when arrested they
were on their way to Join it again at Mineola.
to which point they had shipped their
baggage from this place by the Pacific ex-
press company. When they were searched
diamond pin and a gold watch we're taken
off of them, as well as pistol from each.
They gave their names as Zeno Williams
and Sol Aiken. Both answered the deserip-
ton fully with the exception of Williams
beard, whose chin is clean shaved, yet tho
index finger of his left hand is missing as
stated 10 the letter of the city marshal of
Columbus. It's supposed that the stolen
lewelry is in their vallses which they ex-
pressed, as already stated, to Mineola, and
Marshal Morton has telegrsphed the author
tiles there to hold them. He also sent tel
gram to the marshal of Columbus, inform
ing him OF the arrest, and received reply
from him that he would be here to-day to
take the prisoners in charge. There was
woman here about week ago, stopping
at one of the hotels whose bril- liant
diamond earrings and bresstpin and rings,
were the source Of admiration and general
remark among those who CHANGED 10 zee
them. She left the city several days ago,
and the officers are of the opinion that she is
the one mentioned in the msrshal's letter. A
HERALD reporter called at the station house
TO see the men. They are genteely dressed,
of good addrs, and would never be taken
by the general public for thieves. Williams
said that he was a sporting man, and Aiken
said that he had been following the show,
selling 'shoddy jewelry'" He stated that he
was an actor by profession, and that he play
cd ia this city seven years ago at the old
Fields threstre, with the Stevens Carlotts
combination company.