Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-04-24
A GREAT JEWEL ROBBERY

0OCl0ty was stdTIleu d low years dSo W
reports of series of daring robberies.
The most costly gems seemed to disap-
psar as if by magic under the very eyes
,-of their owners. These robberies defied
detection. A clew in one case was upset
in another. When my aid as private de-
tective was called in, resolved to con-
fine my attention to three distinct cases,
though of course, if useful information
came in my way concerning other mat
ters, should know how to take advan-
tage of it.
TIE first of the three on my list was
the case of the Iowager Lady A., some
what eccentric old lady, who found her
chief delight in arraying herself in her
most valuable jewels and visiting, in
regular rotation. all the West End thea
tors. One night, when returning from
one of these expeditions, her carriage
! had been overturned by colliding with
slaA onnibns. The dowager was seri-
tcusly injured, and within few days
The was dead. Then, apparently for the
first time, it was discovered that the
whole of the jewels worn by Lady A. on
the night of the carriage accident had
mysteriously disappeared. Her maid
was SO overcome by the sight of her in
jured mistress that she failed altogether
to remember what was done with these
jewels at the moment when her ladyship
was undressed. 1t was even question
whether they might not have been actu-
ally lost in the street during the confus-
ion of the accident. At all events no
trace of them could be found, and it
soon became evident that, in the excite
ment of summoning relatives, fetching
doctors, and, very soon, nurses and un-
dertakers, half a dozen persons might
have entered the house and walked off
with the jewels without any chance of
detection.
Then 1 turned my attention to the
second case-that of the young countess
B. There seems less room for doubt in
this instance The fashionable wedding
of the autumn had been that of the Earl
Of B. with Miss Blank. There had been
q church full of people at st. Georges,
Hanover Square, and host of guests at
the breakfast at the Unique hotel. On
the morning of the wedding the Earl
had presented his bride with magni6-
cent tiara of diamonds. AS the "happy
pair" were to start almost Immediately
for. the continent, these diamonds, inclos-
cd in case, were hastily packed in a
travelling bag, which the brides travelling
maid was never to let out her sight. On
arriving d Paris the bag was apparently
intact, but on opening the jewel case the
tiara was missing. Clearly, it must have
hen cleverly extracted from the case
while lying in the brides dressing room,
the empty case then being placed in the
bag. Who had stolen the countess dia-
monds9 The maid, the brides mother
und . younger brother had alone, so far
I'll ms known, entered the room where
~ Jewels we e lying. I don't mind say
ing I had some difficulty in believing
that bona fide robbery had been COM
mitted. You may not believe it, brit l
am convinced that many startling rob-
berry OF jewelry could he explained if we
knew OF all the private debts incurred by
ladies OF fashion, and OF the sacrifices
sometimes made by them to screen from
disgracs themselves or some deeply IN
volvsd connection.
Meanwhile, made inquiries concern
ing robbery No. 3. This was at Colone-
Cs. There the only thing missed was a
very valuable bracelet. There had been
. dance at the house. During the even
ing Mrs. G. had slipped and sprained
her ankle so severely that doctor had
TO be summoned, and the party was
somewhat prematurely broughtto a close
Mrs.. g. distinctly remembered wearing
the bracelet; but whether she had it on
at the moment Of falling, she could mol
Remember. There had been naturally
4 uome confusion in the ball room, and the
. lady had been carried to her own room
- was not for some hours that the loss
a the bracelet was noticed. Then a
lsrch was made, but altogether without
1&ocess.
In the first and third Of these cases,
suspicion seemed to point at once to
some member Of the household; but all
my inquiries failed to find envy trace Of
ths missing property. The servants al
willingly consented, nay, even offered TO
Asve their boxes searched, and for some
Nesan confessed myself bahied. The
asias property had disappeered =
"a ~ & ~ s tssat * &