Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-08-18
1T WAS ALL A LIE.
JULIA CaISNELLS DIAMONDS WERE NOT IN
TIE PITTSBURG POSTOFFIIE,
And Never Weren't They are in the Possession
Of the Police, All the Same-AnOtker Interest
ing Chapter About This Particular Crime.

The REGISTER yesterday printed most
interesting account of the supposed finding
of the 81 400 worth Of diamonds stolen from
Julia Chisnell, last Wednesday, by Cora
Hamlin.
The story was that told the police by that
crooked but clever young lady, in her
confession" she leading the police to be-
lieve the stones were lying in the Pitts
burgh postoflice, in locl1-box No. SIS, ad-
dressed to herself, she adding that she had
mailed the small package containing the
proceeds OF the robbery TO that city, in the
expectation of getting them just as soon as
she got of the train from Wheeling.
This story was a plausible and artistic
lie-nOthing more.
The diamonds were never mailed to
Pittsburg at all, but were carried there by
Cora Hamlin herself, and ever since the
day and hour of her arrest they have
been secreted in the Central police station
up there.
Yesterday morning Onicer John Shorts
went up fond the diamonds and last night
he telegraphed that they were in his pos
session. The story of how the jewels were
finally found is, if anything, more interest
ing than any portion of the narrative OF
this rather peculiar robbery which has
been heretofore told,
Yesterday morning, being fully con-
WINGED that she had hoodwinked the police
by the confession she had made pre-
viously, Cora Hamlin sent for Officer
Shorts and asked him, now that she had
told where the diamands were, and that
they would be forthcoming in a day or
two" 10 20 out and see Miss Chisnell and
ask what she intended 10 do with her
whether or not she would refuse to pros
ecute Officer Shorts reported this TO
Chief Delbrugge, and was instructed to tell
the girl that Miss Chisnell would make no
promises nor do anything until the missing
diamonds were again in her keeping. The
girl seemed ratified by this, at first, but
after moment she said; -
''Well-my GOd-ll tell you where they
are if that's all she will do
She then said, in substance, that when
she was arrested by t-e I'ittSburg officers
she had the diamonds concealed about her
person. with a care which she had hoped
would defy all searches, but in headquart-
ers. while the officers were in rear room,
separated from the place she was confined
bv partition about eight feet high, she
removed the gems from lutlI ululuE pldCt'
they being sewed up in a small muslin bag,
took n long black-headed pin from her hat,
stuck il through the bag. and STOPPING
down beside wardrobe in the apartment,
she stuck the pin firmly into the wood of
the piece of furniture, reaching up under
the space left between the floor and the bot
tom of the wardrobe by the rollers.
When Detectives Shores and McAleeSe
failing, as a matter OF course, TO find the
diamonds in her handbag. came to
search her, they naturally met with no bet
ter luck, and she stoutly maintained her
innocence and came back 70 this city with
the Wheeling officers, trusting 10 luck 10
get the diamonds at another time or al
least, if she never got hold Of them she felt
confident she would be able, by repeated
denials, TO maintain her innocence and be
discharged from custody.
The Pittsburg police, who have looked on
with admiration all along, while Chief Del
brugge worked up this case, were probably
astoniShed, last night when they were told
by Officer Shorts that the diamonds were
right in their own headquarters, and had
been all the time
This robbery, in all its phases, certainly
goes a little beyond any similar crime re
Gently occurring in this city. in point of
general interest.