Los Angeles herald., 1890-08-06
California Loan and Trust
Company Robbed.
Very Valuable Diamonds taken
from the Safe.
No Clue at all to the Robbers.
Some Peculiar Circumstances-The De-
tails of an Interesting Case.

The most mysterious burglary which
has been known in this city for long
time is now being investigated by de-
tective agency. The work is one which
would nonplus the keenest old sleuth in
the business. The details, as gathered
from friend of one of the parties inter-
ested, are as follows:
The California Loan and Trust compa-
ny has an Office in the Phillips block on
Spring street. Some time ago Mrs. Ger
trude Croft, who resides at POI north ST.
chel street, through her attorney, con-
Quoted some negotiations with the COM
pany, and left in its charge diamond
breastpin and ring, and watch and
bracelet, on which she borrowed $125.
Mr.. 7. j. Carran, the we'll known attor-
ney, also had some business transactions
with the company on the part OF eli
ent, woman who desired to have her
business conducted without appearing
in it herself; as result he placed on de-
posit with the company pair OF diam
ond earrings on which the loan of five
hundred dollars was made.
All these valuables were deposited in
the Company's safe, which is protected
by two combination locks; the one on
the outer door being opened by means
of a combination of figures, and that on
the inside door being based on letters.
These combinations were known to four
members of the Company, w. M. Shell
don its president; his brother, NJ. N.
Avery, the secretary, and Mr. Baker.
On the evening of July 10Th, at the
close of business, the safe was locked,
and the jewels were known to be inside
of it. On Sunday one of the firm was
at the Office and is positive that the safe
was all right then. Gu Monday when
the doors were unlocked, the jewels, ex-
cepting the watch and bracelet belong
ing to Mrs. Croft, were gone. The safe
was not broken nor did the locks show
evidence of being tampered with.
p The Company at once enlisted the aid
of detectives to unravel the mystery,
but so far there has been no resulting
clue. The only explanation that sug-
gests itself is that the packages were ab-
stracted some time on Saturday by some
visitor to the Office short time before
the close of business.
The sudden departure to San Fran
cisco of Ia bonnie annie in the Danron-
Lockwood partnership, Mrs. Foster, is
considered by some detectives signif-
can't. Mrs. Foster was the woman who
had a room adjoining to those occupied
by Damron and Lockwood, in the Red
ick block. She left the city a very
short time after Damron's capture.
The Loan Company has reimbursed
the owners of the jewelry on condition
that if the jewels are not returned by
October the settlement is to be final.
Altogether the case is one that has
nonplussed the officers, and one which
leaves nothing but theoretical explana-
tions.
This firm, the California Loan and
Trust Company is the one which nego-
tiated several of the alleged forged notes
of J. M. Damron; just previous to the
robbery they had turned over to the
District Attorneys office one OF the notes.
AS the signing of'the signatures was very
poorly done there has been some sur
prise that Loan Company should have
discounted them without suspecting
their origin.
Mr.. Carran said to one of our report
ers yesterday that to one OF the parties
who had lost the valuables it was rep
resented that when the Damron matter
was fully and finally cleared up the
jewels might be found, that the robbery
occurred the very day that Damron dis
appeared and that it might have been
done by some friend of his desirous of
helping him out.
D,,+o oh,