Los Angeles herald., 1891-02-01
All HOOKS FIND.
JEwELER WAGNER RECovERs HIS
LoNo-LOsT DIAMONDS.
A Chinaman Finds Them and Thinks
They Are Made Of Glass Detective
waliin Gets Clue and the Jewels.

The Wagner diamond mystery has a
last been solved, the police having re
covered the missing gems from China
man, who picked them up on Ellendal,
avenue, near st. James park, after the,
had lain on the ground about twelv,
hours.
1t will be remembered that on the
afternoon OF Wednesday, the 7th Of las
January, L. M. Wagner, the Spring
street jeweler, took pocketbook con
tanning loose diamonds to the value o
$4,000, more or less, from his safe, ant
after showing the gems to an eastern
friend, went out for drive around the
city .Onreturning to the storeMr. Wagner
who supposed that he had slipped the
p0cketbook into drawer in his desk,
before leaving, went to put it back into
his safe, but found to his surprise that
IL was not there. Under the belief that
his wife had seen the pocketbook, and
'lcckedAit up for safe Keeping during his
absence, Mr.. Wagner did not worry
when he spoke to her about it and
ever Of the pocketbook, he became
Of his loss. Next morning the follow
the papers, and all sorts Of ceniectures
were made as to the story connected
Herewith:
r osT-s5oo REWARD FOR RETuRN or
IL pocketbook and diamonds lost on the after
noon of the 7th inst. the finder can return the
goods and no que stions asked, and will pay
the reward for the owner L. N. WAGNER,
Subsequently the amount OF the re-
ward was increased to $4,000, but even
this sum failed to have the desired
effect; and the theory that the diamonds
had been stolen and taken east to be
disposed of, was entertained as the most
plausible, although quite number of
people were unkind enough to hint that
the gems had never been lost at all.
In the meantime, however, Chief
Glass and Detective Wallin went to work
quietly upon the case, determined to
leave no stone unturned to solve the mys-
terry If possible. A very slight clue was
obtained two weeks ago by the former,
who heard incidentally that q China
man had been exhibiting several rieces
of cut glass to servant girls in the south
ern part of the city, while delivering
vegetables, and upon this Detective
Wallin was detailed to work.. After
struggling in vain with his almost hope
less task for several days, the detective
learned the licensed number of the
wagon driven by the Mongolian, and
his next step was to locate the peddler,
On Friday afternoon the detective. while
Al
wagon standing with number of 9TH
ers in front of Chinese store. and q few
minutes later he found the driver,
shrewd little Mongolian, named AZ
Hook. When questioned. however. Al
Hook not only denied that he had ever
seen. the wagon before, but proved by
another Chinaman that he had been
picking oranges out at San Gabriel and
had only jEst arrived in town. The de-
tective was determined not to be bluffed.
however, and took his prisoner to the
station, where he was locked up for the
night.
Yesterday morning he was taken into
the chiefs Office and questioned through
the medium of Chan Kin Sing, the court
interpreter. On being assured that he
would not be harmed, he at once stated
that about daylight on the morning of
Thursday, January 9Th twelve hours
alter the pocketbook had been lost),
he was driving along Glendale avenue
near st. James park, when his wagon
ran over pocketbook. As.it was q cold
morning, he did not at. first think it
worth bis while to stop and pick it up,
but as he had to stop and deliver veg
etables at q house some seventy-five
yards further on, he walked back for it
before proceeding on his journey. On
examining its contents he found num-
Der of small pieces OF cut glass, three of
which be subsequently tried to sell to
servant girls for IS each. The pocket
book was out with his belongings at his
employers ranch, some three miles
southwest of the race track. He had at.
first denied that he drove the wagon, be-
cause he thoughtthe detective had come
to arrest him for fast driving, he and
another Chinaman having had race
and been chased by policeman q few
days ago, in the outskirts of the city.
The detective accompanied All Hook
to the ranch, and after rewarding him
liberally returned with the pocketbook
and its contents, all of which were sub
sequently restored to Mr.. Wagner, who
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