The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-10-20
THREE -YEAR-0LO THIEF,
How Baby Meyer Made Away With
Diamonds Valued at Fifteen
Hundred.
A Pocketboolk Full OF Stones Taken
From the Safe In the
Store.
Another BABY In tho Family Once Lost
some watches In tho yery
Same Way.

New YoaK. OCT. 19.-Baby Meyers father
la dealer in diamonds and other precious
stones. Lis place Of business is ut No. 8s
Bowery. The sign N. Meyer is over the
door.
Being man Of moderate msnns ho lives
ia the store with his family. MIR. Meyer
has very little trade in tho immediate
But he has a very good
in the large Office buildings Of the
city. Ho makes daily visits TO these places
and leaves his wife to look after things in
his absence.
He went down to the Equitable building
last Thursday to sell a young man dia-
man intends to marry. After he had been
gone awhile customer came to the store
TO buy watch. Mrs. Meyer waited on
the customer. Baby followed her behind
the counter. Baby is not yet three years
old.
The safe where all the jewels and precious
stones are kept was open. Baby's chubby
little fists soon frightened 'around fat
pockctbook which lay temptingly in sight.
Laughing gleefully the toddling child crept
from behind the counter without mammals
notice.
Mannie-Harry IL his right nsme--is five
years old and full OF childish curiosity. He
snatched tho book from baby's fingers and
rushed towards the open door.
Rosie, eight years old, started after him.
But Mrs. Meyer saw Rosie running out and
called her back. Rosie is a good and
obedient child and returned.
The watch was sold the customer de-
parted, the safe was closed and Mrs. Meyer
went back to her homo duties without
noticing the disappearance Of the black
pocketbook.
Very soon little Mamie came back with :
out the black book. He was crying: Rosie
was frightened. She knew the value of the
book. Harry told her q big boy had
"tooken'' it from him in the open lot where
the Third Avenue Gable company are going
to have one OF their power stations. Being
most frightened to death" they said Moth
ing about the loss until yesterday morn
ing. ii,
safe, he says, for the purpose of getting
this same book and selecting Handsome
stone which was soon to adorn the finger OF
o pretty girl. He turned white when he
opened the drawer where he had left the
black book Wednesday night and found it
empty. There were forty odd stones in
that book, besides a pawnticket he had
thousand or more. He asked his wife
and all the children, but they could give no
| information.
Rosie had gone away. Mamie was un-
comfortable. Returning to the safe, Mr..
Meyer overhauled everything and found
i ~ J~1n nj
othsr stones besides q goodly amount OF
money had been left untouched. He con
cluded that stranger had not robbed him.
| A stranger would have taken much more
and more valuable things. So he went to
search for Rosie. Finally he found her,
nearly frightened out Of her wits. her little
face all puckered to cry. She was hungry
and there was heavy load on her heart.
| He gently led her into the house and
coAxed her to tell what has already been
told. Then Mamie confessed that he had
taken the book from baby and run away
with it. He went out on the vacant lot and
big boy snatched it and ran away. This
confession was obtained about two O'Clock
I In the afternoon. Could Mamie tell who
the boy was? He said he did not know the
boys name, but could point him out So
Mr.. Meyer and the child went out in the
vacant lot where lot of boys, about forty
of them, were playing "see-saw'' on big
board.
(Which is the boy?" asked the father. :.
",That ia the one with the red shirt on,''
said the child, pointing out bov of ten.
"Go over and stand by him. said the
father.
Mamie went over and stood by Il boy
named David Smith, who lives somewhere
| in Chrystle street. MIR. Meyer says he
called the boy over to him, but the boy
would not come. He then says he walked
over to the boy.
II did not accuse him of having done
anything" says Mr.. Meyer, but as !
walked up he said, I did not take anything
from your boy"
Mr.. Meye says he thinks it strange that
the boy should deny taking anything be-
fore he had been accused. The boy was
finally taken into the store and De.
tective Schirmer summoned from the
Elizabeth street station. David failed
to sustain the reputation which his
caught in some Statements which proved
untrue For instance, he snid he was not
| in the city on Thursday, that he had gone
down to Staten island. Mr.. Meyer says
that he learned from David's parents tina,
he had not been out of the city that day
There we're other discrepancies. Besides
he says that David's folks give him bae
name
As David denies the theft, and as the lit
tie boy Mamie is so young, 1t was decldet
| inadvisable to arrest David. But the de
teetive is looking up evidence, and intends
to al # the matter to the bottom. At thu
station house nothing could be learned save
that the loss of the diamonds had been re-
ported and the matter was under investlga-
| tion.
Mr.. Meyer says he could not re place thu
| Jewels for 80 per cent more than they Goa
him several years ago. lie hopes to get q
clue through the pawn ticket which was II
the book. He intends Offering a reward TO
the recovery of his property. Moat of thu
stones we're Of the finest quality, and sew
eral OF them had been bargaincd for.
"This is the third time have suffered
big loss in the lust four years" " he said. :"
attended pawnbroker's sale four years ag'
and bought about $500 " orth Of diamonds
] put them in bottle and placed 1t in M,
pocket. When l got to the store the bottl
was gone. / never saw it, though adver
tised 1t in all the papers and offered re-
ward Of $3.50.
"Ihe secend loss was when my little bo
Charlie picked up lot of fine gold watche
in leather cases and walked into the stree
with them. He took about dozen, an,
thought il fine fun to play that they we
school books, until some thief on the stroe
came up and stole three OF thOm from him
MOI did not punish Mamie. He has n
idea OF the value Of the stones. do no
belieye in furnishing children that way
And of course, baby has no idea OF tho dam
age done. would rather lose the diamond
than either OF than. But must invon
some way to keep their pryinR little finger
,U thaaa inWalu Many tnora auNh lOsnp