Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-18

story Of . Trinidad Negro Arrested for Steal
ing oSO, Zoo Of Precious stones.


ing at 10 O'Clock.
ashore from the steamship Philadelphia. He
bad been standing on the deck Of the steam
ship as she came to her dock and cut quite
figure.
He was well dressed and as black as possible.
but it was not this that attracted attention, but
he had an enormous waist. He was taken aside
by Revenue Inspector George Forrard, who had
become suspicious Of the big waist. Forrard
took him Into . private room, but found
nothing. Heidelberg and his associates then
arrested him, and, searching him, found about
$1,000 worth Of iewelry in o belt around his
waist.
There were twenty-four diamond rings, q
pearl necklace, thirteen gold bracelets, two dia-
mond shawl pins. three pairs Of pearl earrings.
gold pin, one chatelaine pin, a silver purse,
six diamond bracelets, one diamond pendant,
one pencil studded with diamonds, fifteen loose
pearls OF great value. eight pairs of diamond
earrings, one diamond lace pin, one pearl scarf
pin, two sapphire and diamond rings and great
many other articles, some Of them very valua-
BILE and Of great beauty.
CERTAIN MME LEROY.
The negro was greatly alarmed when he was
placed uader arrest, and said that he had brought
the jewelry into the city for certain woman,
known as Mime. Leroy. The negro said at first
that his name was Alfred Virgins. Then he
said that his name was H. ]. Backus.
Nine. Leroy was a passenger on the Philadel-
phia. She declared that she had nothing to do
with the smuggling.
The police turned the jewelry over to the
custom house officers and walked OF with the
prisoner and locked him up In q cell at police
headquarters, where he spent last night
The arrest Of the man was asked for by the
Venezuelan authorities. On July 10 they sent
n IN ha Vap aio Il NJ,
York telling him that negro of the name Of
Carlos Virgins, native Of Trinidad. had sailed
for this country on the steamship Philadelphia
The cable dispatch described him as young, tall
oeardiess, with large, white, perfect teeth, fne
nose and black ewes. The cablegram read fur
ther: He takes with him some stolen Jewels,
among them a necklace and earrings of large
pearls and diamonds OF various sizes. Mme
Maude Leroy Is also a passenger on the steam
ship and is suspected Of being an accomplice Of
the thief, and 1t is thought that she may have
iSe ,ewe,ry IN her 1sssags: Give notice to the
The cable dispatch was signed by Undanema,
minister Of foreign affairs.
DREAMED OF THE JEWELS.
In court on Saturday the negro told re-
porter that he had found the jewels in q box
under the fireplace in his masters house. He
thought it was box of money. He did not in
commonly intelligent man, and speaks Spanish
huently. He also converses In good English.
Il did not know / was stealing my lady's
jewels, he said at all came about this way.
had several dreams about buried treasure,
but on waking would not remember the spot
One day IT occurred to me that the treasure Of
my dream was concealed under the old
fashioned square bricks forming the flooring Of
the fireplace in my room. The thought troubled
me all day and made me restless and wakeful
at night, so finally determined to satisfy my
curiosity by making search.
cat midnight on July pried out brick
and probed the sand underneath with nv knife.
The point struck some metallic substance,
which proved to be a box, which could not
open.
II felt happy that my dream had come true,
and determined to take passage for America,
where every one Is free and equal and where I
could enjoy my wealth.
Il never thought that the box belonged to
my master or mistress, supposing that il con-
| tained-as had seen in my dream-gold coin
that had been buried years and years by former
occupants Of the mansion.
II was afraid to open the box, and did not
until was out at sea- To my establishment
instead Of coin / found diamonds, eraeralds
and sapphires in the casket. knew that the
duty on those articles would be enormous, and
concluded that the best thing to do was to
secrete them upon my person. made a belt
tied it around my waist. thought that 1 had
taken sufficient precautions, but to my sur
prise / was detected on this side.
1T is said that was smuggling the jewelry
into the country for Madame Leroy. This is
untrue: believe Madame Leroy to be an
honorable woman, and in justice to her / wish
to say that che had nothing whatever to do
with this affair"
Virgins was the butler and confidential serv-
ant OF Jesus Paul, who is leader in Caracas So
ciety. 1t has been stated that during the late
revolution Paul sided with the insurrectionists
against Crespo and was exilcd in consequence.
This Gen. Terrero denies emphatically He
says that at present Paul is living in Caracas
and is in good standing with the government.
FIGHT FOR THE JEWELS.
The jewels are now said to be worth 800, 900
and an interesting fight for them is promised.
Inspectors Steers says, 81 want the jewslry
that was taken from Virgins, for he is my pris-
oner. I claim him on the charge of bringing
stolen property into this state. cannot see
that he has violated the laws of the United
States, but that remains to be shown"
On the other hand the property is now in the
possession Of the customs authorities, to whom
1t was handed by the detectives for safekeeping.
By them it was declared confiiscated, as it was
evidently the intention Of the negro to smuggle
it into this country.
Finally, the consul general from Venezuela,
Gen. Terrero. protests vigorously against what
he calls high-handed proceedings and intends
to invoke the aid Of the United States courts in
the name Of the Venezuelan government to
have the jewelry handed over to him in order
that he may send it back to its rightful owner
He claims that the goods were never landed in
this country and that the payment Of duty or
the confscation of the goods is preposterous.
Mime. LIE Roy, who was suspected BY the
Venezuelan authorities Of being an accomplice
Of the negro, Is one Of the most notorious
women Of that country. She Is Philadelphia
woman. formerly lived in Washington and went
to venezuela some years ago. The New York
police will not modest her, a. il is thought she
did not have anything to do with The robbery.