The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-02-20
PAINE'S
Celery Compound
NAMES rEoPrE WELL.
TO ROB LOU GRAHAM.
A Daring Scheme to Get Her
Jewels Frustrated.
THE ARREST OF THE PloTrERs.
4 $500 Neeklses and Oshsr Dfamonds
the Booty They Hoped 10
Take By Ferce.

The police say that the arrest Of lin
Burns for stealing two gold watches from
A. Gsrhnkle. OF the Seattle Loan Com.
pany, and Ed Page, his alleged partner,
for completely in the recsns holdnps, fru.-
trsied a wegl-lsid plan TO rob Lou Graham,
the owner Of the gilded house Of shame az
the corner Of Washington and South
Fourth streets, Of 5000 worth Of dia-
monds. Ii the cesperadoes had not bean
nut behind the bars in the nick OF time il
Is almost certain that they would have
carried their plan into execution, thus ae-
compiishing the most daring and profit
able robbery in the history of the city.
According to the information collected
Of Detectives Phiibrick, Ccdlhee and Rob
erts. Burns - the most desperate and cum
ming criminal that has operated i'm this
city since William Anderson, the notors-
Gus diamond thief. who is now serving
sevenieen-year sentence in Iowa. was here.
burns appeared in the variety district
south OF fesler avenue about three weeks
ago, and, although poorly dressed and
apparently without means Of support. al
ways bad money. Officer Powers saw him
several times and recognized him as the
fellow who shot at lahorer in the Column
bus house several months ago. When
Garhnkle was robbed the police, in look
ing over the ground, became suspicious of
Barns and claim that while investigating
the case thsy obtained positive informa-
ton Of the contemplated robbery Of Lou
Graham's diamonds Burns and his pal.
Page. and possibly John Lyner, who Is
now In Jail on suspicion, had been plan
ming the affair Tor some time. Disguised
as mendicant Page was to get into the
house and ''sixs up" things. the most i'm
portant point being 10 ascertain positively
just how aud where Lou Graham
wore her diamonds. It was not sur
prising that they knew Of tho dia-
monds, for at the time the madame
purchased her necklace, its cost and mag
nihcence were common talk in sporting
circles. They learned that the necklace
consisted of twenty-one first-water stones.
the largest being three carats weight and
the others grading down to medium sized
stones at the clasp. Il is valued at 81. 500
and once in the possession Of robber he
would have little trouble in breaking the
links, secreting the stones and disposing
Of them one by one. At her bosom the
madame wears . solitaire valued at $3.50
and in her hair miniature dagger that
CLEANS with diamonds, worth $50 She
has four bracelets each set with diamonds,
the one abe generally wears having two
diamonds worth 500.
The robbers calculated that it would be
an easy matter for one OF them, presum-
ably Burns. to go up the Washington
street entrance. his pal or pals keeping
watch below at tie street entrance, and
call Lou Graham to the door on the pre-
tence Of having . message for her.
As soon ~ she opened the door
the robber was to sese her by the throat
so that she could not make an cutlery, and
with all dexterity possible remove the
necklace from her neck. the dagger from
her hair. the solitaire from her bosom and
the bracelet from her wrist IL time war
RATED. Then q dash down the stairs,
transferring Of the valuable "swag" to his
pals, . few words ~ to the future meeting
place and the robbers would have dissp-
psared in opposite directions. They neg
iected. however, to make calculations on
intervening events and as a result Page
was captured at Edison by Capt. Cham
bcrlain while trying 10 dispose Of the
watches il is claimed he and Thomas VIII
liams took from Ernest Gerber and c. M
Nordlumb. Burns knew nothing Of the
arrest and was expecting Page to come
back and assist in the job last Thursday
night. The train was late and did not get
in until 2 o'clock in the morning. That,
Of course, upset the plans. but what was
still worse for them was the fact that while
Page came on the train he was In charge
of Detective Cudihee.
The next day Lou Graham was asked to
come to the police station and take q look
at Page. She Immediately recognized him
as o man who came 10 the door early one
evening few days ago, before she had put
on her diamonds, and asked TO see Miss
Graham. She went TO the door, and not
liking his appearance did not sell him
who she was, but asked wha. his business
was. He did not know that he was talk
ing TO her in person and went away after
saying that be wanted TO deliver a verbal
message to her. As soon az the police In
formed Miss Graham Of the plot they had
unearthed she lost no time In having her
iewelry, which Is worth at least $40 900,
put away in the safe deposit vaults.
The police were still afraid that Burns
might attempt TO carry his plot into exc
cution single handed, and had q strict
watch kept for his appearance. About /
o'clock Sunday morning Burns appeared
on Washington street near South Third
and fell into Detective Roberts clutches.
He was booked on suspicion OF robbing
the Seattle Loan Company OF the watches
before mentioned, but positive evidence
was not obtained until yesterday after
noon. Gsrtinkle, the proprietor Of the
pawn shop, for that is what the 'losn
ONCE" is. positively identified Burns as
the robber. A warrant was sworn out be-
fore Justice Caldwell and the case Will
come up this afternoon.
The police admit that they knew moth
ing Of Barns record previous TO bis sud-
den appearance here. He has, however.
the swagger and appearance of q desperate
criminal. He is about S feet 5 inches tall.
has blue eyes and rather coarse features.
A few days ago he was arrested for steal
ing one snoe, bat proved au aiitL
Those who know Lou Graham say that
Burns and Page would have had
merry time robbing her. She Is q
woman Of remarkable nerve and has sew
eraI times defended herself In manner so
vigorous as 10 xin decisive victory.