The herald., 1896-02-19
Major Truman Longs to Have
His Diamonds
HOW THE BUNGLE OCCURRED
Cigar Dealer Young Explains How He
Bought the Solitaire
Major Trumsn Locates Six or Seven OF His
Missing Jewels in Spring Street
Stores-fiow 1t Came

Major Ben c. Truman has not yet had
any of the diamonds which were stolen
from his residence in the middle OF No.
vember last returned to him.
Major Truman knows where seven of
the diamonds are and SO do the police, but
this fact seems to cut no ice in the matter
of their recovery. The vigilant police detec-
tives, under instructions, it is said, from the
chiefs Office, have Superintendent the sale
OF some of the jewelry and the parties
who sold the stolen goods are, ere now,
perhaps, operating in fields green and pas
lures new.
When Mr.. Young, proprietor OF the Hol-
lenbeck cigar stand, purchased the S4OO
diamond solitaire of John Miller upon the
advice Of Police Detective Goodman that
it was good thing, he bought it in good
faith and with the assurance of the police
department that he was perfectly safe in
doing as he did.
Mr.. Young tells the story of the purchase
in straight forward way and besides that
his standing in the business community
for integrity of character is beyond ques-
ton.
"When Miller first came to me with the
diamond,' said Mr.. Young yesterday, ''he
had card from prominent uptown
jeweler addressed to me. l supposed that
under these circumstances everything was
all right. He wanted $l4O for the stone
and told him that would not give ii. He
went away and was gone twenty-four hours.
During that time he was hawking the dia-
mond up and down the street at various
places. The stone was offered at nearly
every jewelry store between Third street
and the Hollenbeck hotel.
mot only this. Clark was here nine
months ago disposing of unset diamonds
teffered with him then.''
mo, and they don't seem to have inter-
fered with him very much this time,
either" remarked a bystander.
"Well, anyway. Twenty-four hours after
he had first offered me the stone he came
500.
II took it and gave him check for the
money. 1t was after banking hours and
he tried to get the check cashed. =
"The old check racket was being worked
little hard about this time, and in his
endeavors to get the money Miller aroused
the suspicion of the police. :,
"Goodman came to me and asked me if
the check was all right. l told him it was,
and then he asked what had given it to
Miller for. told him. He wanted to see
the diamond and showed 1t to hun.
"He expressed surprise and said that he
would like to take it over to the station.
He said that had better stop payment on
the check until the matter was investi-
gated. 1 told him that would do so, and
did.
I'm the meantime Goodman had the dia-
| mond. l did not know him and concluded
that it was about time for me to look him
up. So went over to the station and told
Mof1itt abou, it, He said that anything
Go oman did was all right.
$50 let the thing drift on, going once
more to tho station. Finally after thirty
six hours possession Goodman returned
both the diamond and the check to me. He
January 18TH.
"About two weeks after Goodman came
to me and borrowed the stone again. Then
he took it to the Trumans, understand,
and they identified it.
"This is all know about the diamond.
/ wish | had never seen it. The trouble it
has caused me will make it a dear stone to
me.
'But if tho police had told me in the
start that there was the faintest suspicion
of it being stolen property would never
have touched it. But on their assurance
buy 1t somebody else would get bargain.
purchased it,.
II do not feel now as though I should be
compelled to lose my 100 which invested
on the recommendation of the police de-
partment."
Mr.. Young's feelings about losing his
500 are only natural. He took every
safeguard, and it does seem hardship to
be compelled to drop 500 because of the
carelessness of Chief Glass and his men.
Major Truman, on the other hand, does
not feel as though he was called upon to
turn loose 500 and buy back property
that was stolen from his house in broad
daylight which the police had ample OPP
portunity to recover. In fact, the major
says that he does not propose to put UP
that $lOO 10 pay for the shiftlessness of
Glass and his factotums.
Major Truman has located seven of the
diamonds stolen from his residence at va
rious places along Spring street, where
they were hawked under the very noses of
the police. He does not propose 10 buy
this property back.
The major can and probably will replevin
such of the stolen jewelry as he can locate.
The rest he will probably be compelled to
charge TO profit and loss and to Chief
Glass.
Friends of the major who think they see
humor disguised in his misfortune woull
DO well to avoid him for the next few days.
Major Truman is urbanity itself, but just
| now he fails to see the comedy element in
knowing that four or five different people
have diamonds that are his.
In the event that Major Truman does
| repievin the jewelry which ia in the hands
Of the Spring street people, there is going
t. be some very lively kicking, and there
will, in ali probability, be some tales told
out OF school OF jewelry that has in the past
been purchased at a very low figure on the
| recommendation of people who are either
| directly or indirectly connected with the
| police department..