The record-union., 1897-11-19
MELDRUM BEHIND THE BARS.
ARRESTED FOR A BURGLARY
IN AUGUST.
A Sketch of His Career and That
Of His Woman"-Weu Stock.
ed With Keys.

1
| johnson and County Detective Max +.
Fisher arrested a man named Clifford
l.. Meldrum, alias Clifford Hamm,' on
suspicion of having burglarized room
on Third street, between L and M, in
August last, and stole therefrom a valu-
able -old watch, constructed for rail-
road service, and a Sold-filled chain.
The owner of the stolen articles. S. r.
Jones, reported his loss to Sheriff john
| son, and the latter, assisted by Detec-
| tive Fisher. after considerable difficulty
finally ascertained that Meldrum had
offered the watch and chain TO an up
town jewelrv dealer two or three days
after it was stolen.
Medium is confirmed opium fiend,
yet he dresses stylishly and apparently
| lives on the fat of the land He is one
OF those unfortunate, wretches who
neither toll nor soin. and has the repu-
tation Of living off the earnings of
| lower l. street woman known as Violet
| Johnson.
| He and the Johnson woman were get
| ting their meals at a private boarding
house on Third street during the month
of August, and Jones-who is an indus
| trious mechanic-also boarded there at
| that time. The weather being warm, he
hung UP his coat in the hallway, leav-
| ing his valuable ticker in the garment.
After Meldrum and the woman had left
the timepiece was missed, but for quite
while no clew to it could be found.
| Meldrum and his woman soon after
| left for San Francisco, and returned
| only two days ago. When searched at
the Sheriff's office Meldrum had no less
than twelve latch-keYs cf different
patterns, such as are used by hotel and
| lodging house operators, besides a lot OF
| trunk keys.
| Sheriff Johnson then ordered his room
searched, and Detective Fisher ana
| Deputy Sheriff George Kelly. armed
with d search warrant, made an 1nspec-
ton There they found a lot of silver
| ia ableware, knives, forks, s1lver-plateo
| table SCOOPS, dessert ware, and so on
Some of the articles are engraved W.
L. W. and some with the old style
German letter M There was also
| found a small wise and some more keys
which had but lately been fitted to GER
| tain locks, judging from the file marks,
also a whole stocllngfull Of dice, shell
game beans and other articles gener-
ally carried by bunco operators.
The woman who, it is said, supports
| this fellow Meldrum in idleneSs and lux
| ury. has q history which would furnish
material for romance. She is the
daughter of a wealthy contractor OF
Cambridgeport, Mass. AS the pam
pered pet of the family, no expense was
spared to give her every advantage
which education might furnish, and
/ finally she married well-to-do business
man in Boston, named Elliott.
| Soon after the honeymoon Elliott and
| his comelv wife came to California and
after a short season of nuptial bliss they
separated, the woman soon entering on
! a downward course.
Her mother, hearing of her only
daughters misstep, tried every means
to induce the erring one to return to her
home, but without avail. About one
wear ago the mother died of a broken
beart, it is claimed.
Soon after Mrs. Elliott became ac-
quainted with a well-known burglar and
iewelry sneak in San Francisco named
E. NJ Johnson, who With one John
Biack, committed daring diamond rob-
berry in Rossland British Columola) on
February 20. 1897.
able gems from Seattle to the woman IN
San Francisco, and the Pinkerton detec-
| tives followed on behind. When Black
/ and the Johnson woman (Mrs. Elliott
were about to sign for the receipt OF the
package Captain Lees men took them in
charge Johnson was arrested in Sc
| attic later on.
Black was convicted for bringing
stolen goods into the United States and
sent up for eight years, but Johnson
managed to save himself by techni-
cality. johnson, believing that the wo-
man who now goes by his name had be-
/ trayed him, left her, and after his re-
| lease came to Sacramento. and is sus-
pected of being one of the four men who
had concocted the plan to rob Charles
| Heisen, the money broker. recently.
After her enstrangement with Johnson
| the woman took up with Meldrum.