The times., 1897-12-02


liner Of this city, and her cousin, MIR. Sam
uel R. Thompson, a broker, yesterday hada
hearing before Judge Kimball in the police
court Oh charge OF larceny OF two dia-
mond earrings, valued at 5000, from Mrs.
Sarah L smith, of No 1909 Eighteenth
street northwest. The case was TO have
been tried November 23, but was continued
untn November &c, and on the latter date
postponed on ucco unt OF Mr. Thompson )
illness After an extended hearing, cover
ing . period gf several hours, Judge Kim
bah dismissed the case.
1he pro>eculioa Tor the Government was
conducted by Mr.. Mullowny, and the ac-
cused were defended 10y Lawyer c. Mau-
rice Smith.
Alrs. smith was the first person TO take
the stand She Is clerk in the Treasury
Department. When she left the Treasury
on tie afternoon of November Is, she
said. size went TO the millinery establish
menu of Mrs. Offutt, 1t No. 1912 q
street northwest. She did not 90 10 see
Mrs Offutt, bat Mrs. Guschard, who CON
ducts a corset department in the room ;id-
joining the millinery department.
She tried OF several corsets, and while 20
doing, left her old corsets in Mrs. OFF ITS
room. Attached TO the corsets were two
chamois bags, in which she kept the ear
rings. and q narquse diamond ring. she
arteryrard robed herself uddepartPd, whcn
she found that the earrings were miSsin Z
from the bag. she reported the matter for
iR,es1 igatiou H. the police, and Detective
Bauer was detailed upon the case.
The detective took the stand and stated
that when he went 10 the house OF Mrs.
of:ut he saw her conspicuously wearing
the missing gems. Size told him that they
were given 10 her by Mr. Thompson, who
said he found them i'll the han way.
Mrs. Guschard, the propretress OF the cor
sage paTlors, and the last Government wit
ness, testified that she saw MIS-. ofrutt
wearng the earrings, but did not know
where she obtained them
Preparatory 20 Opening the side of the
defense, Lawyer Smith addressed the
court. SAYING that he had a host Of witnesses
To pleve his clients Innocent He garc an
outline of the important features Of The pro
p0sed testimony, and said that he ;y.ls cnnfi
dent that he could prove that the whole
matter was great mistake"
Judge Kimhall replied that he would he
wIlEnr TO hear every witness, but thought
! it yvise FOR tie court to take recess re-
| forc proceeding
The side of the deransa was opened at2.l 5
with the testimony OF Mr. Thompson. He
| displayed a little nervousness when on thu
| stand. bat replied to the cross -queStio ing
OF Mr. MunUwny with precision.
! He said tns I on Wednesday, morning nc
] l.
When he returned about $50 O'Clock ht
saw the earrings in question lying On the
J hallway fI0oI. He picked them up and tool
! them into the kitchen, where Mrs. Offuti
and the colored woman were preparing
/ the morning meal. He Offered them to airs
| Offutt, telling her where he found hem
She said
Place them on the mantel; they ar
only brass, anyhow"
| A few moments later, having more leisure
she examined the gems, and exclaimed:
"Oh, believe they are real diamonds.'
| Sine then put them in her ears. Both he
! and his cousin told their friends of the find
I ing Of the Jewels and did not try TO make
a secret Of it
Mrs Offutt coTrobcrated the testimony
OF Mr.. Thompson and said that she wore
| the earrings openly from Wednesday unit
| Satm day. She frequently spoke 20 hel
friends about low her cousin found them
an did not know to whom they bel0nge,
until Tho detective told her of the alleged
larceny
A score Of witnesses, among them man!
Wen known business men, testified 70 th'
honesty. integrity aHd- veracity Of the &C
cused and Others further corroborated th'
cousins statements that they openly tol,
their f-lends OF the finding or the earrings.
The case was closed, and udge Kimbal
said that he did not think the evidenc,
| given would be sufficient for the CRANE
jury to convict.
There is some mystery, To- my mind, no v
the earrings could have gotten ont or tht
| cfamois bags without being taken out
! But the evidence fails 10 show who tool
! them out. II has not been shown that Mrs
| Ofiutt or Mr. Thompson entered the bacl
room while tie corset was there, and yet
! the complainant feels sure that the ring
y ere there when she disrobed and tina
they " ere removed from the chamois bag in
that room. The best l can do, accord
ing TO the evidence, is 10 dismiss the case