The San Francisco call., 1897-08-18
LUCKY BANKER WILSON.
Recovers His Stolen towels and Gets
q CieW to the 7raducer of
His Doughter.

NEW YORK, n. Y, Aug. 17-Albert
V. Sugden, formerly valet OF Banker
Richard T. Wilson of 511 Fifth avenue
father-in-law OF Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr.
ana twenty times millionaire, was ar
rested to-day. charged with having stolen
money and jewelry to the amount of $4,000.
on June l. from the house of Wilson.
AT police headquarters the prisoner
made confession TO Inspector o Brien,
admitting the robbery and telling where
the stolen property was hidden. In Sug-
denis possession were found letters which
| may be the means of the discovery of the
person who annoyed the Wilson's with
| anonymous letters Of scandalous nature
at about The time of the Wander bilt- Will.
son marriage.
Sugden, against whom suspicion turned
soon after the robbery, had left Wilson's
employ last February. He was arrested
through friend of a detective, also
named Sugden, who professed to esta 5ish
relationship to the ex-valet.
One night in burst of confidence Valst
Sugden told his new-found friend, whom
he called Cousin" that he knew all
about the robbery at Wilson'S house. and
that he had lawsuit against Wilson.
Several days later Valet Sugden gave his
cousin" sealed envelope, on the back
of which was written in lead pencil,
"PIease do not open; will see you"
Yesterday the detectives opened the
sealed letter and in it found a receipt for
a package placed in safe-deposlt vault
the day after the robbery. This afternoon
the valet was arrested. After his confess
sion the package was opened 1t con-
! tanned the missing jewelry and this note:
Dear A'ice: Please do not open this package
by any means, as the contents are not mine.
Put them in good safe deposit vault.
Lovingly, ALBERT
Dear Alice" was his sweetheart in Eng
land. to whom he intended sending the
Jewels. In his statement The prisoner said
he had been in Wilson's employ for about
fifteen months. He left on his own accord
he said, because of ill-treatment. The
nature of the ill-treatment Sugden speci.
fed, but 1t was of such a Iibeious nature
that the detective refused to make it
public.
After the marriage of Miss Grace Will
son tc Cornelius Wand erbilt Jr. on Dscem-
ber last certain newspapers published an
article to the effect that scandalous stories
about the bride were being circulated by
means of anonymous letters, written on
letter paper of the Metropolitan and
Knickerbocker clubs. Sugden says Wilson
offered him $1,000 beyond his salary to
hunt up the letter-writer. Sugden says
that Mr.. Wilson discharged him owing
this $1,000 and $3G salary, whereupon he
brought suit, and finding that Wilson
would contest the suit he entered his
house and took the jewelry, intending to
replace it when Wilson paid the 5000.
In Sugden's possession when searched
were found letters from convict in the
Columbus (Ohio) penitentiary declaring
that he knew the trad ucer of the present
Mrs. Vanderbilt and asserting that he
was man of high social standing. The
convict wrote to this man threatening to
expose him. The convict's informant
would appear to be female cousin, for be
goes on to say that the man bribed her to
keep silence and subsequently smuSgled
into the prison letter apologizing for
the injuries he had done the convict and
promising him $50. 900 cash and life situ-
alton if he would keep his mouth shut.
The convict states that the letter is now
in the hands of his guardian and that on
his release he intends to place it in the
hands OF people who will bring about the
undoing of the writer. The convict says
in his formal statement:
/, Richard Francis Paul Kent, do swear in
the name of Almighty God in heaven that the
sender of the slanderous letters shall confess
his sins before those whom he has slandered
and injured SO unjustly. Let justice be done
unto all humanity.
RICHARD FRANCIS PAUL KENT