The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-23

M KS. HUICdlNSON.
Timmony yesterday, and failing to fur
nish $1,000 bail.
Last Wednesday afternoon the
breaking into the Mathis residence was
reported. Mrs. Mathis and her daugh-
ter lost silk garments and jeWelry val
ued at 5000. Mrs. Hutchinson. who has
a room in the house, also claimed to
have had articles of similar kind stolen.
The Mathis people were all out when
/ the robbery was committed. The
house was entered previously a month
ago and two solid silver candle-sticks
and silver card case taken.
CLEVER DETECTIVE WORK.
Suspicion was directed to Mrs. Hutch
inson as the guilty party from the cir
cumstances attending the robbery. En-
trance had been gained apparently
through a window by breaking a glass
and raising the sash, but it was OBJ
served that the fragments of glass We're
scattered over a pile of disturbed
clothing on the floor. and when the ar
ticles We're picked up no glass was be-
meath them, showing clearly that the
breaking had been committed by some
one from within, and that Immediately
after the glass had been broken to
make 1t appear that an entrance had
been effected. The clue was further
strengthened by a circumstance which
followed. The officers stated in Mrs
Hutchinson'S presence after dark on
the night of the burglary that they
would examine the ground on the fol-
lowing morning to find footprints, but
I in the morning it was found that a
considerable space of ground near the
window had been soaked with water in
order to create the impression that
there might have been prints, which
shed nv 70
over, Mrs. Hutchinson showed tbat a
screen in her room had been ere ,ded
out, making 1t appear that the burglar
had departed that way: but il was OBJ
served by the officers, upon making an
investigation on the afternoon of the
robbery, that her room was locked and
the key lay in the hall, proving that
no one had left through her window.
All these facts pointed to one living in
the house as the guilty party, and
suspicion quickly fastened upon Mrs
Hutchinson. She was quietly watched.
and the tolls fastened around her.
Chief Pratt and his officers received
information that convinced them that
Mrs. Hutchinson had in her possession
the articles she claimed were stolen
last Wednesday afternoon. He ar
ranged for an interview with her at his
/ office Thursday, when she told of her
loss and stated that she would gladly
give a reward for the recovery of the
goods, expressing her intention Of
placing advertisements in the -paDers
He dissuaded her from doing that and
/ drew out enough to completely con-
vince him that she had her own prop
erty- The evidence was strengthened
Friday. and yesterday morning the
chief directed Sheets and Gillespie to
go 10 her and draw out the plain truth
BECAME INDIGNANT.
The officers quickly approached the
SUBJECT OF their errand and asked for
sewing sack, that was suspected con-
tanned some of the stolen articles. She
denied having any knowledge of il
ana when told il would be necessary
TO detain her, she grew very Indignant
and exclaimed:
How dare you accuse ner'
We'll, said Sheets, you. along with
others, are under cloud in regard to
stand it, that's all"
How dare YOU so accuse me?" she
repeated.
We'll, we're convinced You know
where the stolen property is"
Why don't you, find my goods,
then?" she inquired.
We prefer the other first
Sit down, you make me nervous"
said the woman, finally showing great
agitation, as the detectives made it
very plain that they knew positively
that she had her own goods
You know whether l am telling the
truth or telling lie plainly put the
detective.
THEN CONFESSED.
It was more than the woman could
stand. and she finally broke down, |
saving:
7 win go with you and get the
things"
Sheets drove with her. as she direct
ed him, to a residence on Eighth West. !
between Ninth and Tenth South. occu-
pied by one Mrs. Montgomery, who had
formerly been nursed by Mrs Hutch /
inson- Here the silk dresses and jew
elry belonging to Mrs Mathis and
daughter taken in the last burglary
were found in grip, having been left
there by Mrs. Hutchinson, through the |
kindness Of Mrs. Montgomery, but
without any knowledge on her part
that they had been stolen. Returning
to the chiefs Office, an examination |
was made and AL the articles of the
recent haul were accounted for, ex-
cept a gold locket belonging to June
Mathis. But the silver candlesticks
and a card-case, stolen a month ago,
were not produced, and after a little
urging, Mrs. Hutchinson said they
were concealed in the bathroom at
Mrs. Montgomery She accompanied
Detective Gillespie to the place and the
silver was recovered. She also accom-
panied Gillespie to a house on street. |
where she had left her own goods, |
claimed to have been stolen. II was
through the kindness of friends who |
little suspected the. crookedness.
A POOR EXPLANATION.
When seen by a Herald reporter in |
low