Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1898-10-29
TRICK WAS EXPOSED.
CLEVER SCHEME OF A GAN
FRANCISCO MAN.
Aimed to Get the Insurauco-DtOry
Lacked Coherencs and the Detectives
Managed to Convince the wouId-Bs
Bwindier of His Guilt.

The police detectives have proved |
that w. s. Woods thrilling tale OF |
burglary, with its chloroform accom-
paniment, is a clumsy fabrication. The
diamond-studded watch, valued at
h75. which was said to be part of the
booty taken by the burglars, has been
found by the police and Wood has
identified 1t and has been compelled
to put himself on record as a confessed
fraud, says the San Francisco Chron-
icle.
The Wood couple occupy very mod
est 4-roomed fiat OF which the furni-
ture is appraised by the police at
about 5000. The husband has had but
uncertain employment, and is not
person whom thieves would ordinarily
select as promising prey. That Grim
inals so ingenious and desperate as
those must have been TO make the
cleanup described by Wood. his wife
and their boarder, Halverson, should
take so much trouble to ransack
humble fiat was considered incredible
\ from the start and at variance with
the habits OF burglars. The circum-
stances that the bunch OF skeleton
keys was found dangling from the door
OF the adjoining fiat and a black bag
containing plated ware at the foot OF
the stairs were also regarded with
suspicion. Nor were the police ready
10 believe that chloroform had been
used. as the symptoms described were
not those usually observed in such
cases. In addition 10 all these reasons
for incredulity was the fact that Wood
admitted that all the doors of the fat
were open.
When IL was learned that Wood had
taken out on May 4 a policy for $1,000
with a New York company against
burglars the story of the alleged rob-
berry was regarded with even greater
suspicion and Detectives Fitzgerald
and Graham were detailed to make a
thorough Investigation. They found
that Wood had never been regularly
employed by certain firm which he
claimed to be working, but had done
some work for IL on commission, his
connection with II having been COM
pletely severed some time ago. He
said that II was fortunate that his firm
. required Its men 10 turn In all money
in their possession every night. as only
| short time before the alleged rob.
! berry he had 81 $50 in HIS hands. More
; important still was the information
/ that on June IA Wood had borrowed
[ from member Of the firm the sum o.
: $40 on n diamond-studded watch, which
r was safely reposing in the company
5 safe. Inquiry of the burglary insur
. anee company revealed the fact tina
' on the day the watch was pawne,
4 Wood had paid the premium on hi
: policy. amounting TO s1275.
y Wood and his wife were summone,
h the other night by the captain of pc
(. lice TO appear at his office. After yer
y flying the description OF the watch al
a legged to have been stolen they wer
y confronted with the time piece tina
y had been pawned and were forced I
: admit that IL was the same watch
|. Then the captain Indignantly charge
s them with their duplicity and dismiss
y ed them from his Office.
h II has not been announced by tn
e insurance people what action they wi
n take. but as Wood made applicatio
d for 3737. the value he placed upon tn
e articles said to have been stolen. an
q as they had detectives working on III
n case. It is presumed by the police thi
Is Wood has not yet heard the last of ii
l. experience with fictitious burglars.