Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-12
HELD FOR THE GRAND JURY
Minnie Painter Must Answer to Charge Of
Stealing Two Rings.
One of the Two Diamond Ring
Valued at $75 The
Evidence.

Minnie Painter, handsome young wo-
man. who, while waiting for her case to be
called In Police Court, occupied her time
with the reading of a religious book, was
today arraigned before Judge Mills on the
charge of stealing two rings, one dia-
mond, valued at S75 and another alleged to
be worth Sc, from Pauline L. Hellman of No.
1893 Holmead avenue northwest. Through
her counsel, Mr.. Andrew Wilson, she
pleaded not guilty.
Mrs Hellman testified that the defendant
was employed by her as a waitress and
chambermaid from July IL to August 6.
The morning before the date last given she
said she left, by mistake. a box containing
the rings on the breakfast table. She did
not think about the rings until the even
ing, when she suddenly recollected about
them She then called to Minnie and asked
her if she had seen the box. Minnie
piled she had and that she threw the box
in the kitchen coal hod. The witness and
her daughter made thorough search of
the ashes produced in the kitchen range
during the day. but found nothing. Min
ME, she said. gave no aid in the search for
the rings. Mrs. Hellman said she had in
tended to drop the whole matter until she
found that Minnie was going with a colored
man.
At this point Mr.. Wilson objected on the
ground that the charge of theft against the
defendant had nothing to do with the So
c1al standing of the accused Judge Mills
sustained the objection.
Mr.. Wilson asked Mrs. Hellman to whom
the rings belonged, and she replied: Mrs.
John Hunton of Madison, Va
Then the rings did not belong to You at
all? counsel for the defense inquired.
THE information was made out as sug-
gested at the detective bureau Mrs. He'll
man answered
Promised Immunity.
Mr.. Wilson asked Mrs. Holman if she had
rot promised to give immunity to Minnie if
size would produce the rings or confess
that she had taken them. The reply was in
the affirmative.
In response to further questions by Mr.
wilson, Mrs. Hellman said she lost
jewelry about two months ago, but sub
sequentiy found the articles, but was con-
fident that the person who stole them re-
placed the goods when she found she was
about to be arrested.
Mrs. He!lman admitted that the night she
missed the rings alleged to have been taken
by Minnie Painter she searched the latters
trunk without her permission.
Mr.. Julius H. AlbeTs said the ashes re-
ferred to in Mrs. Heliman's testimony were
examined by him, but nothing valuable was
found in them.
Hettie Cabell, who is employed by Mrs.
Hellman q cook, said she did not see any
box in the scuttle as had been alleged by
Minnie when talking TO Mrs. Hellman.
Detective Peck said he investigated the
case and had q talk with Minnie about the
loss of the rings. She denied having ever
had the rings. He asserted that ne did not,
was intimated, tell Minnie that he would
send her to Jail if she did not produce the
rings, but said he might have said she could
be locked up. He admitted that Miss Pain
ter, when questioned, invariably denied that
she took the rings, and claimed that upon
finding the pill box on the table she threw
1t into the coal scuttle. He admitted doing
all he could to make Minnie confess, but
was unable to 90 so. He also said he had
at one time expressed the opinion that Min
ME did not get the rings.
Arguments in the Case
This closed the testimony, and Mr. VIII
son addressed the court. He claimed that
no case had been made out against his
client and asserted that Miss Painter had
never seen the rings alleged to have been
stolen. He declared that everything that
could be done was resorted to by the police
officers assigned to the case to make the
accused girl confess the crime with which
she was charged; that she was even threat
ened with arrest. He asserted that there
was no reason whatever why Minnie Paint
er should have taken the rings. Mr.. Will
son further called the attention of the court
to the fact that Mrs. Hellman had said she
did not intend to prosecute Minnie until
she found that a question had been raised
affecting the girls honor He claimed that
the evidence was insufficient to hold the de-
PENDANT for the grand jury and asked that
the prisoner be discharged.
Prosecutor Mullowny said the surround
as the person who got the rings. He claim
ed that Minnie knew all about the rings be-
ing in Mrs. Hellman's possession, ana said
that from all the evidence offered no other
conclusion could be reached than that the
defendant got them. He claimed that a
clear prima facie case against the defend
ant had been made out and asked that she
be held for the grand jury. This was sub
sequently done
Judge Mills said it was a little unfortu-
nate that the defense could not put any evil
dence before the court at d preliminary
hearing such as that pending The facts
were that the defendant knew the rings
We're about to be sent to a lady in another
state, and, having admitted that she had
possession of the box containing the arti-
cles, 1t was incumbent for her to show
what had become of the rings
Mr. wilson asked that bail be fixed as
low possible
Judge Mills named 500 as the amount
but a, the solicitation of Mr.. Wilson, and
by consent of Mr.. Mullowny, he reduced the
bond to $500.