The age-herald., 1899-12-07
YOUNG MEDICAL
 STUDENT ARRESTED Charged With Larceny of a VaI-
 uabIe. Diamond. NAME Is FRANK JOHNSON
Says He Found the Stone, Which Was Missed from Abbott's Jewelry Store-Two Other Students
 of the Same Name

Frank Johnson, 2 years of age, a student at the Birmingham Medical college, was ar
 rested about noon yesterday by Officers
 Bodeker and Disheroon, charged with the larceny of a valuable diamond from II. c.
 Abbott & Bros, jewellers of this city. John
 son is from Russell county, living at Jer-
 nigan, and has been at the college for two
 or three months.
 It is claimed that on last Monday a week
 ago Johnson called at Abbotts establish
 ment and had some work done, some da-
 monds being displayed on the counter
 about the time that he was there. The
 diamond was missed very soon thereafter,
 and the police notified, the jewellers to whom the stone belonged also offering reward of s25 for the return of the da- mond. The stone was very valuable one, its cost price being $40 The diamond was
 recovered from A. s. Smith, another jew eler, who claims that it was brought to his store by Johnson, and that trade was ef- fected, he giving Johnson $50 in cash and a gold watch in return for the diamond. As soon as Chief Austin was acquainted with the loss of H. c. Abbott & Bros, he at once detailed Officers Bodeker and Dish eroon to look into the matter. Frank Ab bolt, of the firm, when interviewed with reference to the matter, said:
 ''L did not recall having seen Johnson in the store the day the diamond was lost or taken. I did not pay much attention to the tray when I put 1t back in the safe and only missed the diamond the next morning
 when my brother asked what had become of it. The diamond cost us S142.o0. Two or three days ago we were informed where
 the stone could be found and who had ta-
 ken it from the store.'
 Frank Johnson, the student accused of
 the theft. is in the county jail, and yester- day afternoon when seen by an Age-Herald reporter made the following statement: T found the diamond on the sidewalk in front of Abbotts store. I didn't say any
 thing about it to any one for fear it would be claimed by somebody who didn't lose it. I kept it several days and then sold it to jeweler named Smith for $50 and a gold
 watch and intended to go back there and
 get it if the owner should call for it. That was about three weeks ago. This morning
 was the first time I heard that Abbott ac-
 cused me of stealing it. If he had come
 to me I would have gotten it for him. bought a harp from Abbott and left it with him to be engraved and call about an hour later for it. As was returning to the store I found the diamond. When I went
 in the store I didn't say any thing about
 finding it. I got my harp and went to my
 room. I told one of my roommates named
 Triee, about finding it'
 "I have been attending the medical col
 lege the last two months, and my home is in Russell county where my father is a practicing physician"
 There are two other students at the medi-
 cal college whose names closely resemble
 that of the accused. They are Frank M. Johnston, of Tuskegee, and Frank N. John- son, both of whom stand high in the com- munity and who are desirous of having it
 understood that the charge was noD made against them.