The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1899-02-25
TRICK WAS EXPOSED,
CLEVER SCHEME 81. a SAN
sz st FRAN CISCO MAN.
Aimed to Get tho II Insurance-Story
Lacked Conference and the Detectives
Managed to Convince the Would BE
Swindler of His Guilt. @zzf G5,5t

The police detectives have proved
that w. S. Woods thrilling tale of
burglary, with it's chloroform accom-
paniment, is clumsy fabrication. The
o1amond-studded watch, valued at
$175, which was said to be part of the
booty taken by the burglars, has been
found by the police and Wood has
identified it 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 a
person whom thieves would ordinarily
select as promising prey. That Grim
1nals 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 a
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
to believe that chloroform had been
used, as the symptoms described were
not those usually observed in such
cases. In addition to all these reasons
for incredulity was the fact that Wood
admitted that all the doors Of the fiat
were open.
When it was learned that Wood had
taken out on May a policy for $1,000
with 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 it on commission, his
connection with it having been COM
pletely severed some time ago. He
said that it was fortunate that his firm
required its men to turn in all money
in their, possession every night, as only
a short time before the alleged rob-
berry he had $3.50 in his hands. More
important still was the information
that on June IA Wood had borrowed
from member of the firm the sum of
$40 on diamond-studded watch, which
was safely reposing in the company's
safe. Inquiry of the burglary insur-
ance company revealed the fact that
on the day the watch was pawned
Wood had paid the premium on his
policy, amounting to $1275.
Wood and his wife were summoned
the other night by the captain of po-
lice to appear at his Office. After YER
flying the description of the watch al
legged to have been stolen they were
confronted with the time piece that
had been pawned and were forced to
admit that it was the same watch.
Then the captain Indignantly charged
them with their duplicity and dismiss
ed them from his Office.
1t has not been announced by the
insurance people what action they will
take, but as Wood made application
for $737, the value he placed upon the
articles said to have been stolen, and
as they had detectives working on the
case, it is presumed by the police that
Wood has not yet heard the last of the
experience with fictitious burglars.