The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-11-19
SEARCHED FOR DIAMONDS
Customs Inspeetress Serutinizes a
Young WOman's Teeth.
Five Thousand Dollars worth of
Ge-ss Found In the Trunks of Two
Mysterious American Line PaSSen-
gers-FutiIe Efforts to Identify
Them Fictitious Names Given.

NEW 1O6hr NOV. 4S--OuS o. IAS LAOSb
astonishing examinations ever prosecuted
in a search for smuggled gems took place
on the American line pier yesterday when
a pretty young woman passenger on the
New York was made to open her mouth
to ascertain If she had struggled diamonds
set in her teeth. With her was man,
whom she had addressed as DIR. Kelly"
said to be a dentist. He. too. was COM
PEELED to open his mouth to allow his
teeth to be scrutinized.
no diamonds were found in the teeth of
either. but in two trunks. said TO belong
to the young woman, a special agent
Of Collector BidweH found diamonds
valued at 5000. On the trunks appeared
the name "Dorrance." and the list OF the
purser bore the name Of Miss NJ Dor
rance" The trunks were bundled out on
the pier under the letter D. There they
were claimed by a pretty woman Of per-
haps twenty-eight who wore a golf skirt
of grey, close-ftting short sealskin sac
que with q wide collar and rough rider
hat.
The inspectors who examined the trunks
had no notion they were being scrutiniZsd
by three men from the collectors Office.
The trio were strangers to all the inspec-
tors and attracted no special attention
But they were there, it is said. because
Collector Bidwen had received private in
formation that DR. Kelly would set
some valuable diamonds in the teeth of
Miss Dorrance before they embarked on
the New York.
The inspector finished his examination
without making any discoveries, and the
| trunks were officially passed" The
hon 70
they be sent TO some address in West
Twenty eighth Street when the special
agents interfered. They showed their
badges and insisted on a REORGANIZATION.
Then the diamonds were found There
was a email chamois bag of the gems IN
each trunk. In one Of the trunks was also
found a diamond stud that had been tori
from shirt front. Part OF the linen still
chung TO the gem
While the examination was going en-
the young woman had stood quietly BIZ
her face showing increasing anxiety. Or.
1 Kelly" fneiocking man oE thirty-ive.
was near her The girl was almost in
tears, when an inspectress took her to a
private room. for the special agents be-
lteved that the gems in the trunks were
only part Of the total number In the pri-
vate room every article the girl wore was
examined by the inspectress. II vas al
this time she was obliged to open her
mouth 70 allow an examination of her
teeth
IN another room DR. Kelly was IN
/ deTgoing an equally close search Pro
tests from both were UnavailiDg On
emerging again the young woman gave
her name as Miss Brown" She insisted
that this was her name in spite OF the
fact that her trunks bore the name OF
''Dorrance" Asked her address, she said:
The Fifth Avenue Hotel DR. Kelly
was equally uncommunicative.
In one Of the trunks. it is said. was
found bill of sale, proving that the dia-
Tsonds had been purchased IN Paris
Strangely enough no effort WAS made to
arrest either the woman or her C0mpau-
ion Both Miss Browns trunks weln
seized at first, but finally she was al
lowed to take one, and with this she left
the pier with 'tDr. Kelly taking car
rage for uptown. a big gold tooth in
Or. kelly's possession was seized.
The three special agents from the Gus
tom house refused to give their names or
to discuss the case. They made every eff
fort TO wrap their proceedings in mys-
terry. The passengers on the New York
we're not acquainted with Miss Dorranee.
The woman occupied state room No 800
according to the chief stewards list. At
the Fifth Avenue Hotel 1t was said that
no one OF the name OF DorTance or Kelly
arriving on the st. Louis had registered
there The young woman's trunk WAS
not sent there.
Dr. Franklin D. Kelly and Miss II Dor
rance visited the custom house this morn
ing. Two steamship trunks belonging 10
Miss Dcrrance were t4ken to the ap-
praiser's stores, where they still remain
It was in these trunks that the diamonds
were said to have been hidden This
morning, however, the owners Of the
trunks called at the custom house and had
long talk with Dudley Phelps. head OF
the law division. and as a result it is very
likely that the trunks viii be returned,
and that their contents viii not be conhs-
Gated.
The custom house officers are beginning
to admit that somebody Numbered The
trunks are laden with about a busheI of
American diamond-fIIed false teeth. of
which DR. Kelly, who is dentist. at Pc
oTia. Ill, makes a speciality. He has been
exhibiting these teeth at the Paris Expo
sition, and Miss Dorranee is his assistant
Dr. Kelly says that Ambassador Porter
empowered him TO bring his exhibits back
without the usual red tape.