The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-09
THEFT AS A FINE ART.
THE BOSTON BURGLAR USED EMER-
son AS \ JIMMY.

Bunch of skeleton Keys-Ibsen
Was a Dark Lantern--The Kit Led
TO the Loss of Mrs. BunLerilI's Dia-
mOnds-A Kitchen Jewel.
From the N. Y. Commercial Advertiser.
When some one in New York or Chicago
announces that her family jewels have
been stolen people are certain of every
thing except that there was thief Yes
they say, "she is going on the stage or
will shortly be heard in vaudeville. Per-
haps she is trying to get into society
where stolen jewels are quoted at 1884,
| while those not stolen are worth only what
the pawnbrokers think about them" In
Boston, however, when 5000 worth disap-
pears, it is different. They know there
was a thief, an educated one. 1t couldn't
be the stage, because managers have
sense, and it couldn't be society, because
in Boston every one is in society of some
sort, and that sort to the member pos
sesses infinite advantages over -Four Hus-
bred and other kinds The people Of Bos-
ton simply sigh and say IT'S literature!
bemoan the martyrdom their aesthetic
standing has brought them to and think
about passing laws defining bound vol
umes of Ibsen, Emerson and SehopenhaueT
! as burglar tools. AS a matter of fact
these books are at the bottom of almost
every well conducted robbery just In
other places they are the first cause OF
much lunacy.
An example of this was the Bunkerll
diamond affair in the Beacon district,
which took the name from the owner of
the gems, valued at $4999. rather than
from Myes Wesley Brookline, A. Nj, who
is now serving the commonwealth for the
| second time for his participation in the
matter. The theft was geperally approx
| ed for its aesthetic quality, although, of
| course, it greatly shocked puritanical NOR
/ ais. The president of the World Emer-
son Society said that from a literary
point of view it was chef d'oeuvre. Even
the president of the Universal Browning
League said it had a certain literary IA
vor, though he could not approve the
burglars choice of books This, however,
he explained, was not wholly the burg
! lars fault, and was an accident due to
his carelessness in selecting for his oper-
atoms a stratum of society not elevated
enough to appreciate Browning as the
| sole guide TO the literary life, and If his
subject devoted herself TO some others, he
| could not be blamed for not relying on
| the Ring and the Book as a professional
| guide. Much credit, in fact, was due him
| for using what material was hand so
deity If it had been in Browning
| neighborhood Ii would have been differ
emit His opinion, it is needless to say,
! almost led to riotng, and for weeks the
| Emersonians cut the BroWningers even a
| the-elections This was the reason, prob
! ably, why a Hauptmannite was elected
| inspector of sewers in one of the most Sc
| lect districts.
This burglary, which was one of thirty
! eight carried out successfully by this
| criminal who pursued the same methods
| invariably only with rare change of au-
| thors, so as to include Daudet in the nou-
veau richie neghborhoods it turned out at
| the trial, was most carefully planned. The
| burglar had possessed himself of an elite
| directory which is the only book which in
| cludes the names and addresses of every
one in Boston, and through it had located
| Mrs. Bunkerll in a house with a Greek
! motto over the door. 1t turned out that
| the real estate agent had reduced the
! rent on account of the quotation, which
! was the doing of a former owner in order
| to keep her from renting one with line
! from Emerson over the parlor windows.
| front The burglar then Swallowed Mrs.
traced her to the Right to Reason Cir
| Gle" to the "Chidrens Schopenhauer
| Hour" where she took little Quincy, who
| on one occasion broke his glasses on the
| front steps; and to the Ibsen plays at the
| Failure Theater. This and a certain cold
ness TO a lady VINO read Browning fixed
her social status. The criminal was then
ready TO begin operations.
one Thursday afternoon at about 2
O'Clock he took his stand near the Bunk
| Grill residence. He knew two things.
! FIRST that it was the "Children's Schop-
| enhauer Hour day, and second, TINT
| Quincy would accompany his mother,
which was essential for the success of his
| plan To accomplish his purpose the
house must be left in sole charge of the
! house servants who, he calculated. would
be reading downstairs. Everything was
| favorable to mis- venture. At half after
| two the Bunkerilrs. mother and son, left
! tNer dwelling. A few minutes later the
slrVants heard the upstairs bell ring.
/ What followed is best told in the Ian
| guage of the servant on the stand in court.
| She said:
"a short period had elapsed after the
| departure of Mrs. Bunkerill and Master
! Bunkeril when the tinkling of the bell
! apprised me that some one desired at
! tendance in the vestibule. Upon ascending
| the stairs I found an apparent gentle
! man aesthetically attired and of an intel
! lectual cast of countenance at the door.
In answer to my question to what he
| desired, he replied: is Mrs. Bunkerill al
| home? To this l answered that she had
! just gone out, presumably to the Scho
| penhauer Sodality
He then said. How unfortunate. l am
| her brother. Quincy's maternal uncle. Did
| she not receive Geographic message this
| forenoon?
" No, sir I replied"
Il have just returned from South
America. Can | not await her return
! here?
ITO this I replied 4 am not certain of
| your identity, sir
"'Oh he said I can easily convince
| you. know this house like a library For
| instance on the parlor table there are two
copies of Emersons several works; in the
| boudoir desk there is a complete series of
| Ibsen while in the nursery on the table
| there are two Volumes of SchODenhauer.