The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-04
AFTER LEvKoWICKZ JEWELS.
MISS LEv<OY SAYS THE DIAMONDS
WERE HER PROPERTY.

Were Turned over TO Counsel for
Nellie Burke, who Claimed 10 he
the Niece of !. LevkOwiclSz, After
the Latter's stock of JeweIry Had
Been Seized by the Treasury In
spectors-Miss LeVkOy, Who Re-
Gently Arrived in Savannah, Says
That She l. the Niece of LevkOw-
ickz and That the other Woman
Was an ImpOstOr.
The story of /. Levkowickz ana his
struggled diamonds, which were sci Ell
here by the custom house officials in 1896,
was thought to have been wound up with
the sale of the conhscated jewelry at auc-
ton over year ago, but there may be an
other chapter 70 be added.
Levkowickz, who had formerly reside
in Savannah and had relative here. came
TO Savannah from Porto Rico in tn eally
nineties and opened a large dress DDS
establishment in the Schwarz bulldog
Bull street. He had quite a fine -to k
of goods, but for some reason or ct er
did not seem TO prosper. In 1886 a vain
able lot of jewelry was exposed Tor sale
in the windows of the establishment nd
attracted considerable attention. Treasury
Inspector Paul, who was staionel here
at the time, received an intimaton that
the diamonds had been smugsled the in
formation coming from a discharged en-
ploye of Levkowickz, and the diaonds ami
other jewery were seized.
Various explanations were made by Mr.
Levkowickz as to how he came to bring
the diamonds in without paying duty. none
of which satisfied the revenue officials. 1t
was claimed by Levkowickz, for ons
thing, that the diamonds had been brought
in as personal property by himself AID
niece and that there was no inlen on at
that time OF offering them for sale, AMI
the fact that they had been put on sale
was simply due to altered circumstances
This explanation might have been accepted
had not the jewelry stock been too .arge
and varied and for the further fact that
II was ticketed and price marked and hal
very plainly never been used for personal
adornment.
Mr. Levkowickz has in his employ a
bright blue-eyed young woman who gave
her name as Miss Nellie Burke. Her
countenance, like her name, was Mlesan.
but this did not prevent Mr.. Levkowickz
from claiming that she was his niece, and
the young woman supported the claim. 1t
was alleged that the most valuable of the
seized goods. Including several diamond
earrings and breastpns, were the personal
property of the niece, and not subject TO
seizure under the law. This claim was
finally allowed by the court and the dia-
monds pointed out the properly of tina
niece were turned over to the counsel for
the young lady. The rest of the lot of
jewelry was disposed of at auction, and
did not bring enough to pay the costs of
the case
One day last week a very progressing
young lady called upon Deputy Marshal
Charles White at the narshals office in
the government building and introduced
herself as Miss Levkoy. She made inqui-
ries about the LeVkowickZ diamond seiz-
ure, and expressed surprise when informed
of the disposition that had been made of
the jewels. The young lady stated that
she was the niece OF Levkowickz, and
that the Miss Burke who had claimed to
be the niece of the old Ipan was an i'm
poster The diamonds Here indeed the
property of Mr.. Levkowickz niece, she
said but she WIS he niece to whom they
belonged. and not the Other party.
Miss Levkoy sad that she had been
away from the city for several years, and
knew nothing about the transactions
which had taken place in her absence an
I'll her return here recently. She expressed
a determination 20 take steps to secure
possession of the diamonds, if they were
not beyond reach, and with thls idea IN
view request transcript of the decree Of
the court in the case, which was kindly
furnished her by MIR. White.
Miss Levkoy has a brother and other
relatives here with whom she is stopping
Some of the relatives, who were spoken
10 about the matter said that the young
lady was almost in state of nervous
prosTation over the state of affairs which
she had discovered here, and that she
did not care 10 be seen about the matter
Whether her investiga lions would be car
ried any further they Were unable 20 say.
1t was stated that Levkoy is the proper
name of the family of which both Lev
kowickz and Mss Levkoy are members.
but that the former had seen fit to change
his name to Levkowickz while doing bus
mess in the Latin-American countries. He
Is said to be now engaged in business in
Costa Rica.