The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-08-03

u search Tor the jewels among the
guests at the house party
The Superintendent of Pittsburg De-
tectives, John Glenn, undertook the
case, as the stolen jewels had been
wedding present to his bride from Mr..
Moorhead, and aside from their intrin-
sic value. $500, were more precious to
Mrs Moorhead than any money. The
eight servants in the family were, after
most careful investigation, relieved of
suspicion. Many other detectives were
employed, and it was through a New
York jeweler to whom some unset dia-
monds were sent for resetting that the
first clew to the lost gems was receiv-
ed. Whoever stole the Moorhead dia-
monds had pried the Jewels out of their
setting and then endeavored to have
them set in new fashion so that they
! could never be recognized. Money,
then, was not the motive of the rob-
berry.
| This gave to the Washington detec-
tives the first clew to the Moorheals'
guests. Mr.. and Mrs. Moorhead could
not be made to believe in the guilt of
any of them, but a Washington detec-
tive, following descriptions and cir
lcumstantial evidence, finally convinced
the Moorheads that the thief actually
was Miss Condit Smith, the accom-
plished and lovely girl whose talent
and popularity made her welcome ev
erywhere and who had repeatedly en-
joyed the honor of receiving side by
side with Mrs. Mckinley In the White
House. OF course, the Moorheads re-
fused to make the Washington detec-
tive's story public, but, equally, of
course, it leaked out in that exclusive
set in which the young girl moved
The story went from mouth to mouth
and from house to house. Pretty
Polly Smith was suspected. In fact.
even went so far as to accuse the girl.
Then there came a change over
Polly Smith. She was no longer the
light girl. She had heard the
scandal. She was helpless. She was
innocent, but the bow aimed at her
had crushed her. Invitations came in
fewer numbers, and those that did come
We're not accepted The girl got paler
and paler. She was seldom seen out
side her own home. Her cheeks became
sunken; her eyes so bright and laugh
ing formerly, We're red with constant
weeping; she never smiled and heI
sensitive nature made her imagine thai
the whole world suspected her of 3
crime of which she was innocent.
Miss Smiths brother-in-law is Gov
, ernor General Wood of Cuba. 1t wa:
thought that a change of scene ant
climate would help the girl forget tn,
: cruel gossip that had so sorely wound
. ed her. So Miss Smith was sent t.
Cuba to be with her sister. Mrs. Wood
Cuban climate and the change of scene.
did not have the beneficial effect ex
. pected.
, The girl tried bravely to overcome
, the constant fear that she was every
> where posted as a thief She tried t
3 meet people as she had done before
but it was no use. She became 81
! weakened in health and spirits tha
: the very effort was beyond he
. strength.
So she settled down to a life of mis-
cry, literally eating her own heart. ]
n was seen by the Woods that the gin
would eventually die unless some pia
could be devised to take her mind fror
L the great wrong that had been don
her.
~ Nearly a year passed before the mys
terry was partially cleared up by flno
ing the settings of the diamonds !
Pennsylvania avenue shop IN WaSf
ington, where they had been taken III
doubtedly by the real thief. No or
a knows to this day exactly how, when
u by whom the Jewels were purloine
n The discovery of them came too lat
An irreparable injury had been done
the young girl without the slighte
fault of her host, hostess or the dete
tiveS.
So Washington accepted the hndir
of the Jewels in disinterested sort
way Washington had almost forgott'
the accusation made against Poll.
Smith by this time in the freshness
other gossip on which Washinst'
feeds. but Polly Smith had not TO
gotten.
She came home from Cuba imm
diately after the jewels had been foun
and no doubt could have taken h
own place in society had she been at
to forget, but she was not of the forge
ting kind She continued unhappy, ne
er speaking unless she was spoken
growing thinner and less like her forr
er self every day. Society had all D
killed her by its love of gossip.
1t was when her family had almc
despaired of ever making her we'll a
happy again that the trip to China W
proposed. The Congers were close
the Condit Smiths. They loved
Polly Smith they had known Of o
The girl left for China with the 9
pressed purpose of staying there alwa
In China she could at least be amo
people who would not gossip. What
they were heathens? What if they {
kill her, as they perhaps have don
They would at least make her mise
shortlived.
So Polly" Smith went to China. $
was pitiful looking little thing wh
she left Washington, the only mol
she had ever known. where she
done so much TO make happy the li'
of others.
1t is said that 1T was Miss Smit
purpose to eventually become IN
sionary in China. She could never
turn to Washington. 1t was urged !
on her that Washington had alrea
forgotten the accusation made agatl
her and was only too ready to rit
the wrong The wrong. however,
too great to her thinking to ever
righted. and she chose TO go from
home forever.
How "Polly'' Smith met death