The Washington times., 1901-09-04
ROBBED OF DIAMOND RINGS
4 Bed Proves an Unsafe DepOsi-
tory for Jewelry.
CrcduIity of Colored Woman
Takes n Months Vacation ana
Leaves VnIuabIes Behind-A White
washer Suspected of the Theit.

A tale of three diamond rings, alleged
to have been stolen from credulous col
ored woman, is puzzling the police of the
Third precinct. Strenuous efforts are be-
ing made to fasten the guilt. Frank c.
Jackson, a negro whitewasher, is suspect
ed of the theft. Mrs. Elizabeth Herndon,
the trusting colored woman who made
safe deposit vault of her bed. and sus-
tanned loss in consequence is anxious
~ seeking her vanished treasures.
For nearly three weeks Mrs. Herndon
has been conducting a private detective
bureau on her personal account She
scorned to enlist the services of the po-
lice department, trusting rather to her
own ability in ferretinG out the mystery
of the robbery.
Last night after the lapse of many
days, she brought the matter for the first
| time to the attention of tae sleuths of
| No. police station. She arrived in the
| 5tationhouse about o'clock yesterday af-
| ternoon and made detailed statement of
| the affair. as she knew it. When she had
| told the story of the stolen rings the po-
| lice opened ali the windows and turned
| on the electric fans. Human credulity.
| apparently, has reached its limit in the
| person of Mrs. Herndon.
Several weeks ago Mrs. Herndon. whose
home is on the second floor of the John
| son flats, at PIG n Street northwest. ex-
| perienced the need of vacation, and
| decided to so to Atlantic City, so she
| told the police. Not wishing to take her
valuables with her, and having lost the
| key to her vault at the trust company,
| she made an impromptu bank of her bed.
| Mrs. Herndon recited the manner in
/ 1T.
| On the day upon which she left the
| city for the ocean resort she made the
| bed carefully. Then she turned back the
| lower portion. and placed the jewel box.
| with considerable care, between the ma
! tress and the feather bed. Then she
placed one of her pocketbooks, contain-
| ing % cents, beside it. locked the door,
and went out. She met Mr.. Jackson in
| the hallway. she states, and gave him
| the key to her room, in order that he
might gain access there in order to do a
| little whitcwas hing during her absence.
| Mrs. Herndon was away from the city
| from July l9. the date of her departure,
| until August II. She had an excellent
! time at Atlantic City, and returned to
| note with considerable pleasure that
| while she was absent on her summer
| trip, MIR. Jackson had made an excellent
! job of renovatinS the room. 1t was some
| little time before she made the discovery
that somebody had even more completely
cleaned up her jewelry.
| When she desired her rings, she folded
back the eounterpane, then the top sheet.
next the blankets and, finally reached the
| feather bed. The blue plush jewelry box
| did not. for some reason, discover it
self to her search, and she admitted to
the police that she began to experience
some uneasiness When, after tearing the
bed TO pieces with feverish haste she ver-
flied the suspicious that fitted across her
sub-consciousness, she rose to the oc-
casion.
She said nothing of the robbery. but
instituted a still hunt for the missing
trinkets. The few friends In her conf
dence advised her against seeing Jackson.
| while Mrs. Herndon on her own account
decided not to notify the police. She
worked upon the case herself and for
more than two weeks acted the role of
detective, although without success. Dur
| ing all this time she refrained from men
tioning the matter TO Jackson, although
Mrs. Herndon stated last night that she
| was confident that no one else had been
able TO enter her room during her alb
sence. Owing to the fact that while she
| was away Jackson had possession cf TIE
keys and ample time to thoroughly in
vestigate the contents of the bedroom,
she fastened the guilt upon him.
| Detective O'Brien. as soon as the woman
had recited her troubles. visited the John
son flats. Jackson's home was on the
first floor, Immediately beneath the apart
ments occupied by Mrs. Herndon. The
detective met the colored man as he was
returning from work at the Home for In
curables where he has been whitewa sh-
ing. jackson was placed under arrest. He
| begged to be allowed to remove the
splashes of lime from his clothes. but the
officer was obdurate and he was soon
locked up behind the bars.
The rings stolen are valued by Mrs
| Herndon at $40. She says that one q a
mond is large. while the others are less
| valuable. The blue plush bijou box was
also valuable. Jackson denies having any
knowledge of the affair. declaring that
he cleaned UP the walls, but nothing else
He is held on charge of suspicion. Last
night his wife brought him a heavy quilt
to soften the iron cot in his stationhoust
| dormitory.