Evening star., 1901-06-22
STORY OF a WATCH.
variable 1fmepiece stolen I'm China
and Recovered I'm Alabama

From the Birmingham News
A magnificent jeweled watch. alleged TO
nave been stolen in Tien Tsin. China. sey-
eral weeks ago. has just come to light In
Noodlawn, Ala. The watch, which IS
valued at several thousand dollars Is tho
property of an English officer stationed Of
lien Tsin, and a former Birmingham hos,
is alleged to have made way with fl Tho
lmeplece, apart from its value. is treas-
ured very highly by the English officer he
cause of the fact that It was presented IA
MIN by an English society for distinguished
sallantry. Since its disappearance the
search Tor II has been carried on in an
parts of the earth. ~
Inc name of the Birmingham man AL
$50 70 pe connected with the disappear-
aice Oh the watch cannot be learned as
tne post office inspector who worked nm
TINS end of the case is very reticent ahoTt
the AFFAIR, but IT is learned that the youru
ii, man ENLISTED In Birmingham something
IKE SIX months ago, and that the COM
pany to which he was assigned VS. A..
talied to 40 duty in Tien Tsin The younu
man man was matchmaker by trade. and
Mhile le IN lien Tsin, with little to do I'm the
way or military duty, he turned his attan
tlon TO doing odd jobs in the way of watch
repairing He did good work, and the on
GERS as well as others, soon began giving
| H rnen "ork TO him In this way the time
piece or the English officer came into his
hands About the same time two other
watches or unusual value were also given
INTO his hands. One Of these a dainty
tlmeplece all covered with Jewels the pron-
cry OF one OF the English ladies con-
hected with the legation, also disappeared
as dld another fine gold watch, the owner
OF which is unknown here
1t Is charged that upon getting three very,
valuable watches I'm his hands tho ,-o,,rSy
soldier deserted and took the watches with
hlm His disappearance caused a general
commotton and all sorts OF agencies We're
N In DO
out he Is said to have made good his es-
cape.
Among others who were called to ASSIST
IN the enort TO locate the missing watches
was IL NJ. Robinson, superintendent of the
mails at Tien Tsin. He looked over the
records and found that the young man had
forwarded registered letter to a party in
W oodlawn, L. S. A. before he disaDDea red
lhls discovery was communicated TO the
chief of post office inspectors in Washing
ton, who at once notified the post mast9
at Noodlawn to hold the package upon it's
arrival. He then notified Paul E Will
lams of Chattanooga, post office inspector
for this district, to take the matter up
inspector Williams detailed one Of his men
70 come TO birmingham and look into the
case, and this was done.
Upon arriving at Birmingham the in
spector went at once to Woodlawn and
called upon the party to whom the packx
age from China was assigned. This party
agreed to go to the post office with the-in-
Spector and II the package was there to
nave 1t opened in his presence. The package
In the meantime had arrived. and when
the inspector and the party to whom the
package was addressed called 1t was
opened 1t contained the English officers
watch. .
The watch was taken I'm charge by the
inspector, who will turn it over to his
chief. Inspector Williams will send IL TO
ms superior in Washington and that officer
VIII forward it to the United States rep
resentative in Tien Tsin, China who will
deliver II to the owner.
The young man, who is charged with de-
sertlon and with stealing the watches, is
said to be on his way to Alabama