The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-06-02


 that time from the George H, Ford |company showed that not only did it lcontain the required amount of gold in- dicated by the stamp, but heavier
 weight than called for. In the instance of two other stores the test showed a very small fraction below the standard but prosecutions were not brought In l their cases as the assayist said the
 tritle might be accounted for by the solder used.
 | In January Attorney Jerome F. Dom ovan accompanied by Joseph Belasco, president of the Cigar Markers union,
 called at the office of the city attorney
 and submitted two small pins which
 they stated had been purchased at the
 Ford store, and which did not bear any 1 stamp at all. They asked that war rant be issued for the members of the
 company. In response to an inquiry as
 to their interest in the case, MT Dono- van replied that he was counsel for one 1 of the firms which had already been
 arrested and that Mir. Belasco was anX- ious to assist in their defense, owing to the fact that they had aided the union to which he belonged.
 The exhibits were left and the matter investigated. When presented at the Ford company the clerk said, after eX-
 aminng the pin in question, that 1t had
 been purchased there and that the pins
 came in cards upon which the number
 and character were printed and written.
 The stamp could not be placed on them
 as their character was such that room
 enough for such stamp was not avail
 able. Tn those cases the card was kept
 and any question as to the material
 of their construction answered by the record.
 On April 12 MT Donovan called at the office of the city attorney and presented a mutlated gold ring bearing a blood amethyst. A piece had been taken out of the ring and accompanying it was report from B. B. Boltwood, an assay ist, who made the other tests, stating that the piece of gold tested contained nine and sixty-seven one hundredths gold. The ring was marked "A K' in- dicating that it should contain that amount of gold. MT. Donovan asked for the arrest of the firm.
 After an investigation warrant was issued for the arrest of MT. Lewis of the Ford company.
 City Attorney Webb cut portion from the remaining circle of the ring and had it assayed. The piece assayed nine and sixty-one -hundredths. The ring bore 14-K mark
 Treasurer Frederick L. Tibbals of the Ford company was called to the stand Saturday He said that it had been the established custom of the firm to return to the manufacturers rings | not properly stamped, and that in Jan uary a Mr. Coughlin had purchased two rings which were properly stamped and | departed, but returned later in the | month and brought them back and pur- | chased one 10 karat ring in exchange, | which left a cash balance due him. Mir. | Tibbals said that the returned rings | bore suspicious marks showing that | they had been subjected to tests made "Ther frequent returns with articles made us especially Zealous to return rings not properly stamped so that we would not have any but properly stamp ed ones in stock" said he He testified further on the first of the month Feb ruary, the firm went through the stock and returned all rings not so so that on the date mentioned February H. they did not have such an article as ring like that in the IA karat stock in the place. The piece was shown him and he examined it stating that the mark 14 karat was not placed 1n the ring by the manufacturer from whom they bought goods. Tn MT. Tib- pals opinion the IA was stamped on the ing after the original stamp of 10 had been erased. The ring was purchased rom J. B. Bowden. manufacturers New York. General Ford was called to the stand General Ford said he had been Il the jewelry business since 1864 and lad commenced dealing with MT. Bow lens grandfather, and knew the firm o be thoroughly reliable.
 He examined the exhibit and pointed O the fact that the original stamp had )een erased and the IA stamped in rudely T will go on record" said General Ford, and swear positively hat a file has been used on that ring md the number substituted. My at ention was called to the fact that two oung men were playing a film fam { anne along the first of February, and I ave orders that every article not clear { y stamped be put in a box in the same | 0 be returned to the maker and the | , york was completed on the seventh of | hat month" z
 The exhibit was passed around the z ourt room and showed clearly the | larks of file and the numbers were as fr Tibbals stated.
 Then General Ford produced his in- oice book and showed on the register I he entry of the purchase of a 10 karat / ing, which was marked with the pri- ate mark of the firm "J. B. B. No SIP" ne mark meaning that the ring was ', as purchased from J. B, Bowden and |;a nat the number of the purchase was Y, l2. The price was $3.90 and the ring ' 1ld for $4 50, General Ford showed the ; lark on the ring. The case closed at this point, the de- :, anse claiming that the ring was 10 arat and had been so stamped when t old, but the stamp had been filed out f y a rough hand and the number 14 ~ -amped in its place by some one. RlSlS IN THE COAL STRIKE W "