The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-02
HAD MANIA FOR GEMS.

HAD MANIA FOR GEMS.
Mamie DeCris Was Regular Gus
toner at Van Keuren's.
The absolute lack of precaution on
the part of Mamie DeCris is shown
clearly by her conduct after she had
made the big haul. Not only did she
dispose of some of the property in the
| pawnshops, but she had two of the dia-
monds reset in r. Van Keuren & Co.'S
| jewelry store hardly stones throw
from where her victims were located
On the day after the diamond rob-
| berry Miss DeCris went into Van Keu-
rens store, where she was a regular
customer, and talked with Mr.. Van
Keuren about the robbery. He COM
mented upon the mystery surrounding
the case, and the woman discussed the
affair with him at great length. She
declared that the other jewellers were
easy and that Mr.. Van Keuren would
never have given up in such a man.
ner. The jeweler never for an instant
| dreamed that he was even then talk
ing to the Diamond Queen, or he
$500 three-stone ring just before her
departure for Atlanta. He did this,
however, and the unpaid for ring is In
the possession of Detective Murphy,
who recovered it in Atlanta.
About a week later Miss DeCris
went into Mr. Van Keuren's place to
make a purchase and wore the hand
some solitaire stolen from Theus. The
stone was admired by Mr.. Van Keuren
and the woman said that 1t had been
| given her by DIR. Hayward. She al
lowed the jeweler to inspect ii and he
| pronounced it a perfect gem. He also
remarked that it had come from Theus
Bros, and told the selling price. Miss
| DeCris was surprised that he should
have known where the ring came from.
| until he explained that at one time
he worked in the Theus store and
knew the marks on the goods. Had
he at that time been in possession of
the numbers of the stolen property he
would have detected the guilty person.
Hnd stolen Pendant.
A few days later she displayed the
! Theus pendant containing nineteen
stones, and said that her uncle had
| given 1t to her. She seemed surprised
when Mr.. Van Keuren said he did
not know her uncle, and readily
told of the aged and wealthy rela-
tive who lived only in her Imagination.
! day or two afterwards she again
called at the store and made an effort
| to have Mr.. Van Keuren break off two
of the stones from the pendant and
have them made into ear drops. The
Jeweler refused to do this. He said
/ that he would not destroy the beauty
of such piece of jewelry and told her
/ that she would have to get the work
| done somewhere else.
Some time later Miss DeCris return
| ed TO the store and said that her uncle
had scolded her for wanting to take
| the stones from the pendant, and how
much he thought of her jeweler for
refusing to do the work. The young
woman then related that her uncle
had given her two small stones that
he had worn in his shirt front. He
had no use for the stones, she said,
and her request that they be made into
ear drops was honored. She had re-
moved the two stones from the pend
ant herself, and had then pawned the
| jewel with only seventeen stones,
Admired Handsome Ring.
While in the store, Miss DeCris adj
! mlred the three-stone ring afterwards
! secured for her. She said that her
uncle, had promised to buy her such a
ring and Mr.. Van Keuren suggested
| tnat she take 1T to him so that he
could make an examination of il. This
| she consented to do. She returned in
day or two and declared that he was
pleased with it and had promised TO
purchase it for her Christmas. The
| JeWeler offered to hold it for her. but
she insisted that he sell it If he could.
Miss DeCris had told Mr. Van
keuren that she was going to At
lanta and asked that he send her the
ear drops when she wrote him. The
! young woman left Savannah on Fri
| day, Nov. 81 and three days later
wrote from the Kimball House for the
diamond drops. In the letter she de-
| clared that she was almost tempted to
| ask him to send her the three-stone
ring, although she said her uncle
would not pay for II until January.
The woman had been prompt in all
| her payments and was never suspected
| by Mr.. Van Keuren.
he packed the ring with the ear
| drops and forwarded both to the At
| lanta address. He wrote Miss DeCris
stating that he had taken the liberty
of sending her the ring, although she
| had not instructed him to do so. She
| had just paid him a bill of about $50
before her departure, probably with
| money realized on some of the stolen
| jewelry The jeweler did not hesitate
to trust her, and when he learned OF
The unpaid for ring is held by Detec-
tive Murphy along with the other jew
elry and will be turned over to the
owner, probably to-day.
/