The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-01
SUSPECTED BY SOLICITOR.
CONTINUED from First Page,)

struck at once with the fact that the
description of the woman was that of
Miss De Chris. that is. she was dark
haired. dark Completed. slender and
about 80 years old. 1 at once recalled
her offer to put up diamonds as coll
lateral I phoned the police barracks
to ask Detective Murphy to call at the
court and see me-
He came about 10 o'clock I re-
counted the circumstances to him. He
said he was satisfied no local people
had committed the crime: that local
people would have been identified; that
il was evidently a professional, who
came here for the purpose. He also said
that the store people. in his judgment
could not identify the thief. anyway.
HIS Suspicious AIIayed.
Though agreed with Mr.. Murphy
in his theory. l was not satisfied. |
saw Mr.. Carr. and told him of my
visitor, He knew her we'll. he said.
She had been a friend of his wife's.
and of his family. He said she was
poor, but as far as he knew perfectly
respectable and entirely honest. She
had excited his sympathy and he real
~ had offered to assist her with in
dorsement as she stated, She was. he
said, at that time. employed at Thon-
nessen's art store earning an honest
living.
This settled ii with me. consid-
cred my suspicious unfounded and
ceased to comment upon the young
woman's visit for fear l would awake
unjust suspicion gainst an innocent
person.
AT parting with Mr. Murphy 1 did
suggest as a precautionary measure
that he take Mr.. Courtney around and
at least let him look at the lady. I
thought no more of the matter until
about two weeks ago. In a casual
conversation the matter of the diamond
robbery was brought up and 1 inciden-
tally asked Mr.. Murphy If he had
shown Mr.. Courtney the young woman
in the art store, He replied they had
been around once, but she had not been
In at the time.
Recalled by Runaway story.
Saturday l was in Atlanta on bus
mess, The morning paper was full
OF the strange fake story of the run
away. did not at once recognize the
name but as soon as | saw the state
ment that she was an employe of the
art store, / placed her and recalled her
visit to me and my suspicious. / was
also struck by the fact that she was
still using the name Of civilians. !"
Later In the morning, in discussing the
matter with a Savannah lawyer who
was in Atlanta, 1 ascertained that her
reputation was not near SO spotless as
had supposed.
Il then wired Mr.. Murphy to get
specimens of her handwriting from
Thonneseh's and compare them with
the Theus letter, and wire me the re-
suit About 7 O'Clock he wired that
the writing was identical and that he
would leave at once for Atlanta Later.
just beforewnny train left, l saw a let
ter Miss De Girls wrote a party in
the Kimball House which confirmed me
In my suspicious. 1t had all the char
acteristics of the Theus letter-that is,
neatly written, in a fair hand, rather
peculiar chirography, with misspelled
words in 1t.
1T is really a most rema rkable case.
have no doubt now that Miss De-
( Girls came to my office Immediately
after securing the goods from the Jew
elers. That suspicion should have been
directed to her the very next day after
the robbery, and all of us inadvertent-
ly thrown so completely off the track
for so long is the most singular part
of the entire incident"