The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-31
them and buy the proceeds of their

| thefts?
San the rich be persuaded to investigate
thoroughly the former characters Of
men whom they allow to take charge
of their jewels and plate?
| Another peril faces the rich.
| New York's Wallets or at least goodiy
section of them, have banded together TO
steal. With regular rendezvous, a Broad
way jeweler of supposedly high integrity
for their fence, meetings. place on Broad
way and saloon which is an informal
employment agency, they are fully equip
ped to ply their trade-plain theft.
There is no need for jimmies, crOwbars,
dark lanterns or dynamite. Their tools
are an oily tongue, an English accent,
an ability to press trousers and stud
shirts, clever intonation of VERY good.
| sir" a clean-shaven face and a certain
smartness Of demeanor.
Annually they are getting away with
more diamonds, gold plate, silverware
gold watches and jewelry of all descrip-
| tons than all New Yorks second story
| men, burglars and all-around sneak
| thieves can bag Not one case in hun
| dred is reported The rich are the VIC
Tins and they are content to make the
best of their losses. wei knowing they
| have only themselves to blame.
When a. rich man hires a valet for
| his English accent, without even bother
| ing TO look up his references, what can
we do?" asks Inspector McClusky.
Only the other day came two big rob-
| berries by Wallets. IN each case the SER
itor was arrested August Belmont was
robbed of $1,000 by a man whom he had
in his employ just twentyefour hours
| George Reynolds. That same day David
Lamar, of No 61S Fifth avenue, had his
man, John c. Cold locked up on charges
of grand larceny and forgery. The police
| found three pawn tickets upon him, two
for gold watches.
Cold had worked for Lamar three
months and had come so well recommend
ed that Mr. Lamar thought he had
prize. Among Colds former employers
had been Cornelius Vanderbilt and the
Late Herbert r. Bishop
Besides the theft charge. Cold is now
accused of forging Mr.. Lamars head
gardeners name TO check for S292 and
appropriating the money meant to pay
the men.
through the Wallets employment agency
the saloon where cockney is the talk and
robbing millionaires the theme of all
present. He went to work one day and
disappeared the next. With him dissp-
peared one hundred and sixty pieves of
table. silver. s., 900 worth of pearl studs
and invaluable private papers which Mr..
Belmont kept in locked tin box.
Inspector McCluskys men hadno trou-
bic in landing either Reynolds or Cold.
They found both in the saloon where they
knew such men to go. Reynolds had even
the GOODNESS to leave the package contain
ing the stolen stuff behind the bar. Mr..
Belmont uunquestionably accepted Rey-
nolds Lotos Club references. Reynolds
had worked there honestly enough.
\ few weeks ago the victims were Mr..
and Mrs. Alfred Nathan, of No, 96 East
Seventy-second street. who found that
their amiable butler George Bossut. had
decamped with $95. 900 worth of the family
jewels Bossut went so far as to leave
an insolent note advising Mrs. Nathan
to keep quiet and he would sent her
the pawn tickets. AS he wrote:
Madam have taken your jewels, so
you need suspect no one else. You al
ways treated me well. I'll admit, but
couldn't resist the temptation. Ndw,
I'll tell you what I'll do. If you keep the
matter quiet and don't make any fuss,
III send you the pawn tickets-maybe,
But if you set the police on my heels
I'll stay in cover and get away-to Eu-
rope, possibly Regards to the little
boy. GEORGE.
Then there was the Kingdom diamond
robbery. cleaned up by thieves unknown
\ couple of ex-valets got jobs at the
waldorf and stole $4,000 worth of dia-
monds and other gems from Mrs. Mary
Kingdom, mother of Mrs George Gould.
Just as mysteriously as the jewels were
stolen they were returned. The police
made it hot for the Wallets rendezvous,
and by one Of tose bargains which seem
so strange to the general public they had
the "swag" restored TO the last single
stone OF course. no arrests followed.
But Mrs. Kingdom was satisfied. She
got her jewels back. So was her SON
in-law, George Could. He sent check
for a goodly sum to the detectives who
turned the trick so easily.
Not. last. or least. either. is the famous
Burden diamond robbery Those pre-
cious English rascals. William Roberts
Dunlap. butler, and William Turner,
second man. got away with $1,000 worth
of pewels belonging to xrs. I. Townsend
Burden, while she was at the opera.
The two men came to Mrs. Burden
well recommended. They had plotted the
job long in advance. At the proper mo-
ment they took diamonds. hid them over
the door Intel. waited two months and
then quit in a huff because Of some
fancied insult. Not one Of steve"
O'Brien's sleuths had been able to get
single admission out of either of them.
and finally the detective bureau threw
up the job
one wise would-be Sherlock Holmes got
Turner drunk one night, but even then
couldn't get a word out of him about the
theft. 1t took Scotland Yard. more IA
miliar with Wallets ways of working. to
land the men. They are now doing time
in sing sing and they are making them
selves invaluable at the Warden's table.
These are only 4 few Of the cases those
where Sl00G0 or more was taken. The
comparatively tri1ing thefts OF 500 or
s.. 60 seldom get to the police. and so are
seldom published il the newspapers.
Every. one Of these robberies. and many
more never reported are plotted in
diuEv little saloon in the shadow OF the
waIdorf-Astoria. The street is close 70
Thirty-foUrth: Sixth avenue is a biscuit
toss away. This place where these smooth
tongued malefactors meet daily is so