The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-03-12
ROBBED OF GEMS
WHILE IN FAINT
DIAMONDS DISAPPEARED
FROM STEAMSHIP KANSAS CITY ON
TRIP FROM NEW YORK.

Two Rings Valued by Owner at S1O,-
600. Although Worth no More
Than $500. Were Lost by Mrs. Her
man KreitIer of Newark, n. J.-She
Tainted in Social Hall and Was
Assisted to Her state Room by
Husband and Others-Rings Dis
appeared During Excitement.
Immediately upon the arrival of the
steamer Kansas City from New York
yesterday morning, one of the pas
sengers reported to MIR. l.. NJ. Erskine,
agent for the Ocean Steamship Com
pany. that his wife had been robbed
of two valuable diamond rings while
en- route from New York on the steam
err The rings were heirlooms and
valued by the family at over $4,000.
The matter was at once reported to
the superintendent of police and the
case was assigned TO one of the city
detectives. At a late hour the officer
had not succeeded in securing any
information which would give him
clue as to where the diamonds went.
An effort was made to withhold the
names of the parties who sustained the
loss and no information would be given
out by the Ocean Steamship Company
officials, or the police department. The
rings were the property of Mrs. Her
man Kreitler, of Newark, N. J., who,
with her husband, left New York on
the Kansas City Tuesday afternoon at
o'clock.
How Robbery Was Committed.
Mr.. Kreitler, when seen by repre-
sentative of the Morning News, was
not willing to give out much informa-
ton about the loss of his wife's dia-
monds. He said he reported the mat
ter to the agent of the Ocean Steam
ship Company Immediately upon his
arrival, and that the matter was also
reported to the police.
Mr.. Kreitler said that his wife and
himself left New York Tuesday after
noon and that Tuesday night about
o'clock, while they were sitting in the
social hall of the steamer with other
passengers, Mrs. Kreitler was attack
ed with a sudden fainting spell and sew
eral passengers and officials of the
steamboat assisted him in removing
her to her state room.
When she reached the state room her
rings were removed, and in few min
utes two of the rings were missing.
MIS-. hfellleT ndQ on SIX IllSS DIT the
time she tainted but four of the rings
were not taken. Mr.. Kreitler imme-
diately reported the matter to Capt.
Smith, but no trace of the jewelry
could be found.
One Ring Was Wedding Present.
One of the missing rings was given
to Mrs. Kreitler by her husband on
the day of their wedding, and he said
that she would not have parted with
the ring for any amount of money.
The other ring was a handsome clus-
ter diamond, and had been handed
down to Mrs. Kreitler by her mother.
The market value of the rings, Mr..
Kreitler said, is perhaps less than $500,
but he would not have parted with the
jewels for twenty times that amount.
Several passengers on the Kansas
City said that Mr.. Kreitler had made
the statement on the steamer to an
official of the vessel that he would Of
fer a reward of 81 900 for the recovery
of the rings when he reached port, and
if the diamonds were returned to the
detectives no questions would be asked.
Mr.. Kreitler is a prominent architect
and was supervising architect of the
United States Treasury Department
from 1868 10 1872. He will leave to-day
for Jacksonville, and will spend a week
in Florida. He will return to Savan-
nah the latter part of next week.