The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-09-01
NIRVANA'S AMAZING CRIME.
THEFT OF SAFE HAS THE POLICE
GUESSING SEVERAL WAYS.


Been Herculean, T0O-NIrs. bonner In.
sists That Her Servants Are Trustworthy
STANFORD, Conn.,, Aug. Sl.-The strange
disappearance Of heavy safe containing
$4,000 worth Of jewelry and $50 In cash
from Nirvana, the summer home Of Mr..
and Mrs Paul Russell Bonner, two and
a half miles from this city, remains q mys-
terry, and the local police were forced to adj
nit tonight that they are no nearer a
solution Of the affair than they were i'm
mediately after the amazing robbery was
discovered.
Chief Brennan and his confidential aides,
sergt. Nevins and Detective Jim Henfer-
nan, are one moment referring to tho
case as the most perplexing example Of
bol1 burglary they ever heard Of and tho
next moment they are mumbling among
themselves and declaring that the case
is an inside Job. In all cities when the
police are stumped concerning burglary
they usually talk about an inside job.
The Pinkerton sleuths, Wilcox and Davis.
who were brought here Wednesday morn
ing by Mr.. Bonner, Immediately after the
robbery was discovered, are still on the
Job. Wilcox spent the greater part Of
to-day driving with jerome Alexandra,
Mrs. Bonner's twenty-year-old son, who
gained the enmity Of the police by talking
freely Of the case and making public the
contents Of the threatening note left where
the safe stood by the alleged bold burglars.
Young Jerome also talked about other
things freely. and Chief Of Police Brennan
says the boy doesn't know exactly what
he is talking about. owing to his great ex-
otement over the robbery.
Assistant Superintendent Bailey OF the
Pinkerton New York office arrived at Mir
vana early to-day and is still there to-
night. He refused to discuss the case
other than to say that the robbery was
perhaps the work Of an unusually clever
band Of burglars.
Mrs. Bonner Is greatly agitated over the
affair and is In a state Of nervousness bor-
dering on collapse. Sun reporter talked
with her concerning the robbery this after
noon, but she would say little. Mrs. Bonner
emphatically stated that she didn't suspect
any OF the servants in the house. All Of
these she said had been in her employ for
several years or more and were absolutely
trust worthy.
when was the safe seen last as far as
you know" the reporter asked Mrs. Bonner
1T was in the closet on Tuesday morning."
she replied quickly, 4and l think that 1t was
first moved part of the way In the afternoon
and then hid 80 that it could be quickly
removed at night"
When the reporter questioned her as to
why she thought the safe had been first
tempered with In the afternoon. Mrs. Bonner
decided not to talk any further and begged
to be excused. She denied that the pink
tinted and perfumed note paper on which
the threatening letter left where the safe
stood matched any note paper on hand in
the house. The Pinkerton detectives also
said that the note paper was unlike any in
the house. The Stamford police had heard
that the paper was Identical with the supply
in the Bonner establishment
This warning note is in the hands Of the
Pinkerton detectives and up to late this
evening had not been seen by Chief Of Police
Brennan. The latter was more or less
piqued on this score and early in the day
made q statement setting forth his dis |
pleasure on this score.
Of the local police, that an effort has been |
plainly made to keep this note from me. |
One of my men, who was the first to arrive |
at the house after the robbery was discov-
that he be allowed to bring it to my Office.
Mrs. Bonner said she wished to show the
letter to her husband and my man. not wish
ing to be iscourteous, said he would call
for the note later, and after 1t had been
hoS Of Nh ns ae Mnse were we o
that the Pinkerton men had 1t and they
have shown no great desire to let me get q
look at it.
This whole thing looks queer to me.
get into house full of peop pie and cart away
n heavy safe after ripping out a window
pane without some one hearing them. I'm
all at sea over this case. In the first place
don't know much about the Bonner house
hold or the pie that visit there. The
kept much in touch with what went on out
there. I've got q certain idea that I'm
going to follow out and maybe it will lead
10 solution OF the affair"
Later. Chief Brennan's skeptical frame
Of mind turned to one OF absolute conf
dence that shrewd gang Of burglars
from New York had effected the robbery.
II what Chief Brennan now surmises Is
true, this robbery is one Of the most unique
that the police in the vicinity Of New York
The burglars took most round about
way Of getting into the house. A small
pane Of glass forming part Of swim ging
window in the drawing room to the south
d the house was ripped out, when similar
he side Of the front door and the lock in
t turned, as was the lock holding the win
low.
From the front door the burglars could
nave been much nearer the stairway lead
ng to the second floor and near the closet
where the safe stood. Instead, according
o the present lay Of the job, the thieves
wandered through long drawing room,
hen picked their way across q large din
ng room end into the hallway leading to
he stairs. That the robbers may have
'een their mistake Is evident from the
TACT that the front door was found open in
he morning, and apparently the safe was
packed out that way.
Then comes the question OF getting the
afe out. According to Mike Mullins, the
Bonner coachman, who has been in the en-
boy Of Mrs. Bonner for nearly thirty
'ears. the safe weighed 800 pounds. This
Gems improbable judging from the small
pace that the safe occupied in the closet.
fullins says it took four men to get the safe
n the closet many years ago. II the safe
vas az heavy as described by the coach
nan, 1t would seem natural that the little
wheels under 1t would have left some i'm
,ressions on the soft pine WOO d floor Of the
loset.
The burglars were certainly polite ones.
HE Sun reporter examined infinitely yester-
lay the note left on the floor where the safe
TODD. 1t was penned on fine embossed,
ink tinted and perfumed paper. The
,ritinQ Ia dia Qonal across the folded don BILE