The San Francisco call., 1905-02-07
DIAMONDS
SUDDENLY
DISAPPEAR
Guest at st. Francis
Is Minus Her
Jewels.

The management OF the st. Francis
Hotel. assisted by members of the To-
cal detective force, was engaged last
evening in trying to gain some clew
that would solve the mystery surround
ing the disappearance of a box OF dia-
monds and jewelry belonging to a
prominent guest of the big hostelry.
Up to a late hour this morning the
detectives had not found the slightest
clew to the missing gems. but they
have not given up hope Of recovering
them. For several weeks the St. Fran
els has included among it's most fash
ionable guests Mr.. and Mrs. E. NJ Hol-
brook of Minneapolis. Holbrook is a
wealthy lumberman, who. accompanied
by his handsome wife, came TO the
coast on business.
Mrs HOlbrOok, who was always re-
garded as 0ne4os the f1ost at tfactively
dressed women at the hotel. carried
with her on her trip 10 San Francisc0
I a casket of jewels valued at about
$4,000. Yesterday the couple prepared
for their departure for the East on the
evening train, and after dispatching
their trunks to the depot, HclbrOok
went TO the office ana got his wife's
valuables that had been deposited in
one of the hotel safes. The visitors
riage and were accompanied by the
runner of the hotel, who had been en-
gagged to assist them In carrying their
hand baggage across the bay.
When the Oakland mole was reached
and the HoIbrooks were about to enter
the overland train Mrs. Holbrook, with
natural womanly instinct, suddenly
asked her husband If her jewel case
was all right and, much to the surprise
of BOTH, it was discovered that the
valuable receptacle was missing. H0l-
brook was positive that he had carried
| the Jewels from the hotel TO the car
riage, and thinking that possibly he
had left them behind in the conveyance
he Immediately telegraphed the man
/ agement of the st. Francis to institute
a search tor them.
| Acting upon his request the hotel
people hunted up the hack driver. who
| had turned in his vehicle and gone to
| his home, but he disclaimed all kn0wl-
edge of the jewels and cleared himself
of any suspicion by establishing as
| fact that he had not diSmOunted when
he reached the ferry depot with his pas.
sengers, but that the hotel runner. who
/ had accompanied him. had gathered to-
gether the coats and parcels of the HOl-
brooks and followed them across the
/ bay on the ferry
/ Although the management of the ST.
any responsibility. it decided to insti-
tut= further search, and called in the
| local detectives to assist in the case.
/ Notwithstanding that Holbrook was
certain that he had taken the jewels
away from the hotel a careful search
/ of the apartments vacated by himself
and wife was made. but without fruit
| full results Holbrook expressed no dis
/ position TO suspect the hotel runner.
/ who had accompanied him across the
\ bay, and the detectives finally arrived
at the conclusion that the wealthy lum-
| herman had carelessly left the valu-
ables somewhere at the ferry or on the
boat. Acting on this theory the de-
| tectives at midnight were quietly try
| ing TO find out whether any person had
/ found the missing jewels
/ Mrs. Holbrook was anxious to re-
turn to San Francisco. with the hope
| OF lending assistance to the detectives
/ in their search. but her husband. who
| has business engagements IN the East,
! insisted that their journey should be
| continued