The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-31
MRS. BONNER'S JBWELSSTOLBN
SAFE WITH $4,000 CONTENTS
VANISHES FROM NIRVANA.

VANISHES FROM NIRVANA.
Burglars Visit Country House Near STAN.
ford and Garry on Rich Booty without
Disturbing soul-silver. PIate
scorned-Threatening Letter Left,
STANFORD: Conn; Aug. so.,-A daring
burglary took place last night at Nirvana
the summer homo Of Mr.. and Mrs. Paul
Russell Bonner Of New York and Stamford.
The burglars carried away bodily an 800
pound safe, which held about all Mira Bon
ner's diamonds and some rare old jewelry;
~ we'll as $3.50 in cash.
Mrs. Bonner figures the intrinsic value
Of the stolen jewels at $4,000. She de-
clares that much Of 1t has sentimental
value that is incalculable In figures. It
includes gifts from her late husband. James
Joseph Alexandra; who was Interested In
steamships plying between New York and
Southern and West Indian ports. and from
her father, who was head Of the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company for years.
Many family jewels and heirlooms OF
The Alexandra family were stolen. Much
Of this was for Jerome Alexandra Mrs.
Bonner's son, who is soon to attain his
majority and for her dau ghter, Miss Leonie
Alexandra.
This note was found lying on the floor
where the safe was:
DEAR MADAM: You will be surprised to
ind your valuables taken. but on finding this
note keep 1t In secrecy, as we are not to be
trifed with. If our freedom Is taken your
place will be in ruins soon after.
The note was written in scrawling hand
on fine quality Of paper. tinted and family
perfumed. 1t was sealed in an envelope
to match. There was cross below the
last sentences. Then the same hand wrote
"a warning" Below this was another
cross.
The letter was turned over to Assistant
Superintendent Fields of the New York
branch OF the Pinkerton agency. and 4.
is now in the possession OF Detective Wilcox,
WHO is working UP the case with the assist
ance of Chief Brennan and Sergt. Nevins
OF Stamford.
Nirvana. the home which the burglars
threaten to lay in ruins. is situated on the
edge Of Long Island Sound at Cummings
Point 1t is mansion Of many wings and
complicated architecture. 1t contains sill
verware, paintings and bric-A-brac worth
hundreds of thousands Of dollars.
small fortune in silverware lay ex-
posed to view on a table in front OF the
burglars when they entered the house.
In safe in the billiard room closet which
they passed was solid silverware Of great
value All this leads Mrs. Bonner and
members OF her household to believe that
the burglars entered the house with the
single and sole purpose Of getting her jewels
and that they knew exactly where to look
for them.
Mrs. Bonner before her first marriage
was Mirs Natalie Edsull Mr.. Boaner is IN
the leather betting business in New York
He did not come homo last night In the
house at the time of the burglary were Mrs.
Bonner her son and daughter. Miss Duane
Of New York, friend Of the daughter, and
Mrs. Bonner's brother-in-law, G. A. Willis
of Staten Island. There were eight servants
asleep in distant wing OF the house and
number of men asleep in the outbuildings.
To get in the burglars removed pane
of glass from window in the library, which
faces the Sound on the south. Once inside
they had to pass through the library and
cross o broad hall to the stairway leading
to the second floor, where the rooms OF
Mrs. Bonner and her family are situated.
The safe was kept in a closet on the second
floor The closet opens on broad hall,
which swings about the mansion In sort
of semicircle. The door of Mr.. Willis's
room was ajar all night. Mr.. Willis is
light sleeper. Mrs. Bonner slept but little
during the night. Strangely enough,
neither Mr.. Willis nor she heard single
suspicious noise.
Once up the broad staircase, the burglars
had to walk about forty feet to the closet
1t seems they knew just where to go. Tho
eafe was a small but heavy affair, and Mrs.
Bonner says that it would require at least
four men to carry it downstairs. 1t took
that many to get it upstairs into the closet.
The closet is built midway between the
landing and the daughters room. On the
other side of the hall and still closer was
Mr. Willis's apartment.
The police believe the thieves came here
by boat. Mrs. Bonner says the tide was
such that nothing but q small Loaf could
approach the place Between midnight,
when the family retired, and in the morn
ing. when Gibson, the butler, discovered
the urglary. She says the safe would
snk small Loaf The safe has totally
disappeared.
She lay on divan over the library win
dow with her own windows vide open. She
feels sure she would have heard any ono
approach by water. There was no trace
of wagon wheels about the place, but the
heavy rain may have wiped away such
tracks. The Boomers have eleven dogs
on their estate and a vicious bulldog IN the
bouse. The dogs made no cutlery.
A week ago james Hazen Hyde OF the
Equitable Life Assurance Society enter
tanned Mrs. Bonner and party at Coney
Island. just about that time stranger
appeared about the place and made in
quiries about the Bonners. HIS curiosity
excited suspicion and he disappeared.
The Pinkerton men are trying to trace him.
They believe the burglary was the work
of a gang OF clever crooks who had every
thing mapped out on inside information.
1t is only week or two since the resi-
dence of John r. Williams OF New York
was robbed in similar manner by crooks !
who seemed to know just where to look
eor tho tootv and who got away with thou |