Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-07-14
OFFICER DUMAS ON RACK
Stoy of the Diamond Ring q Pretty
 Mixed Up Affair

Had Patrolman Peter H. Dunais confessed to his brother policemen what he had done with the $2OO dia- mond ring belonging to Cassius M. Webb, a stock broker, he would not now be in the serious predicament that kept the board of public safety in session from 4:30 yesterday to 10:3O o'clock last evening trying to determine how the ring came into his possession. Dunais pleaded guilty to intoxication and not guilty to con- duct unbecoming an officer. This is the only way the board got around the difficulty of not charging him with theft of the ring.
 The characters in this sensational episode testified in the following or der: Superintendent of Police George M. Beach, Captain c. R. Bannon. Lieutenant Detective Thomas Dodds, Cassius M Webb, principal; Fred P. Chapin, clerk for c. E. Hoadley, a stock broker on Grand street; Albert Johnson, rubber in the Turkish bath; Officer Maurice Noonan, Den his McGrath, saloon keeper, corner Of Phoenix avenue and East Main street; Miss Lena E. Clayton, 27 Ab- bolt avenue, stenographer and Webb's landlady; James J. Mahoney, 1eWeler for the Gaffney Jewelry com- pany; Dunais, principal, and William L. Herschel. proprietor of the Tur- kish bath.
 | The testimony of the policemen differed very little. In the main de- tails there was no variety, only that one piled on to the others testimony. To all of the officers Dunais denied having any knowledge of the ring until toward the end of that part of the controversy when he admitted Knowing where it was, but refused to tell. It was then Dunais previously harmed himself. It might be said here l that the ring was obtained through no assistance rendered by Dunais. | The police heard from John Savers | where the ring was and Lieutenant | Dodds dispatched Detective Ken naugh for it. When Dunais was talk en to the police station he said he would not give up the ring until Webb returned to him $35 which Webb secured on a loan from him. Both men were under the influence of drink, but not intoxicated by any means. Superintendent Beach sent Ounais home in a hack.
 Webb's story follows:
 From about 4:30 Wednesday after noon to about 1:30 Thursday morn- Ing had been drinking. It was mostly beer and had about five drinks all told. With few friends l was in the Elton, then we strolled to Batchelder's on Phoenix avenue and from there to the Union club. MT Mahoney, jeweler was with me. He was drinking soft stuff. We were standing near McEvoy's corner about 1880 o'clock when the officer came along. He was in uniform. He saluted me and we went together toward the police statiant where he changed his clothes. He'was then under the influence of drink. We went to the bath together, I gave him some change to keep for me, aboutS1.75 or so. don't know why l gave 1t to him, but he said he would take care of it. I had never seen the man before to speak to. I am p?sitive had the ring on my finger when I went to bed in the bath.
 In the morning Dunias told me he owed me little money and I said what of 1t, it is co small. He gave me the money. $2. Then missed the ring I asked him where it was and he said he would nct tell. of- fered to pay whatever he had raised on 1t, thinking that he had pawned it, and let it go at that but he refused to say where it was. I should have said that after the bath Dunias pro- duced bottle of cognac and had two drinks out of it. He had some too. Dunias slept in the room near mine. and the bath. Both of us had been drinking but we had our senses. He did not loan me any money and did not ask him for any. I could have got all the money wanted from several people and I have plenty in bank.
 But you could not get a check cashed at 1 o'clock in the morning.? remarked one of the commissioners.
 That is true, but I had all the money I needed" Here the ring, which has been in Superintendent Beach's possession since 1t was re- covered, was put on Mir webb's third finger of his left hand. the one on which he wore 1t. and several of the commissioners tried to take 1t off. They had quite a tussle before they succeeded. This was to see if the ring could be removed from his finger with ordinary ease.
 To 0ficer Dunais's questions Mir Webb denied that both of them were 1 l. xx~l