The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-21
10000 IN DIAMONDS STOLEN.
TRANCE ROBBERY IN HOUSE OF
JOHN ". CLEWS.

An ,he .IeweIry Of Himself Taken. but
sK.OO worth Of Trlnkets Left-NO
signs OF Burglary and House Carefully
LOcked-New Maid IL Arrested.
y.rslrv valued at SO 900 was stolen on
r,dav night from the home of John H.
rI.vs Of Al West Fifty-eighth street. Mr..
Claws ia a relative Of Henry Clews and is a
rn.mber Of the banking firm. Mary
Sbarters. a maid employed in the family,
w,s arrested Yesterday on suspicion Of
LroHinR something about the affair, and
vas held in $4,000 bail for examination
IN The Yorkville police court tomorrow.
The iewelry was taken between 7 and
an o'clock. while the family waslat dinner.
Tba family consists OF Mr.. and Mrs. Cews
and their daughter, Natalie, IL years old.
Th.rs were three domestice in the house;
cook. a waitress and Mary Charters, the
maid. who is a black eyed, good looking
~oman Of IS years. She a engaged
a, an intelligence Office by Mrs. Csws eleven
dsvs ago. and showed a number OF written
recommendations from the families in
rhich che had been employed during the
last ten years. The other servants had
h.en IN the house for about two years.
The discovery Of the loss came imme-
distelv after dinner. Mr.. Clews went to
his bedroom on the third floor to dreas
q. looked about for the diamond pin he
usually wears in his shirt front, but was
unable 70 find IL. He called to his wife
10 ask If she knew is whereabouts. She
did not and the two made a search for IL.
Not only was II missing. but also a diamond
cir. Q gold match. q diamond ring and other
valuable iewelrv. In fact moet Of Mr..
Cleve's ,evelry had been taken. II was
A. onoe evident that the property had been
stolen for the plush boxes in which the
articles usually reposed were lying opened
and empty m the dresser.
When It became apparent that a thief
had been operating in the house II was
decided 70 make an inspection of Mrs.
Clewss room. H. took but a glance to see
that the thief had been busy in her room.
Empty plush boxes told the tale. A fine
gold chetelsne bag valued at $3.50 had
been lying on the bureau shortly before
dinner. # was gone. Five brooches Of
different make and containing diamonds
gt in different styles were one from their
boxes One Of the brooches had cost $500.
Police Headquarters was notified of the
robbery and Detective John OConnor OF
the East Fifty-frst street police station
vas sent 10 the house. He made an ex-
AmlldNl DIl W q ~ u WOW my
traces Of a burglars visit. The scuttle
showed no evidence that any one had left
Ly way Of the roof. The door was securely
locked on the inside. The family assured
the detective that the basement doc and
the front door Leading into the street had
been looked before dinner and they were
still locked when the police were notified
Of the robbery. The detective then ex-
ahmed the windows and found them
fastened.
NO burglar or second story man has
taken the stuff. Some one on he inside
turned of the trick OConnor said to the
head of the family.
Members of the family were reluctant
10 suspect the domestics. IL was said
that neither the cook nor the waitress had
lad an opportunity to take the articles
from the two b. bedrooms. They we're not
supposed to 90 into these rooms.
The detective saw a number OF small
silver articles in Mrs. Clews's and on
making inquiry learned that about 5000
worth of b~Yac-a-brac and other silver arti-
cles we're scattered about the two rooms
and had not been disturbed. This was
strong evidence in his opinion that no
ordinary robber had been at work. No
common thief would have neglected 80
much valuable loot.
The detective and the head OF the house
began at once a search for the missing
propertv. They started in the basement
and finished next to the roof, but not a
single article of the lost things was found
The rooms of the domestics were carefully
examined.
This is my opinion of how it happened,
nid the detective when the search was
over. Some one in the house went to the
bedrooms at dinner time and hastily gath,
cred up the jewelry from the boxes and
slowed il away in a bag or something like
that. Then the thief hurried TO the street
door and opened il quietly. There was a
cnnfadarata IN the sidewalk waiting by
Encouragement. The thief handed the
stuff TO the confederate and retired into
the house and locked the street door again.
II was nearly midnight when the detec
tive left the house. He returned yesterday
1 and announced that he was going to arrest
her, but she was the only domestic who
had had access TO the bedrooms. She wa
accordingly arrested and taken to court.
In court she declared that she had nc
knowledge As to how the property wa
taken. .
There was a workman in Mrs. Clews'l
\ bedroom Yesterday" she said in a talh
before her arraignment. MY employer
sent for an upholsterer to retuft the mat
trees and he was engagedfrom 1 O'Clock tC
Io'clock in the afternoon in her bedroom
she told me to go and watch hin TO SEE
that he did not take anything. l did watch
\ him most Of the Tine"
The detective said he knew about thC
visit Of the upholsterer and had no cause
70 suspect him. as much Of the jewelry wa
seen by the owners after the man had lef'
The house.
O'Connor made a short affidavit ~recitinI
the loss Of SIC, 900 worth of Jewelry and ask
row for examination. He hoped % have
definite information by then.
Magistrate Crane held the woman anc
nIed her bail at SIC, 900.