The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1907-12-05
vE RN|E CARM|N'S s
LOST GEMS MAY
CONVICT WILKINS
Detectives Search for Rich
Jewels Owned by the
Dead Woman
TOTAL VALUE $1,000
Husband Furnishes Police
With Description of
Missing Articles
HEARING TOMORROW
Witnesses subpenaed for the
Preliminary Trial in
Justice Court
HEARING TOMORROW


OAKLAND. Dec. 4.-The theory
that robbery was the rRetive for the
alleged murder of Vernie Carrnin by
Mark A. Wilkins at Elrnhurst has
been taken up by the Alameda county
officials and an active search is being
made for evidence to substantiate the
theory.
The suggestion that Wilkins may
have murdered the woman to gain
possession of valuable jewels, worth
81, 900, which she owned, was first
made by Louis L. Carmin, her hus-
band, who came from Kansas City to
Oakland in order to identify the body.
Upon information furnished by Carmin
Sheriff Frank Barnet today gave the
police a list of the jewels said by her
husband TO have belonged to Mrs.
Carmin and requested that a search be
instituted and every effort made to
trace the gems in order that they may
be produced as evidence.
Carmin said that when his wife left
him in Kansas City over a year ago
she had $1,000 worth of Jewels with
her. Among the gems which he de-
scribed to Sheriff Barnet were psir
of diamond earrings valued at $500, dia-
nlond ring valued at $500 gold wire
rf,, O. with i, diaraopd Sat valued ar x1On
and pins and other ornaments. Several
of wilkins neighbors in Elmhurst have
given partial substantiation to Carmin's
statements by saying that when Mrs.
Carmin came to Elmhurst TO live she
frequently wore several handsome rings
and jeweled ornaments, but that for
some time prior to her death she had
not been seen with them.
The bracelet which belonged to Mrs.
Carmin and which Mrs. Ida Anderson
claims was given to her by wilkins
after the woman's death, as well as
gold chain with a gold cross pendant.
fiave been recognized by Carmin as part
of the jewelry which belonged to his
wife. 1t was the name Carmin written
on the bottom Of the bracelet box which
gave the first clew as to Mrs. Csrmin's
past and resulted in the locating OF her
father and husband after her death.
Since his arrest wilkins has main
tanned persistentIy that if any jewels
were missing they have been lost or
stolen, and that he was in no way con-
nected with their disappearance. If the
gems can be found it will not be
hard matter to trace them back, and
possibly imp1icate Wilkins beyond any
question. Sheriff Barnet believes that
wilkins murdered the woman either 10
gain possession of the jewels after her
death or else to prevent her making
known their loss after he had stolen
them prior to her death Another sug-
gestion made is that Wilkins may have
sold the jewels to raise money for
household expenses, which would help
to account for the fact that at times
he had large amounts of money in his
possession and at other times almost
nothing.
The witnesses who have been sub
penaed to appear at Wilkins prelimi-
nary examination before Justice Geary
tomorrow morning are Mrs. NJ. E.
Burke, Mrs. Ida M. Anderson Sheriff
Frank Barnet, Deputy sheriffs John
Reilly and w. Moffat, Peter Burns,
Louis l. Carmin. Mrs. Charlotte Ben
nett, George Belchee, Mrs. George Bel
chez, Mrs Frank Folsom, Chemist Rich
ard Benzige and Drs. O. D. Hamlin.
Curdts. Reinle and Kant.