Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-05

Robbed of family Jewels val
ued at nearly $4,000, which he
was carrying from his home on
Orange street to a safety deposit
vault w. F. Botsford, president
of the American National bank,
has enlisted the aid of police and
street railway detectives to re-
cover the gems.
That he was robbed while on
the way from his home to his.
bank, travelling on a Westlake
car, is the belief of MIR. Botstord,
and although he has suspicious
as to the identity of the thief they
are of such an indefinite nature
that they have led to no tangible
results in the way of capture.
The Jewels, which are chiefly the
property of his wife. a prominent So
ciety woman, had been taken nome py
Mr.. Botsford to be inspected. Deem
ing them safer in a deposit vault than
in the family residence, he placed them
in small green box, put the box IN
his pocket and boarded car for Sec
ond and Broadway, where the bank.
of which he is the president, is located.
Jewels Worth $4,000
The box contained many individual
pieces of expensive jewelry, among
which were a ring set with two three
karat diamonds, and valued at $11o0:
two solitaire rings, one worth $1,000 and
the other $500; ruby ring, valued at
$3.50: a sunburst, with gold chain
linked with diamonds, worth $500, and
numerous other pieces of jewelry, the
total value being estimated conserva-
lively at between $4,000 and $4,000.
The mystery of the green box of
Jewels has baffied all the detectives
who have been at work on the case.
The first report of the robbery was
made to tie police department
Wednesday by Mr.. Botsford, who
stated the robbery had occurred Mon
day. The banker then sought the Of
fees of the railway company to learn
whether the green bcx and its con-
tents had been found and turned in by
n motorman or conductor. They had
not.
Car Men Questioned
The railway officials Immediately
called more than score of car men
to the office. but all denied having seen
the green box. The fact that on the
car on which Mr.. Botsford rode there
were many motormen and conductors
returning from their work led the
banker to believe the box might have
been found by one of them. All efforts
of the railway officials to find and re-
turn the jewels to Mr.. Botsford were
of no avail.
Detectives Home and Chapman of
the central police station, who have
been working on the case since the
hour it was reported to their depart
ment, have few clews on which to
work. The theory that the box might
have dropped out of Mr.. Botsford's
pocket as he sat in the car, that 1t
might have ,ain unnoticed on the seat
or on the floor until long after he
aligftted and that 1t was picked up by
a fellow passenger is advanced by one
of the detectives.
Mystery Complicated
But the mystery of the green box
is further complicated by the intima-
tion of one of the bankers friends that
an individual who sat in the car and
who is described as a short, stout In
dividual may know something of the
present whereabouts of the jewels.
This maa is said to have disappeared
while search was being made for the
jewels.
Mr.. Botsford left yesterday on a
business trip to Sar Francisco. but
of his family and officials OF
the bank are vigorously prosecuting
the search.