The San Francisco call., 1909-04-10

II
= thief who stole Jennie Crocker's So
Four detectives of the local poll
getically working on the information
is correct not only will the thief be
of pearls will be restored to its
owner.
The information which Chief Cook
is jealousy guarding. while upper Of
fee men are verifying and Celebrating
il, comes from the canal zone of Pan
anna If the information is trustwor-
thy, the thief who was the Invisible
but central figure of Mrs. AlexanderNS
Mardi Gras bal1-the occasion when the
necklace disappeared-is now engaged
in the humble occupation of cook TO
the constabulary of the canal zone at
Panama.
Pawning the Pearls
That the thief is also varying the
sultry monotony of hours In the
kitchen by disposing, one by one and
two by two, of the famous pearls In
the pawnshops of Panama is part OF
the information which comes to the
Z
chief of police.
Most Unexpectedly this information
was borne out last night when MISS
Jennie Crocker admitted to a local de-
tective that she had received letter
from Panama in which negotiations
for the ransom of the pearls were
opened.
Two days ago Chief of Police COOK
received letter from James Dawson
member of the constabulary force on
the isthmus of Panama. Dawson is en-
gagged in special detective work in the
canal zone. and stated in his letter that
1t was while pursuing his usual duties
that he came into possession OF the
clew to the whereabouts of the Crocker
pearls and the identity of the man who
stole them.
Suspect Is Cook
Dawson writes that about 10 days
go Horace Keene was hired as COOK
for the constabulary force. Keene, he
saws. came from San Francisco to the
isthmus by steamer. He gives de-
tailed description of him.
/ shortly after Keene was hired. the
| letter continues. Detective Dawson be-
came aware that the newly employed
cook was selling pearls in various
pawnshops of Panama.
That cook should be the possessor
of convertible wealth in the form of
pearls struck Dawson as peculiar. That
/ he should be willing to sacrifice them
at the low prices grudgingly yielded by
money sharks added to the unusual
nature of the proceeding. So Dawson
began an transformations Investigation.
Find Two Bored Pearls
In one of the Panama pawnshops he
found two of the pearls which keene,
the cook from San Francisco. had sold
They were bored pearls.
What had been a suspicion before in
the mind of Dawson. the detective, as
sumed the proportions of a conviction
when he found that the pearls were
bored He had been struck in the be-
ginning by the possibility that Keene
was disposing of the magnificent units
that made up the Crocker necklace,
but now he began to be sure. In his
letter to Chief Cook he explains that
only the vagueness of the description of
the stolen pearls supplied by the jewel
ers prevented him from definitely ascer-
tanning whether or not the two pearls
which he found in the Panama pawn
shop were from the necklace which
graced the neck of Miss Crocker at the
mardi gras ball.
Four Detectives at Work
When Chief Cook received this letter
he Immediately detailed Detectives
Prohl. Kelly, Taylor and McPhee on
the case. These four sleuths have been
making as little stir as possible, but
already they have upturned an impor-
tant development
To them Miss Jennie Crocker has
admitted the receipt of an anonymous
letter from the Panama canal zone In
this letter, Miss Crocker told the four
detectives, the writer stated that the
pearl necklace would be returned az
/ soon as the hubbuD OIL It's disappear
ance had quieted. Miss Crocker told
the detectives further that the writer
! promised to send her the conditions
on which the pearls would be returned
provided she would signify her will
ingness to open negotiations by means
of a personal which she was asked to
insert in one of the San Francisco
morning newspapers.
Informs the Police
Miss Crocker was unwilling to in
sert a personal in the paper, even OIL
the chance of recovering her $40, ,0ot
necklace, so she told the detectives
but whether she has used other mean,
to discover the identity of her anony.
nous correspondent or to ascertain
whether he is really in possession Of
her pearls she was unwilling to di.
vulge.
Encouraged by this unexpected con
firmation of the clew contained in til.
letter received by Chief of Police Cook
! Continued on Page 6. Column