The Washington herald., 1909-03-19
WOMAN GETS BLAME
OF JEWELRY THEFT
Wealthy Widow of Georgia
Arrested in Newark.
GEMS IN HER POSSESSION
Mrs. +. j. Ridley Protests Innocence,
Declaring She Found Gems in Car
and Intended 10 seek OwneF-VRIue
OF Jewels Is About sS,OOO-ReIative
OF Biscuit Trust Official

New York. March 1s-Mrs. P. J. Ridley,
a wealthy widow. OF Atlanta. Ca. who IS
said 70 be related 4 prominent persons
IN this city. was arrested when she
reached Newark this afternoon on a train
from the South. and taken TO the local po-
lice court and arraigned on a charge OF
grand larceny
She was accused Of having In her pos
session a ehatelaine bag belonging 10 Mrs
Andrew J. Albright. Of this city. contain
ing Jewels worth about 5000 Mrs. RId-
ley is well known in Atlanta society. as
well as in New York. and is a noted en-
tertainer.
Mrs. Ridley. who is about fifty years OF
age, sray-haired. refined. and handsomely
dressed, was on her way TO East Orange.
n. J., in response TO a telegram telling OF
the desperate illness OF her son-In-law. J.
A Enslow, an official Of the National Bis
cult Company She was bringing with
her the seven-year-old son Of the Ems
lows, her grandson. Ridley Madison Ems
low. who had been visiting her, and Cath
crime Matthews. a ten-year-old girl, who
had also been staying al the Ridley home
n Atlanta.
Relative in Hospital.
At the time Mrs. Ridley was going. a
protesting prisoner, 10 the police station
n Newark. with the two children trail
ing foriornly along behind, an operation
was being performed on Mr.. Enslow IN
the Memorial Hospital az Orange.
Mr.. and Mrs. Albright got aboard the
same sleeping car In Atlanta which Mrs.
Ridley and her two charges had taken.
Shortly before reaching washington Mrs.
Albright first missed the bag containing
her Jewels. She reported the loss 10 the
conductor, who began a quiet investiga-
ton According 10 his statement. he sus-
pected Che missing bag was in the com
Dartment which Mrs. Ridley occupied. The
conductor wired ahead. and when the
II ain reached Newark Mrs. Ridley Was
arrested
1t was stated by the Newark police that
Mrs. Albrights chatelaine bag had been
found 10 be in Mrs Ridley's possession.
with all its contents intact. excent one
ring worth $500 that could not be located
The Newark police also said her expla-
alton was that she had found the bag on
the car where it had been dropped. and
meant TO return il 10 the rightful owner.
Albright Tells story.
Andrew j. Albright. jr.. who lives At
the Spencer Arms. in Broadway. told the
story OF the episode tonight
Mrs Albright and were on our wav
north from New Orleans" he said. Last
night, when Mrs. Albright took of her
rings, she put them in the bag, and then
took It TO the women's dressing room
She did not think any more about y
This morning Mrs Albright told me thar
she had lost her black bag. and that her
rings. were gone with r.. There were only
two women beside Mrs. Albright on the
train. One was an invalid, and she qot
of at Philadelphia. The other was Mrs
Ridley, who was at the moment In an.
other part OF the train. The Pullman
conductor went to her section and found
her travelling bag lying there. Inside Fl
was a little black bag. which looked Ike
Mrs. AIbright's The Pullman cono,,c+o-
went through IL. and found all the things
that Mrs. Albright said ought to be there