New-York tribune., 1909-02-19
GEMS TAKEN By CLERK
FROM HOTEL SAFE.
When Caught He He'd Tickets for
the st. Paul, Sailing for Europe
on Saturday.

ley, jr To Mr. Moseley he said:
Il understand a guest Of yours. Mrs j. r
McComb. deposited $1,000 worth Of jewels in
your safe about three weeks ago I'd suggest
that you look and if the package Is there
Moseley hastened to the safe. drew out an
inner compartment and searched its contents
feverishly.
''why-it's gomez he cried
Never mind" said Van Twistern. we've got
the chap that took IT, we've got most Of the
stuff and we know where to get the rest to-
morrow" Then he told the hotel man the story
Allen Porter Crolius nineteen years old, iv-
ing with his family at No. 21TO Seventh avenue.
private of the 22d Regiment. N. G. n Y was
recommended by friend to the Hotel Colling-
wood early last month and on January IL OBJ
tained employment as night clerk II was the
first Job Of any consequence he had had IN .
year.
Two weeks later, on January .. Mrs J. r
McComb guest notified the office that she
was going TO Great Darlington, Mass. for .
visit and wished to place her jewels. valued az
$4,000 in the hotel safe until her return Tns
package was accepted and deposited IN a Jew
elry compartment. and she was given the Gus
tomary receipt
A few DAYS ago It reached the ears OF IN
spector McCaRerty. through some medium he
prefers not to name. that young man named
Allen Crolius. a night clerk at the Hotel Col
lingwood. spending money lavtsnly along
upper Broadway. No robbery had been report
ed from the Collingwood nor complaint OF any
sort made against the youth. but Inspector NC
Cafferty decided he would bear little auies
watching.
CAUGHT RED-HANDED-
He assigned Van Twfstern to the task. That
was Yesterday morning When Crol1us, on
duty. stroIled out of the Collingwood at
o'clock and headed in leisurely fashion for sixth
avenue Van Twistern at his heels He
followed him until the arrest, in the afternoon
Crolius entered the Globe Loan Companys
navnshop. at No $50 Sixth avenue. and the
detective saw him pawn solitaire stickptn for
$40 From there Van Twistern shadowed the
youth up Sixth avenue until he paused in front
of another loan brokers'. hesitated. then started
to walk on. The detective decided to act He
caught up with Crolius
You're under arrest he said What did
YOU pawn back there little while ago."
MY stickpin." faItered the boy.
Van Tvvizern took his prisoner into CON
venient hallway and partially searched hirh- ne
found pawn tickets follows
! 1snuarv 2S three days after Mrs McCono
deposited her Jewels in the Collingwood salel,
pledged with Charles Lang Sixth avenue ana
5s+b street diamond scarfpin. for S125
2 February f. pledged With Sobel Brotnets,
No. SD Columbus avenue. diamond stickpln, TOT
$50 a-o.,s-.
..
one nair diamond earrings, for 500
4 February IS pledged with Globe Loan Com
pany. one diamond stickpln. lot $ls''
Van Twistern took Crolius to Headquarters.
where more thorough search was made As
tbe-Iad's overcoat was taken off a box dropped
fr,n1 the sleeve to the floor It contained these
pieces:
Diamond brooch. set with three large tur-
o,Ioisss and one hundred and fifty diamonds
A pawnbroker who happened in al the moment
looked at 1t and said IT was worth 500
D Dtarnond bracelet set with two fine tur-
ouoises and seventy-ive diamonds
9 Breastpin. set with turquoise surrounded by
nine diamonds.
T. Duplicate Of the above.
3 Two carat solitaire sCarfpin.
6. Duplicate of the above
In the night clerks pocket HIS searchers
found two tickets from New York TO London.
via Southampton for passage the American
Line steamship St. Paul. sailing hence to-nnor-
row morning at 10 o'clock They we're made
out for "Allen Potter and Victor Bensel. the
former being the alias Allen Porter Crolius had
chosen and the latter the name Of a young
friend of his who was to accompany him In
another pocket was a fresh package Of visiting
cards engraved MIR. Allen Potter In caSh ne
had on his person $245
At first the police say. young Crolius with
stood the attempts of the Central Office men 70
make him confess But. according 70 their
statement he finally broke down and admitted
the theft saying that he had been out OF work
a year needed money badly, and. yielding 10
ternptation took Mrs McComb's Jewels from
the CoIlingwood safe on the night OF January
p two davs after they had been deposited:
that he pawned the first piece-a diamond scarf
pin-the next day. three other pieces at inter
walls until his arrest as Indicated by the four
pawn tickets in his possession: that Of the S705
realized he had spent all but S245-that Is. $3.50
in theatre parties. wine suppers and sirnila-
forms of dissipation since January 2s; that his
young friend Victor Bensel was absolutely in
nocent Of any knowledge of his crime.
Last night detectives paid a visit 10 tns
Crolius home and made a search Of the prts-
oner's room They found there two brand new
trunks and couple of handbags The lads
mother said that Allen had told her he had OBJ
tanned place as travelling companion TO a very
wealthy man and was going away with him on
Friday Cto-day)-
Central Office men located Bensel. and to ther~
he denied any knowledge OF the diamond rob
berry He said Crolius told him he had made
some money in Wall Street. and invited him TO
take little run with him over TO London 10
see the sights that he had agreed. and they
wer to sail on the st. Paul on Saturday morn
ing.
Last evening Van Twister got Mrs McComb
at Great Darlington the long distance teIe-
phone and informed her OF the robbery. she
was greatly excited until she found cut that
most of the jewels had been recovered and that
the missing pieces would be in the hands OF the
police tomorrow. Mrs. McComb said she par
ticularly valued the $500 brooch because II
had been given her by her mother
IBy Telegraph The Tribune
T2-- r5r-erS NTz-