The Washington herald., 1909-07-18
AWAITS SSTOLEN GEMS
Taken from Lloyd
Home VIII Be Returned.
GOVERNMENT HAS THEM ALL
Thought They Were smuggIed, and
Sent Thief to Prison for Violating
Customs LnWs-NOw He Has Disap-
Deared, but Life Insurance Man Is
So Happy He Doesn't Care.

New York, July 17.-Vlce President
Isaac F. Lloyd. Of the Mutual Life Insur-
ance Company. was pleased to-day 10
learn from Chicago that the Federal
government had decided TO return 70 him
about 5000 worth OF diamonds which
we're stolen from his home In this city
four years ago.
The government has known all these
years that the jewels belonged 10 Mr.
Lloyd. and had been stolen from him,
and the government also knew tie thief
and had mildly punished him.
The government did not punish him for
the theft but it punished him for snug
Cling the Jewels that he stole. The
thief DISAPPEARED after his short prison
term for smuggling.
Government Is "Duped.o
The government Acknowledged that Il
had been -duped." as the Chicago in
formation puts 1t, when on Friday Judge
Francis Wright, in that city. signed a
Federal court order that the diamonds
in question be turned over to Mr.. LLOYD
Mr.. Lloyd is not eTiticislng anybody. He
accepts tie governmental mystery and
Just hopes that the diamonds are coming
along
Mr.. Loyd's house. at 80 West Seventeen
street was robbed in the spring OF 1915
by Lena Hoffman, alias Becker. alias
other cognomens. who had obtained a
place as maid and seamstress on false
recommendation with forged signatures
She was regarded as 50 punctiliously hon
est that presently she had the run OF the
house Her sewing-room was the front
basement room. and there al the window
she was often visited by her brother-in-
law Henry Hoffman. who, II vas found
later. had left his wife IN Europe and
come here with the seamstress.
Lena Disappeared; Gems. Too.
One day in March. 1895. Lena went out
for few minutes" and never returned.
Immediately afterward the loss OF the
stolen jewels was discovered.
In the following fan the police Of Chi
cago arrested Hoffman on suspicion when
they found him trying 10 sell loose dla-
monds- In his room they found rs OF
these unset stones and q large quantity
OF gold partly melted. which had been
their settings; also some partly melted
silver.
Upon his arrest he "confessed'' that
the stones were smuggled and that he
had smUggled them The police there
fore turned him over 70 the Federal au-
thoriues and he was sent 70 Leaven-
worth prison for two years. In the
meantime his accOmplice had been ar
rested here and she confessed the whole
story OF the robbery. Until then the pub
lie had not learned Of the Lloyd rob
berry, but the authorities had got on the
track through the finding among HoR-
mans swag OF small gold Tiffany lock.
by the number OF which Tiffany found
that u had been sold to Mrs. Harvey
Fisk, who had presented II 20 Mrs. Lloyd
The seamstress got three and one-haif
years in Auburn prison Some Of the
Lloyd property had been disposed OF be-
fore Hoffman was caught but much OF
II was recovered. II was difficult mat
ter 10 prove ownership Of the Jewels that
had been taken from their settings. but
the circumstantial evidence and the con
fession in detail OF the woman made the
matter reasonably clear The govern
ment presently turned over 20 Mr.. Lloyd
the half-melted gold and silver, but the
were retained