Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-24
KNOX'S HAT STOLEN
No State Documents Looted
From Valley Forge Farm.
LEGAL PAPERS TAKEN
Where Top-Piece May Turn Up
Worries Secretary.
SON.IN.LAW DENIES ROBBERY
Says a Tramp Went to Sleep in Gel
lar and Made OF When
Discovered.
s0N-IN-LAW DENIES ROBBERY

If hat with the initials P. c. X. turns
up in any questionable place. Philander
Chase Knox, Secretary Of State, says he
will not be responsible.
Burglars that entered his residence a,
Valley Forge, Pa, took one of the Sec.
retary's best derbies and left a dilapi.
dated piece of headgear that Mr.. Knox
is not wearing these days. He stated
today that the theft of the hat was the
most important article taken by the bur.
glars.
His friends say the Secretary is fear.
full his visitors will leave the hat some
place that might not look nice for a
Secretary of State to visit.
No State Documents Taken.
No state documents were taken, il
was declared. The nearest approach tC
documents at the Valley Forge farm
were some blank State Department sta.
tionery.
Secretary Knox explains that the rob.
berry occurred at his country home, Val
ley Forge farm, about a week ago, but
| says 1t did not amount to much.
The thief, or thieves, who evidently had
been operating in that neighborhood fol
several weeks, had taken away a number
OF legal papers, but luckily of no special
value.
1t was explained that the robberies had
been kept quiet in the hope of CATCHING
the thieves.
No Valuables Left Behind.
PHILADELPHIA, November 24.-St
far as can be earned, nothing of grea
value was taken from the home of Secre
tary of State Philander C. Knox at Val
av xl-ha xuyoc hrnk int In
burglars Thursday night.
The fact that burglary had been com
mitted was withheld from the public by
the police Of Montgomery county.
The Secretary and Mrs. Knox are il
Washington. The house had been closed
for the winter.
T At the home of James r. Tindle, Mr.
Knox's son-in-law, which stands close te
the fine old country mansion of the Sec
rotary of State. 1t was said today thai
nothing of value was taken. Mr.. Knox
was informed of the affair. but did not
consider it important enough to make a
personal investigation.
Before closing the house for the winter
the family took the usual precautions
against fire and burglars. All valuable
silverware and jewelry had been removed
Tramp in Cellar, Says Mr.. Tindle.
PHILADELPHIA. November 24.-That
| there has been nothing in the nature of a
robbery at the home of Secretary Knox
and that consequently there had been nc
theft of state papers, was the statement
made this morning by j. r. Tindle, SON.
in-law of Mr.. Knox and the occupant of a
house on Valley Forge farm.
Mr. Tindle, who was reached by tele-
phone just as he returned from q hunting
trip through Secretary Knox's coverts,
was indignant at the report that thieves
had entered the manor house THURSDAY OF
last week. and, after breaking open the
secretaries and drilling a safe, had fed
with valuable legal documents and secret
state papers.
1.-The story is an outrageous fabrica-
tion,'' said Mr. Tindle. Thursday night
a tramp found a cellar window open In
the home of Mr. Knox. He slipped
through and slept an hour or SO in the
coal bin. When q guard or the caretaker
came along he took to his heels.
That is all there is to it. We did not,
of course, think 1t even necessary to
mention the matter to Mr.. Knox"
During the Secretary's absence in
Washington his home Is closed, there be-
ing no one in the house, though guards
and caretakers patrol the estate. Mr.. Tin
die said that Mr. Knox never left any
papers Of Importance at Valley Forge
farm.