Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-23
GET THIEF AND GEMS
Hamilton Wimbish Admits
$4,000 JeweIry Burglary.
LEADS WAY TO HIS LOOT
Mrs. Isham Hornsby's Son-in-Law
Identifies Valuables.
DETECTIVE WEBER'S EXPLOIT
Diamond at jewelers. Gives Him
Clue to Culprit-Woman Sus-
pected Of Completely.

Hamilton Scott Wimbish, a negro, thirty
years old. has confessed to the burglary
at the home of Mrs. Rebekah Hornsby,
widow of Isham Hornsby, Ills 1 street
| northwest, the night of March 1.
The negro led Detective Weldon to a
showed him where all but about 81 500
worth Of the $4,000 stolen jewelry was
secreted in tin can.
Wimbish declared he was alone in COM
hitting the robbery. He is to be given a
preliminary hearing in the Police Court
tomorrow.
Five Times Under Arrest.
The prisoner. who had been in the en-
ploy Of Mrs. Hornsby prior to the rob-
berry, was suspected Of the crime and had
been under arrest five timos. Each time
he was subjected to the third degree"
but protested his innocence.
Detective George s. Weber of the tenth
precinct located one Of the stolen dia-
monds yesterday. The negro was forced
to admit his guilt.
Detectives Weldon. Burlingame and
hlelnO1enSt ndQ WlmDlSn at tneaQQudTteTS
yesterday afternoon putting him through
rigid examination. Col. r. X. Evans,
son-in-law of Mrs. Hornsby, was present.
Wimbish repeated the denial he had
made so many times. and was questioned
about a valuable stone he claimed he
found on the street some time ago. That
diamond he had made no effort to con-
ceal 1t was not identified.
The gem was turned over to the prop
erty clerk as found property, and would
have been returned to the finder later IL
it had not been identified.
The examination yesterday afternoon
was concluded without any admissions by
Wimbish He was once more dis
charged.
Weber Locates Diamond.
Detective Weber then appeared with
the information that big diamond had
been left at the jewelry store of Edgar
E. Tracy, $50 9th street northwest, to be
set in a ring. Satisfied there was some
thing wrong, Weber went to headquar-
tiers and told the fact.
The ring had been turned over to J.
Wesley Lee. 1417 Corcoran street, it was
learned. He had been given 1t to be
mounted and had asked the 9th street
jeweler to do the work.
Lee promptly surrendered the diamond
when the detectives called on him. Short
ly afterward they found Wimbish at his
home.
The negro again repeated his denial
that he had committed the robbery at the
l street house. He proceeded with an
explanation of his possession of the
valuable diamond.
II got 1t from a white man named Ma
ginnis." he declared. He is hobo, but
he's out of the city now"
Wimbish Confesses Crime.
Another application of the third de-
gree resulted in wimbish coming
across as the detectives put it, He
then led the detective to the loft of Dow
ney's stable and pointed out a tin box
secreted behind one of the rafters.
REMOVING the cover. Detective Weldon
saw the box contained the valuable jewel
ry taken from the house of Mrs. Horns
by.
Col. Evans was summoned to head
quarters. He promptly identified the
jewelry as the property Of his mother-in-
law.
Having recovered the property, the de-
tectives started in to discover il VIM
bish had an accomplice. They were GER
tain that woman had taken part In the
robbery. Footprints in the dust in the
vacant house had satisfied them of that
Prisoner Denies Woman's Aid.
The prisoner started out with the state
nent that there was a man with him
when he committed the robbery, deciar-
ing the other man wore woman's shoes
to deceive the police in any Investigation
they might make.
That won't do the prisoner was told
No man could ever wear shoes small
enough to make those footprints
III tell you the TRUTH Wimbish said
There was nobody with me. l made
those footprints myself.
You see, l can make large or small
footprints. l made the small ones that
night SO the police would think a woman
was there.
The police are still of opinion that
Wimbish had woman accomplish They
are satisfied that the woman who was
seen seated on the steps of the vacant
house the night the robbery was COM
mtted assisted him.
She was seen at time OF day which
may have made it difficult TO determine
her color. She may have been a negro
woman, although supposed to have been
white.
Weber May Get Reward.
Detective Weber has been given credit
by Maj. Sylvester for the part he played
in the solution of the mystery. He may
share the reward offered by Mrs. Horns
by, who is away from the city for the
summer.
Detective Weber was formerly In the
lam alr frssci StrS,< h.