New-York tribune., 1911-03-01
THINKS THIEF IS IMMUNE
SAYS Whoever Took Drummond
Jewels Could Confess Here.
ONLY ONE DANGER FOR HIM
Must Not Bring Loot Into This
Country-Kaiser's Govern
ment Not to Act.

II Or. Kurt Ziegler, German. Consul Cen
eral here. is right in his Interpretation OF
international law and the cxtradition trea-
ties between his country and this, the per-
son or persons who stole Mrs Maldwin
Drummonds Jewels on the AmerJka may
rire a brass band. if they happen to he
so inclined, and parade Broadway pro-
claiming the fact while police and detec-
tives look impotently on, provided only that
they did not bring the jewels into this
country.
In fact, according 10 Or. Ziegler. they
might entertain Henry A. Wise, United
States Attorney and Mr. Whitman. Dis
trct Attorney of New York County, with
vivid and detailed description of how
they got the gems. with perfect assurance
Of freedom from arrest.
The District Attorneys Office confirmed
the German Consul General in his inter-
pretation OF the cxtradtion treaty and the
law. II vas admitted that the thief or
thieves could make a full confession 10
Mr.. Whitman himself with perfect safety.
My government has taken no action in
regard TO the robbery. and in my opinion.
will take none said DR. Iieglcr IF, as /
believe. the Culprts werc not officers or
employees Of the steamer, II would have no
jurisdiction. Assuming my belief to be cor
rect, then the thieves have already landed
i'm this country, and as our eXtradiuon
treaty with this country does not cover
such offences, ii would be impossible TO
bring them back to Germany for trial Ac-
cording to your laws. your authorities have
no power to act unless they pawn the gems.
which Is highly improbable and you can
convict them of bringing stolen goods into
the state You have q statute which covers
that So far as l can see. the thief or
thieves could walk into your District At
torneys office and confess that he or they
had stolen the jewelry, with perfect i'm
punity
ITO illustrate my point Some months
ago an American citizen stole 5o,CD marks
worth of diamonds in Munich. lie went
10 Mexico. where he pawned some OF them,
and then came here where he pawned the
remainder. ] employed detectives, and final
ly located him in this city Then | went
to the District Attorney and got war
rant for the mans arrest. day or two
after he had been locked M I'm the Tombs
the District Attorneys office called me up
and said they could not prosecute him for
the theft, and, further. that as he could
not he extradited for The crime. they were
at a loss to know what to do with him.
81 then employed lawyer, and he found
statute which provided penalties for
bringing stolen goods into the state. 1t
was under this statute that the man was
prosecuted Had he pawned all Of the dia-
monds in Mexico and then reached TINS
city he would have gone absolutely free.
Fate and Mrs Drummond seemed 10 have
formed a partnership 20 make the work
of the thieves as easy as possible. IL came
out Yesterday that the suite directly across
from the one occupied by the Drummonds
was unoccupied. The steward said the door
10 this suite was always kept locked and
the key had been hidden Detectives work
ing on the case say that II would have
been a ridiculously easy task for proies-
sional thief 10 open the door with skee-
ton KEY and they believe that the person
who actually took the jewels was sitting
in this room on the night of the theft;
that from it lie watched the lights go out
I'm the Drummonds' rooms and then wait
ed an hour or so until he was sure they
were asleep.
Seymour Beutler. Of the Greater New
York Detective Agency. who has taken
charge Of the case, admitted yesterday
that he was watching two French maids
who came over on the Amerika. Early in
the day there was report that one of
these, who was said 10 have been Intimate
with Mrs. Drummond's maid. had sue
ceedcd I'm leaving the pier without under
going any customs examination and had
since mysteriously disappeared, leaving her
employer without any notice.
Mr. Beutler said that he knew just whore
the maid was and ridiculed the story. MY
only object in locating her is" said lie,
that / think possibly she may be able TO
give us some Information about persons
on the ship whom she may have noticed
passing and repassing the Drummond
suite. | do not believe that any maid is
implicated I'm this robbery"
The DrummOnds Will offer a reward for
the recovery Of the missing jewels within
n dav or two. According 10 the best in
formation available. the amount will be
either 5000 or $1,000.
The detectives who are working on the
case were unanimous in the opinion that
the jewelry would not be sold I'm this city
or country. and thought. indeed, that the
thieves would not attempt to dispose Of
II anywhere for a long time. one said
that because Of the danger OF selling such
rare pearls i'm any country he would not
be at all surprised to hear Of their open
ing negotiations for returning them for n
small fraction of their value. He pointed
out that this had been done in the famous
Gainsborough picture theft
The Drummonds are still at the Plaza and
still decline 10 communicate I'm any way
with rnnnrfers