The Washington herald., 1911-02-16

BY Identifying a handsome gold collar
as one having been placed in the estab-
lishment for repair several weeks ago,
clerk in a prominent F street jewelry
store yesterday was the means of caus-
ing the arrest of Robert Preston. colored,
thirty-five years old, of 226 L street
northwest, on charge of housebreaking.
Preston had entered the jewelry store
and offered the necklace for sale.
The necklace had been stolen from the
residence of Pay Inspector Livingstone
Hunt U. S. N, I709 Rhode Island avenue
northwest, a few hours earlier in the aft
ernoon.
Preston entered the jewelry store and
displaying the collar to a clerk, said
that he desired to dispose of it About
month ago, according to the clerk,
Mrs. Hunt had left the piece with the
firm to make certain alterations.
Clerk Notifies Police.
He at once remembered the trinket,
and became suspicious. On a plea of ex-
amining the necklace he walked to the
rear of the store and called up police
headquarters. Inspector Boardman dis
patched Central Office Detective O'Dea
~ NhS PtdSCO
arrest.
II was learned that the home of Pay
Inspector Hunt had been entered yester-
day afternoon between and o'clock
and a necklace and a black derby hat
stolen According to the story told the
police by Mr.. Hunt, he was in the dining
room yesterday afternoon, when it is
thought the robbery occurred. Mrs. Hunt
NOT in tha hOISa af IL
O'Clock he went to the front hall for his
hat and overcoat.
Finds Necklace Missing.
He removed a black derby from the
hall rack, where he was accustomed to
place his. and was startled to find that
his hat had been removed and in its
place had been left an old one Knowing
that the front door had been left open,
and becoming suspicious. he made a tour
of the house, but failed to find anything
out of order
Mrs. Hunt returned shortly after,
and going to her bedroom, noticed the
middle drawer of her dresser open and
upon investigation, discovered the loss
of the gold collar. which had been kept
in cardboard box. The police were
Immediately notified.
Passed Up Valuable JeweIry.
A strange feature of the case is the
fact that the thief passed UT. more than
$1,000 worth of jewels which were in
plain sight on top of the dresser. There
also were many other vaIuables which
could have been more easily procured
than the necklace, which was hidden
in the closed drawer OF the dresser
When Detective O'Dea arrived at the
Jewelry establishment. he collared
Preston and hurrie11ly questioned him
as to where he had obtained the neck
lace. The man denied that he had
stolen it, and said that 1t had beeu
given him by another coIored man to
sell The man. he said, was waiting
outside
On Trail of Housebreaker.
Leaving Preston in the store, with
a request to be watched. O'Dea ran out
side and questioned several persons stand
ing in the neighborhood.
A colored man said that he had seen
the man wanted start on a run I'D r
street and turn down Twelfth street. De-
tective O'Dea returned to the store and
turned Preston over to Policeman Hey
cock, of No. ! precinct, who conducted
the prisoner to the station house.
According to the police, Preston had
to dispose of the necklace ear
lier in the afternoon at Burnstein's pawn
shop, but that establishment had refused
to accept ii.
The police have a description OF the
man who Preston says gave him the neck
lace to sell and Detective O'Dea is con-
fdent that he will apprehenf him within
the next twenty-four hours. Preston de-
MES that he ever saw the man before but
according to the police it has been learned
that the two men have been seen together
several times in the past two weeks.