The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-07-16
.sU|T IS FILED
! AGAINST THIEF
Mrs. Margaret Klock Armour
Tries to Recover Her Stolen
Securities.
FORMER COMPANION MAY
BE ARRESTED FOR CRIME
Aged Widow of Packer De-
mands Restitution, but HesI-
tates to Prosecute.
By Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
KANSAS CITY, July 15,-Mrs. Mar
earet Klock Armour, widow OF SIMEON
p Armour. the packer, Gled suit in the
c;rcnit court here today for $4,000
AGAINST Miss Harriet Byington to cover
neculations alleged to have been made
by Miss Bylington while serving as
companion and housekeeper TO MIS-
The first intimation the public re-
ceived concerning peculations against
Mrs. Armour came about three months
ago, when local newspapers ,pibhshed
stories saying that s5o,oo0 in bonds and
securities had disappeared frm MIS-
Armonr's safety deposit box at the
New England National bank Of this
city.
business Of Mrs. Armour'B busehold
wss conducted by Mrs. Armot's com
panion, nurse and housekeeperand the
fact that this companion held he keys
70 Mrs. Armour's safety depit box
was mentioned, but the nam, OF the
companion was kept secret. RS, Ar
mour refused to bring any chges of
dishonesty against Miss Fington..
Meanwhile, new discoveries creased
the amount Of missing secur1ts until
the Armour attorneys place it at
$150,000.
Confessed Her Crime.
Under pressure brought to ear by
friends of Mrs. Armour and delte the
EXPRESSED confidence of her eployer,
Miss Ryirgton several days aer the
discovery of tho peculhtions ofessed
that during the three years % had
been in Mrs. Armour s employae had
from time to time extracted surlties
from the safety deposit box d sold
them to brokers on the pretee that
she was doing it for Mrs, Armr. who
desired the money for private critics.
Miss Byington then directednvestl-
gators 70 dog kennel at the.rmour
home, where about sos. 900 Of t secur
titles were found buried in aorner.
She promised TO restore the reinder.
1t developed that thousands odollars
had been spent By Miss Byinon for
fine iewelrv and works of art, (which
she had paid fabulous prices, some
cases apparently with the use little
Judgment
From storage houses in this Y. I'M.
der Miss Byington s direction, 3, Ar
mour S representatives recover SO,
600 worth of iewelry bought IN one
firm in eighteen months, $4,000 rth Of
oriental rugs and $4,000 worth onezzo
tints purchased from local aIealer
Other geegaws and hashy arworks
were found in Miss Bvington apart |
ments at the Armour home.
Miss Bvington came to Kan City
from Rochester. n. Y. and entd Mrs
Armour s employ about threyears
ago. Mrs. Armour is T6 ye old |
Gradually she came to lean m and
moro upon her companion untiientu-
ally she gave her a large parf the
control Of the financial managsnt of
the household, When told byr at |
torneys Of the disappearance one Sc
curities, Mrs, Armour refused take
any action against Miss Byina and
for weeks afterward kept hen her
employ.
Entire Amount Taken S14O.
The amount named in theit is
S142, 900, and is stated to coveie en-
tire amount of the alleged peciops.
including the bonds and the le of
property returned. Vouchers wing
the amount returned must be pnted
In court and credited against tlntire
amount of the suit,
According to art dealers and ,elers
at whose establishments Miss igton !
spent thousands OF dollars, she lit |
tie attention TO price and upon ng q |
fancy to any article ordered II hout |
further consideration. In EXPLAIN OF |
her purchase. she usually said was
making them for 8 brother i;outh |
America No trace OF this bro has
ever hAen found bv those interd in |
the recovery OF Mrs Armour's brty,
Il believe this suit is broughereIy |
TO take Miss Byingtons depositie said
Joseph 3. Stacey. Miss Ryingtopttor- |
neg, Mrs. Armour Is anxious earn
where the other property is and lieve
the purpose OF the suit is merely ,orce
Miss Byington to tell how she oecd |
OF II. do not believe q criminal will |
follow the civil one"
II would work my hands TO bone |
" could thereby recover all tfrop- !
erty that took from her. Miss yton |
said today.
Mrs. Armour was my frien6d I |
would never have taken the thi II I |
had not been temporarily demcr III
there Is any other property LET be |
discovered ! can he OF no help f,can |
recall no place In which ] have hitit" |