Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-07-21
COMPANION STOLE s142,000
MRS. s. q. ARMOUR SUES FOE
RETURN OF HER PROPERTY.
Works Of Art We're Bought at Fabu
QUE Professionalism for $4,000
Found In Dog Kennel.

Kansas City, July II. = Mrs. Mar
garet Klock Armour, widow of Simeon
B. Armour. the packer, filed suit in
the circuit court here for $142,00(
against Miss Harriet Byington to cover
populations alleged to have been made
by Miss Byington while serving al
companion and housekeeper to Mrs
Armour.
The first intimation the public re
ceived concerning populations from
Mrs. Armour came about three months
ago, when 1.-The Star" published q
story saying that $4,000 in bonds and
securities had disappeared from Mrs.
Armours safety deposit box at the
New England National bank of this
city.
The fact that the majority of the
business of Mrs. Armour's household
was conducted by Mrs. Armour's COM
panion, nurse and housekeepers, and
the fact that this companion held the
keys of Mrs. Armour's safety deposit
box, was mentioned, but the name Of
the companion was kept seoset. Mrs.
Armour refused to believe any charges
of dishonesty against Miss Byington.
Meanwhile new discoveries increased
the amount of missing securities until
the Armour attorneys stated It at
$15O.OOO.
Woman Makes Confession.
Under pressure brought to bear by
friends of Mrs. Armour, and despite
the expressed confidence Of her EN-.
ployer. Miss Byington several days
utter the discovery of the populations
confessed that during three years she
had from time to time extracted seeur.
tiles from the safety deposit box and
sold them to brokers on the psetenss
she was doing it for Mrs. Armour, who
desired the money for private chart.
ties.
Miss, Byington then directed inves.
legations to dog-kennel at the Ar
mour home, where about $4,000 Of the
securities were found buried in cor
ner She promised to restore the re-
mainder.
1t developed that thousands Of dol
lars had been spent by Miss Bytngton
for the jewelry and for works Of art
for which she had paid fabulous prices
in some cases apparently with the use
of little Judgment.
$4,000 In Jsweiry Recovered.
From storage houses in this city,
under Miss Byington's directions Mrs.
Armour's representatives recovered
$4,000 worth of jewelry bought from
one firm in the course Of Is months,
$4,000 worth of oriental rugs and
$4,000 worth Of mezzo tints purchased
from a local art dealer whose shop she
had frequented a great deal. Other
gewgaws and flashy art works were
found in Miss Byington's apartments
1t the Armour house.
Miss Byington came to Kansas City
from Rochester, N. Y, and entered
Mrs. Armour's about three years ago.
Mrs. Armour is rs years old. Grad
ually she came to lean moro and more
upon her companion until eventually
she gave her q large part in the con-
troll of the financial management Of
her household. When told by her at.
torneys of the disappearance Of securi-
ties Mrs. Armour refused to take any
action against Miss Byington and for
weeks afterwards kept her In her en-
ploy.
The amount named in the suit.
$4,000, is stated to cover the entire
amount of alleged populations includ-
ing the bonds and the value of the
property returned.