The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-02-27
AMERIKA JEWEL ROBBERY LARGEST
 ON ANY LINER
American Thief Who Has Never Served a Day in
 Jail Said to Be Leader
 of Gang that Did w ork
Mrs. Drummond's Jewels Were Not Subject to Duty
 Theft of $40,000 Had
 Occurred on Same Steam
Especial from United Press.)

Especial from United PreSS.) New York, Feb. 27-That band of continental crooks. leaders of their chaft, under the guidance of an Amer ican thief who. despite a career Of crime covering every civilized coun- try on the globe has never served a day in jail. is responsible for the rob bery of s13O.O00 worth of jewelry from Mrs. Maldwin A Drummond, former ly Mrs. Marshall Field. Jr.. of Chi cago. on the liner Amerika, is, the theory which the local police and a horde of private detectives are work ing on today. Mrs. Drummond IS Ill her loss. Her husband. a British banker. has taken charge of the chase which bids fair to prove a lengthy one. and orders have been issued that no expense is to be spared in recovering the gems and experimenting the thieves.
 The robbery was bold enough of it's kind, although the thieves took little risk It has long been known that Mrs. Drummond had perfect horror of the sea. Fear of disaster caused her to make as few trips as possible. and all of her friends and intimates knew that never while on a steamer has she locked the doors of her suite. The fear that a collision might come which would jam the doors so that si , could not reach the deck had pol, . sessed her. and it is expected that all the thieves had to do was to noiseless- ly open the door, make their way .o the bureau in the dressing room of the suite, open the drawer. take out the gems and get away. The Hamburg American officials said today that they had not the slightest clue to the per- petra tors.
 In an effort to locate the thieves, the officers of the ship went to police headuuarters here, today. They look ed through the collection of pictures in the Rogues' gallery to see if there was anyone there who resembled any of missioner Flynn and Inspector Russell directed the search but refused to say whether the visit was worth while. Afterward the steamship men went to all the private detective agencies and looked through their galleries.
 That the robbery was according to a perfect plan indicated, the officers say. that the jewels were not taken until after 10 o'clock Saturday. The steamer docked yesterday and the robbery had been discovered only. a few hours before. This gave the steamship officials no time to make any extended investigation before the passengers disembarked. The jewels stolen were not subject to duty. Mrs. Drumnond is the wife of an English man and it is said she would have been permitted to bring the jewels fn- to this country on a visit without pay ing duty.
 SECOND ROBBERY REPORTED
 Hoboken. N. J.. Feb. 27-The robbery of Mrs. Maldwin DrummOnd of $130 = eco in gems. on the steamer Amerika, was the second reported on the steam CT. Mrs. Eva Stratford. wife of a Jersey City manufacturer, reported last summer that she had been robbed of S4000O worth of diamonds on the Amerika Other passengers also claimed they had lost jewels on that trip but no trace of the thief was found. In these eases. like that of Mrs Drummond. the company is not responsible as the passengers failed to observe the regula lions and deposit their jewels with the purser. In 1901 a bar of gold disappeared from the strong box of the Kaiser Wilhelm Der Crosse and caused a sensation. but after a few trips it was found hidden in the hold. Other minor robberies have been reported on shipboard from time to time, but in most eases the perpetrators have been arrested.
 The robbery of Mrs. Drummond was the biggest ever reported on a trans Atlantic liner docking at the port of New York.