The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1912-10-25
STRANGE SEARCH
FOR LOST GEMS
Woman Loses Her Jewels to
\ a Stranger.
$4,000 REWARD FOR RETURN
New York Society Leader Relieved Of
Gems Worth 100000 While on a
Carouse.

New York Society Leader Relieved Of
Gems Worth 100000 While on a
Carouse.
New York, Oct. 25.-A young mar
ried woman, whose name Is on the
preferred list of New York and New
ports social rosters, and whose
brother-in-law is lone of the biggest
men in New York." according to her
own confession, is willing to pay $4,000
for the recovery of nearly 100000
worth of jewels which were stolen
from her on Tuesday night.
Furthermore, she is more than anx-
ious to pay this sum with no ques-
lions asked if only she can recover her
gems and keep hidden her iden ity
and the escapade of Tuesday night
which led to the deviation of dia,
monds and pearls of great price from
her fingers and from about her neck.
A saloonkeeper and private de-
tective and a chambermaid in hotel
of questionable character are the only
three people aside from the thief him
self who know what the pet OF so
ciety is willing to pay kings ransom
to conceal.
Here is the way this One Thousand
and Second Arabian Night was re-
vealed to one John H. Beckman, the
keeper of a Raines law hotel, whose
place of business is at Ninth avenue
and Twenty-third street.
It was at about nine o'clock on
Wednesday morning, when the last OF
the patrons of his dining room had
long since gone, that woman, whose
radiantly beautiful features showed
the strain of past revelry and whose
gown was one such as is never seen
off Fifth avenue, and there only IN
foreign limousine, entered the dining
room through the so-called ladies en-
trance" and took her seat alone. When
a waiter came she ordered cocktail
and light breakfast.
The proprietor himself came into
the dining room at this juncture to
verify the tale the waiter had told him
of "a real swell dame" who was or
dering ham and eggs and dry Mar
tint there. He led the way to the only
telephone in the establishment, in a
little drinking room off the bar. The
fair unknown called certain mum
ber-she told Beckman frankly that
she was going to ring up private de-
tective named Charles Smith.
As the story was told, it developed
that the strange woman had dined at
the Hotel Astor with friends. But she
had not provided herself with an es-
cort, and after the dinner, at which
wine was poured copiously, she started
for the subway station at the Times
Square. 1t was here on the sidewalk
that the gentleman" designated in
the ad took notice Of the finely gown
ed woman of middle age, who ap-
peared to be weathering storm. His
manner was respectful, 1t seems, his
uaica well modnlated for the night air
and like a Chesterfield of the drawing
room or a knight errant abroad, he
rushed to the aid of woman in dis
tress, and offered her all the assist.
ance in his power. And then it seems
that the pair went up the subway as
far as Seventy-second street, and here
the escort proved himself unworthy OF
trust and confidence, for he gave the
woman some sort of drug that induces
sleep or abandon.
1t seems that the escort was vii.
lain, because he let the woman find
her way from Seventy-second street
and Broadway, and, as she discovered
later, left her to find the rich gems,
worth thousands, If she could.
The woman whose confidence was
misplaced, it seems, did not awake to
the Importance of her position until
she found herself bereft Of her jewels
and away down near the Beckman no.
tel, at Ninth avenue and Twenty-third
street. The taxi was near to take her
away.
Smith never saw her before, it Is
said. Beckman thinks he will never
see her again, but any way Smith did
what he agreed to do when the wo-
man offered that $4,000 premium for
the return of the gems which were
taken by mistake by an escort.