The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-09-17
FITTING THIEF ROBBED
40 TRAVELLERS ON LINER
Shipped a Pearl Necklace From
Sleeping Man, Who Wore
It to Be Safe.
SEEN TWICE. NOT CAUGHT
Walter Damrosch's Daughter
One of the Victims on tho
Prinz Friedrich.
SEEN TWICE. NOT CAUGHT

A seagolng thief Of unusual cleverness
worked az his trade industriously and
successfully on board the North German
Lloyd liner Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm on
the passage from Cherbourg which ended
here yesterday. Resides conside ra BILE
money he got. according to the passen-
gers. a pearl necklace valued at 81. 800
and a 81 200 diamond brooch.
In spite Of the vigilance of the ship e
officers and an extra force Of stewards
plaoad on duty at night tho robberies
continued in both first and second cabins
for several days.
Stolen goods are just IA much subject
TO duty as goods honestly come by and he
customs officers were morp than usually
on the alert when they got Capt Prehn p
wireless telling what had happened. But
II the thief came ashore he was not dis
covered and a force OF detectives who had
also answered the wireless call were as
unsuccessf ul as the Govarnment watchers.
Merritt Wyatt, a so Of former Magis-
trate Wyatt. reporte the loss Of the
peart necklace. He sa. that besides the
necklace he had been robbed of a wallet
containing two El0 notes. The necklace.
he told the detect ives, had been ent rust ed
10 him by friend in London to carry to a
mutual friend in Bos on.
As precartion against thieves. Mr.
Wyatt said. he wore the necklace about
his neck. He is certain that hn had II
when he went TO sleep ON the night Of the
robbery, but when he awoke il was gone
To protect himself MIR Wyatt got the
chief ~ eward and one of tho ships officers
To make d search of his cabin and of his
person
The d,a nond brooch WAS the property
If Nr- David Msnues. daughter Of Wal
ter Damrosch She said yesterday that
nearly forty other passengers had been
robbed of money running from few dol
lars up 10 $50
ported losses werc NJ Rlatner. a MANI
farturer Of Wilkesharr~, who lost S4S ard
valuable papers. and Davis Pearson of
Philadelphla, who was robbed of sl,5
The thief war seen twice. although the
passengers who caught a GLIMPSE Of him
failed TO pick out the robber later among
the 2oOO passen gers or the crew. The
first time was just after the chip had left
Chcrbourg and before any robberie@ had
been report ed One Of Mr. Rlatner's ac-
quain'ances returning 10 his cabin found
there a man who explained that he was one
Of the chips electricians. The passenger
thought no more of the matter unit II he
found that his purse was gone
Last Friday night as the ship was near
ing this side n woman passenger awak-
ened by q noise, slimpsed a face AZ the
window of her stateroom, She cried ont
and the face disappeared
II was the opinion of the ships officers
that the rohter was ira yelling in the
second cabin, More than thirty Of the
second cabin Passengers reported small
thefts. II was said that the new law
requiring the bulkhead doors between
the first and second cabins TO he kept
open made it easy for the thief to rove
about the ship.
4 girl baby was born on the Prinz
Friedrich Wilhelm The mother, Mrs.
Anna Shmiel. was on her way TO Colorado
with her husband. who bought a small
farm there three wears ago. Mrs. Mar
jorie Black, the wife of W. H. Black,
collected a purse Of Ss5 for the newcomer
At the same time her husband was or
ganizing a mass meeting OF the passengers
to protest against the tariff. particularly
as II applies to private purchases made
by tourists.
Az result Of the mass meeting COM
mittee was appointed to send formal
protest to Washington.
Among the passengers were DR., Ru-
dolph Abel, chief of tn. Bureau Of Hy giene
al Berlin. and Prof. Tiaden. chief health
officer of Bremen. who are hero to attend
the American Public Health Congress-
at Washington. Prof Tjaden will study
the method OF inspecting passengers AT
Ellis Island.
Camilla Brenner and Director George
(iottlob, both German hotel men. came
on the Prinz Friedrich Wilhelm TO attend
the hotel mems convention at Boston.
Other passengers we're Commissioner
Black. Henry Burnett, DR.. Homer Gibney
George W. Kirwan. d. r. Lewis and Prof.
David E. Smith.