New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-30
BURNED TRAYS A C[EW
TO 100000 GEM THEFT
Partly Destroyed ReCeptacleS
Found in Cellar OF Looted
Fifth Avenue Store.
N SOLVE MYSTERY SOON
Commissioner Dougherty Says
Developments May Come In
a Day or SO. Firm Was
Insured for $250,000.

insured LOT YIoO,OOV'
The discovery of half burned jewel trays
in the cellar Of Udall e. Ballou's jewelry
establishment. No. ga Fifth avenue. yes
terday led Deputy Police Commissioner
Dougherty and Acting Captain Jones to
believe they had evidence that might
soon lead to something definite in the
solution of the mysterious robbery or
Friday night or Saturday morning. when
the jewellers were robbed OF from $1,000
10 10000 worth of pearls, diamonds and
other precious stones.
Circumstantal evidence. at least,
pointed to the conclusion that the burn
ing Of tie trays caused the fire which,
seen from the outside. caused a policeman
TO send in an alarm al 7:4 o'clock Friday
night an hour and twenty nine minutes
after the last employe left the place. An
other fact of importance, in the light OF
the foregoing, was the construction or
the trays. which seem to have been
emptied by some one familiar with such
matters.
In each ring tray are rods on which the
IlUbS dTP SAIulbs ~ lfitei'' a ''''o
button must be pressed Such a tray. Of
which there were five. could be empued
In five minutes by one who knew ho".
The cases containing larger pieces of
jewelry. such as bracelets. pendants, car
rings and stomachers. would take even
longer. and there were thirteen trays in
all.
II seemed as though the robber or rob-
bers had taken the trays from an un-
locked Safe-for Miss Emily Elizabeth
Lucey. the designer. whose duty il was
10 lock the safe, remembers only having
closed the door. without having turned
the combination-and then took them 20
the cellar. where. after being ompted. an
attempt was made 10 burn them
Deputy Commissioner Dougherty would
confirm all information in only the most
general way. but ne admitted on leaving
the place where he and his assistants
had worked the greater part Of the day.
that he felt elatcd over the prospect of
reaching the bottom Of the mystery in a
day or So
He refused TO admit the finding Of the
trays. but was definitely informed that
several OF the missing cases were found.
In the ruins were also found springs and
the other metal parts used in the manu-
facture OF jewel trays which corresponds
with the cases that held the precious
stones when they were placed in the safe
in front OF the store on Friday night by
Miss Lucey.
Henry A Kirby. secretary and sales
manager. told the detectives that after
Miss Lucey had left the store nc wen:
TO the cellar to look after the vault there,
after which he returned 10 the main floor
and left. about $50 O'Clock, securely lock-
ing the street door after him. BY the
burglar alarm system which Is used on
the building. the closing Of the outer
door signihed to the protective agency
that the store was closed for the night.
Captain Daily Of Fire Patrol No g. in
West Goth street responded 10 the alarm
for No 57i Fifth avenue. sent in from a
fire box AT Fifth avenue and 18Th street a
block and a half away, at 7.A O'Clock
on Friday night When I got there with
my company" Captain Daily said, the
fire had been extInguished by the Fire
ItIdI llllfiA ltAN III lidl - Asl'N ''eh'' -
Sanders Sanders was relieved by Frank
Engef who vas left at the building with
a Holmes detective and Mr. Udall. a
member Of the frm Between 1879 and
II o'clock Engoi was relieved by John j
Mahoney In the mean time a Pinkerton
detective. Captain Frederick NJ Rocsch
was also there Frederick Grimm reliey ed
Mahoney. returned 10 headquarters at
lO.sO o'clock Saturday. and reported that
there Was no fire insurance on the place.
lie heard no report from any OF tho en-
ployes Of tho TIDAL company that .ht
place had been robbed
The robbery was discovered by the sec
Rotary about 80 o'clock. II had been the
habit Of Mr. Kirby 10 open the store be-
tween and o'clock. but having been
At the fire the greater part Of the night
he was late in getting to the store the
next morning. When he found. at so
o'clock, that the trays which he and Miss
I.ucey had put I'm the safe the night be-
fore were gone he at first thought Mr..
Udall or another member ~ the firm who
had been AT tho fire had put them in the
vault I'm the cellar. When he discovered
this not to he a fact he reported to Police
Headquarters. This was about n O'Clock.
Fire Marshal Prial. who made an i'm
vestigation as 10 the origin Of the fire,
had not made his report SO far as could
be learned, last night.
William Barthman. who is connected
with the jewelry firm. said Yesterday
afternoon that the robbery was fully
covered by insurance. The Llovds Com
pany. of England he said, insured the
stock for $4,000. In reply to the insur-
ance company being liable should they
fail 10 prove that a burglary was com
mtted. he replied that no such proof
was necessary.
Samuel Il. Diehl superintendent Of the
Pinkerton detective agency. said his office
would issue n statement to-day.
Mr. Kirby was seen last night Mt his
furnished room. at No. 9Sl West 10th
street where he lives with the family OF
Walter See. He refused to make any
further statement.