New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-29
UdaII & BaIIou, Fifth Avenue
Jewellers. Looted Without
Door, Window or COmbl-
nation Being Broken.
MYSTERY AT EVERY TURN
Place Guarded Following Sus-
picious Fire-Employe Does
Not Remember Locking
Safe-Burglar Gets an
All-Night Start.


berries ever known in this city from
$4,000 to $4,000 worth Of diamonds, /
pearls and other precious stones was 1
stolen from safe in the store Of Udan +.
& Ballou. No 514 Fifth avenue, some
time between the closing Of the store on /
Friday evening and the hour at which !
il was opened yesterday morning.
While Deputy Commissioner Dough- (
erty, Inspector Fa'""f of the Detectives
Bureau and force OF detectives an87
Pinkerton operatives exhausted every |
possible theory Of the manner I'm which1
the daring burglary was accomplished
up 10 a late hour last night little could
be suggested which was not contra
dic,ed by the peculiar circumstances /
connected with the operation. The per-
son or persons who robbed the safe did
not have 10 break a window or force a
door. No signs that the combination
Of the safe had been tampered with
were in evidence. and the door wae not
blown open. According 10 the de-
tectves. whoever made way with the
large haul did so simply ty turning the
handle Of the safe opening the door
and helping himself.
Practically all the best pieces Of the
large iewelry stock were included in
the robbery. The strong steel safe,
with modern combination lock and
heavy doors. contained eighteen trays
Of jewelry. some Of the est pieces o.
which were in the fashionable settings
designed bv the store. while others
were unset stones Of great price. Tie
quantity Of gems taken must have
filed large bag or suitcase.
Mystery at Every Turn.
The robbery was not discovered IN
an Henry a. Kirby secretary OF the
company conducting the business. on
tered the store Yesterday morning To
open for the day After setting out
in other safes he turned 10 the rified
strong box. which stands not more than
ten PAGES from the street window, from
which a full view can be had from the
sidewalk. He noticed that the handle
throwing the bolts of the safe was not
in its usual position. He found ne
could open the safe without the combi-
nation. and then he saw that fourteen
trays Of jewelry and unset stones and
five additional ring trays were miss
ing.
Added TO the enigma for the detec-
tives in the method by which the safe
was opened is the complication In the
case occssioned by a tire in the base
ment Of the building less than two
hours after the store had been closed
the previous evening. At that time
y. Oliver Udall president Of the com
uany. entering after the tiremen. saw.
he declared. nothing in the appearance
OF the showrooms TO arouse suspicion.
From the time Of the entrance of thos'
firemen at least two watchmen were
on guard until Mr.. Kirby discovered
the loss in the morning.
Whether the fire was coincidence or
whether il was either accidentally or
started by the burglar. II
makes still more mysteriously not only
the actual robbery but the way the
store was entered and left. for every
entrance TO the room is guarded by the
close lattice work Of the Holmes Elcc-
tric Protective Company. ana this COM
pany received no alarm from it's ap-
paratus until the fircmen broke into the
basement OF the building. After that
time, according 10 the police authori-
ties present at the store. il would have
been impossible for sneak thief 10
enter the premises without having been
discovered.
The building. which is between 18th
and ATTN streets, is a i've story struct-
lre. the first floor and basement OF
which are occupied by the jewelry con-
'ern. Above the store is the esta blish-
ment Of Miss T.. Il. Rice. maker Of
'hildrens clothing ana between the
two floors there is no direct communi-
.ation. other floors are occupied by the
studio OF Anne Dupont.
Doesn't Recall Locking Safe.
According 10 the account given TO
Dougherty. the store was
closed at five minutes past u o'clock
Friday evening by MIR. Kirby, the last
TO leave the showroom. Kirby. he said,
was quite sure that no one had been
left i'm the room, but could not person-
ally be positive that the safe had been
locked
Just before he had left he and Miss
Emily Elizabeth Lucey. a iewelry de-
sgner. had placed the pieces OF jewelry
on trays and placed them in the safes.
There are nine Of these. each Of heavy
modern construction. about six feet
long. three feet high and two feet deep.
1t was Miss Lucey's duty, said Mr..
Kirby. to lock the safes each night
Miss Lucey said frankly that sho
could not remember whether or not she
had set the combination of the lock
Il am not sure that | completed tho
operation Of closing the safe which
was robbed" she said to the detectives.
i think did so, but may only have