The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-26
POLICE FIGHTING
THIEVES MARKET
SUMMONS FOR HARRY sIEGEL
FIRST STEP IN CRUSADE
AGAINST .FENCEs."
CT ASSY SLEUTHINC
OFFICERS MAKE STRONG CASE BY
TAKING LONG CHANCES.
TO TRY CASES

In the summons which was served
on Harry Siegel. a pawnbroked of 800
North Sixth street yesterday to appear
in the Police court this morning to
show cause why his license should not
be revoked for an alleged violation of
the city ordinance requiring pawn
brokers to furnish accurate descrip-
tions of all articles acquired by them,
the police believe they have taken the
first step toward breaking up shops
which failto live up to the ordinance.
They believe that if they are success
full in winning their case they will, In
a measure have succeeded in putting
a stop to a great deal of petit thievery
about Richmond by aboiishing the
market for the stolen articles. The
specific charge entered against Siegel
Is that he described a diamond ring,
for which the police were searching
and which was worth $225, as a
sapphire worth S.
The ring In question was stolen from
Mrs. DIR. Uriah Hartman. of los East
Franklin street, March 10th. Detec-
tive Sergeants Wiltshire and Bailey
arrested A. Il. Henderson, q butler in
the Hartman household. as the thief.
Good DeMctiye Work.
Just how the charge was worked up
against the negro and how the detec-
tives succeeded in finally securing the
ring brings to light one of the best
pieces of detective work sprung in
Richmond in months. Henderson, it
was known, had worked in number
of hotels and boarding houses, all of
which had lost valubles while he was
there. He protested his innocence in
this case and it was not until they had
solved the mystery of the theft of a
bottle of floor oil, and by doing SO had
proved that Henderson had taken the
oil and therefore was in the house at a
time when 1t was known that the ring
had been stolen and when he declared
that he was elsewhere that they sad
died the blame on him.
A grueAing cross Questioning finally
wrung confession from him, and AFT
ter some time the name of the pawn
broker to whom he had sold 1t. The
detectives went to Siegel and asked
for the ring. He denied having taken
in any such articles. and they were
unable to secure the bit Of evidence
needed to secure the conviction OF
Henderson. And then they made the
master stroke of the case.
Henderson, 1t is' said, had several
times attempted to Regain the ring.
and return 1t: but Siegel, who had
bought it outright for 50. refused to
surrender It, The detectives sent Hen
derson under arrest tor felony. with
another negro to the shop with in
| structions to offer to buy the ring
and to tell Siegel that the detectives
were hot after them. and that arrests
were probable The pawnbroker. at
ter comforting with his wife and
| others. consented to sell the ring, but
charged 81 for 1t, and told the men
to replace 1t where 1t could be found
by the owner, and to keep quiet abou,
! the affair
Confronted With Evidence.
t Detective Sergeants Wiltshire and
! Bailey. who were waiting without the
shop Immediately entered, and con-
fronted the shopkeeper with the men
and the evidence against them. Siegel
protested that he did not know the
ring was a. diamond, whereupon the
officers asked him why he offered 70
buy ring valued at only IS for So
The summons for the ordinance vio-
| lation followed shortly after the COM
pletion OF the case.