Polk County news-gazette. (Benton, Tenn.) 190?-191?, 1914-03-05

the Northern railway station. The
bag reached the London postofice at
g.: 80 the next morning, where its seal
| was broken and the bags contents
sent out for delivery as addressed.
Subject Of Cabinet Inquiry.
The London episode in the history
of the 100000 registered package OF
pearls has been the subject of an In
quiry by the home secretary OF the
British cabinet Following is the re-
| suit:
At $3.50 o'clock the same morning
the postman delivered the package at
Mr.. Mayors Office. 1t was received
and receipted for by the responsible
caretaker of the premises, who placed
it ia a safe used by Mr.. Mayer for
registered mail matter. Three clerks
arrived a few minutes later, and, at
$40, Mr.. Mayer himself.
The head clerk went Immediately to
the safe and brought to Mr.. Mayer his
registered mail, among it the pearl
package from Paris, saying:
Here is a package from Mr.. SOLO
mons, Mr.. Mayer"
at contains the necklace" said MT.
Mayer I'VE will take it to the Bank
of England, and leave 1t there while
l am on my vacation.
The head clerk opened the package,
and. finding nothing in it but Jumps
of cut-loaf sugar, uttered the exclama-
ton which was the first announce
ment of the greatest pearl robbery on
record
Mr.. Mayer at once telephoned to
Paris for Mr. Solomons. Then he no
tilted Lloyds, underwriters of his in
surance policy-upon whom the loss
would fall in case the pearls should
not be recovered. Lloyd's took charge
of the case, notifying the London and
Paris police departments, and insert
ing in the London Times of the next
morning a personal describing the
stolen jewels in detail, and offering
reward of $4,000 for information lead
ing to their recovery.
Unique Sensation.
No jewel robbery had ever created
so great sensation, owing to the
mystery of how q registered mail
package could be rifled while in
sealed bag in transit from Paris to
London, and its contents so elaborate
ly replaced with lump sugar of pre-
cisely the same weight. Yet the clos
est investigation of all the French and
English postoffice employees who could
have come into contact with the rifed
package revealed no clew.
There were one or two sensational
false "leads." The famous pearl neck
lace was found in a Paris cafe, and
Mr., Mayors Paris agent identified 1T
as genuine. 1t proved to be composed
of false pearls worth $24, ordered
from the same manufacturer by a
Paris theatrical agent named Horn
hostel, who had promised certain
actress that he would show her the
stolen necklace. The actress failing |
to keep her appointment at the cafe'
NJ. Hornbostel sought other consola-
ton and forgot all about his precious
pearls leaving them In the cafe.
In the meantime Mr.. Price, OF Price
G. Gibbs, acting for bloyd's, was In
Paris. comforting with the Paris po-
lice. One day, about the middle OF
August he was visited by two men,
who introduced themselves as Brand
slater and Quadranstein, who said
they believed they could place their
hands on the stolen necklace, and
wanted to know II the $4,000 reward
stiIl held good Mr.. Price asked them
To return in three days. Thereupon
he engaged tho services OF Paris
gem merchant little known In London,
named spanier, and arranged with
him TO accompany the two informers
10 London and obtain material proof
that the necklace offered was idanti-
cal with tho stolen one. !