New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-10-30
II HOMES ROBBED
BY BRIDAL PAIR
Couple Wed in Amster-
dam, N. Y, Get $4,000
in Cleveland
IBy Telegraph to The Tribunel

Cleveland, Oct. 29.-Mr. and Mrs.
Wilbur Norton, newly married, were
penniless when they came to Cleveland
two months ago. They had to borrow
an alarm clock from the landlady of
the house where they roomed.
When detectives broke into the room
to-day they found ten valuable gold
watches, a $1,000 diamond ring, sew
eral handfuls Of rings set with precious
stones, necklaces, pins and brooches,
cameras, furs, coats and several suits
of clothes.
Wilbur Norton sat there with book
in his hands and a neat stack of news
paper clippings on the table before him.
Each clipping was an advertisement for
a maid to do housework. In the book
were 10 names and addresses of fam
lilies throughout Cleveland. Eleven of
them had been checked off.
Norton, the twenty-one-year-old hus-
band, was the bookkeeper. He tabu-
lated jobs for his twenty-year-ol
bride, Margaret, to apply for She had
worked for the eleven persons checked
off in the book and for perhaps a score
of others not listed.
Working an hour, two hours, some
times day or so, she had stolen $4,000
worth of jewelry and clothes and other
articles. And all was stored in daz-
cling mass in their room at 1926 Su-
perior Avenue.
Stole for Her Baby
at was for my baby" Mrs. Norton
sobbed. T've worked and drudged and
almost starved. When my baby should
come | wanted it to live in luxury"
Within an hour, four women and a
man had identified Mrs. Norton as the
maid who worked for them for brief
period and then disappeared. One was
Mrs. Florence Howle, 9502 Euclid Ave-
nue., who identified her and also a ring
set with ten diamonds, worth S1,500,
stolen from her home two weeks ago.
The other three women who identi-
fed the woman had brought about her
downfall. One said she hired Mrs. Nor
ton as a housemaid two weeks ago,
when she appeared in response 70 a
want advertisement. Two hours later,
she said the girl disappeared. So did
six gold watches, belonging TO her chill
dren, and $50 in cash.
The woman's sister reported the
theft to detectives several days ago.
On their advice she inserted an ad for
a housemaid Detectives spent hours
there to-day awaiting an applicant for
the Job. Then Mrs. Norton appeared
The description given of the girl fitted,
and Mrs. Norton was arrested.
Ambitious for Child
Then she told a remarkable story to
the detectives-of her ambition and
her dreams for her prospective child
She pointed TO her shabby clothing
She didn't want the things for her
self, she said.
Assistant Chief Mahoney declared
! that at least eighteen similar thefts
by vanishing housemaid had been
reported to the police and several
others that had occurred had not been
reported. The ninety-nine names and
addresses in the notebook that had not
been checked were those that appeared
in servant girl want ads during the
last two weeks.
According to Mahoney, Norton also
/ confessed to the series of thefts, and
both he and his wife stoutly contended
that they had sold practically nothing
of their loot. They said they were
married in Amsterdam, n. Y, August
( 20. came directly 10 Cleveland and
began operations, he compiling want
ads and names and addresses, she max
ing the rounds of victims homes.