The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-25
Widow Says She Put Gems
Away in May When Hus-
band Died.
AFFAIR KEPT SECRET
Some One Else Had Access
to Cache Mrs. Millhiser
Used, Is Hint.
NO CLEWS DISCOVERED
Hotel Does Not Concede There
Was Robbery in Formal
Statement of Loss.
NO CLEWS DISCOVERED

On the day OF her nosSlll1ti15S1 ls'1ll
May 20. Mrs. Clarence Millhiser placed
in safety deposit box in the office OF
the Biltmore Hotel two packages
which she had every reason to believe
contained jewels valued at abou,
100000. Twenty-four days later, or
June 13, she called for the box. opened
II and compared it's contents with o
list that she had kept. She immedi.
ately notified the hotel management,
that s275.o00 worth Of Jewels was
missing. including one Of the finest
pearl necklaces in America.
During the eleven days since June
Is the Biltmore has been full of police
and private detectives. Confidential
alarms have been sounded far and
wide. Employees Of the hotel have
been questioned by the score. Pawn
shops and suspected fences have been
searched. The Pinkertons have Wed
with the Norman J. Fftzsimmons de-
tective agency and the ablest men of
the Police Department In trying to
fathom the mystery. Lloyd's. through
whom the jewels apparently were in
sured, also have had agents scurrying
around. Mrs. Millhiser has retained
the law firm of Stanchfleld & Levy
and conferences have been held with
Edwards, Murphy & Minton. attorneys
for the Biltmore. In short, there has
been a stirring around compatible
with the dimensions and circum-
stances of the biggest jewel robbery
reported in New York for many a
year.
Results Thus Far-Nothing.
The results thus far have been
nothing. Secrecy enjoined by Mrs.
Mllhiser was preserved on all sides
until yesterday. Then there was a
leak somewhere. When the fact OF
the robbery was a public possession
the Biltmore's lawyers issued a state
ment Of two sentences:
"On May 20 Mrs. Clarence Millhiser
Of Richmond. Va. who with her late
husband was a guest of the Biltmore.
procured from the hotel one of the safe
deposit boxes maintained for the con-
venience Of guests desiring to store val
uables. She alleges that she placed In
this box on that date. the day of her
husbands death, jewelry of considerable
value and that when she went to the
box on June 13 to remove the tewelry
& part of the same was missing"
Mrs Millhiser. who before her mar
riage was Miss Regina Viola Greene
wald OF Philadelphia and who is niece
OF Ellis Gimbel, a member of the flrm
Of Gimbel Bros. is spending the sum-
mer with her two daughters on the New
Jersey coast. They have taken the Pot
Ter cottage at Jerome avenue and Pleas
ant place, Elberon.
Mrs. Millhiser kept her own counsel
yesterday. She said: II can say moth
Ing. Ny lawyers are Stanchfield & Levy
OF l2O Broadway. Anything to be said
VIII be given out by them" But the
lawyers were Just as reticent So were
Edwards, Murphy & Minton, except for
te foregoing quoted sentences.
John McE Bowman. president of the
bhmore, was unavailable. The Biltmore
auditor, Mr.. Miller. said nothing would
De forthcoming except from the lawyers.
The police. OF course. were wrapped in
their usual silence. They have an in
Ventory OF the jewels, but wouldn't admit
Or concede that they had ever heard
OF the Biltmore, much less $4,000
met reported therein. Deacon Murphy
or the law firm acting for the Biltmore.
Who as an Assistant District Attorney
learned the art OF criminal investigation,
vent TO the hotel yesterday and did a
Ntue scouting OF his own. He met
mere Mr.. Cohalan from the office of
ntancht!eId & Levy. Departing. he said
Were was nothing new to report.
Clarence Millhiser was a manufacturer
hnd capitalist and lived for years In
richmond. Va He was president of
me richmond Cedar Works, which has
nll!ls all over the South. and OF the
bedford Pulp and Paper Company and
director OF the West Disinfecting Com
pany' which makes "CN," and other
corporations. On their trips to New
iork for four years past the family
Nad suite at the Biltmore. They were
Wen known at the hotel, as was the fact
Nat Mrs, Millhlser had an enviable col
lection OF Jewels. Last year they moved
70 New York. taking a home at 270
''ark avenue and Mr.. Millhiser having
an ciiice at so East Forty-second street.
MS health failed and on May 10 he
Went TO Mount Sinai Hospital. About the
'Sme time his wife and two daughters
Continued 0H-SIzth PGge.l