The Washington times., 1919-03-16
AIKEN, S. c., March 10.


THE robbery of the Whitney cottage
the other night Of some $4,000
worth OF money and Jewelry has
startIsd the fashionable Winter colony Of
Aiken, and the police and the wealthy cot
tagers are not agreed as to where to search
for &c burglars. Some circumstances
would point to what the detectives call "an
inside iob"-a robbery by a servant or, at
least, by a burglar who was working in
coIIusion with some one in the household.
The cottagers, however, feel sure that
groupEof professional housebreakers are in
town and that the servants have nothing
to do with the robberies.
The Whitney burglary the other evening
was the latest of a series of quite similar
cases. No one in the Aiken colony is bet
ter known than Dorothy Whitney, sister of
Harry Payne Whitney, of New York, and
youngest daughter of the late William G.
Whitney, the multimillionare and former
Secretary Of the Navy. Everybody here
calls her Dorothy Whitney although she
is the widow Of Willard D. Straight, who
died recently.
Dorothy Whitney is much liked by the
people Of Aiken, to whom she is very gra-
cious, and is regarded almost as a native.
count Of the sudden and untimely loss Of
her husband, the brilliant young diplomat
and banker.
The robbery occurred on a Tuesday eve
ming. Barney Craig, the Whitneys private
night watchman, reported at the usual hour
to Groves, the head butler Groves, with
the silent dignity becoming his profession,
signed the watchman's report for duty,
bowed and closed the back door.
Craig made his first round of the prem
ises, at eight o'clock No sound or un-
usual occurrences disturbed his walk The
Whitney cottage is surrounded by ample
grounds with luXuTiant shrubbery
While Craig, the night watchman,
strolled about the paths, the house was
ablaze with lights. Mrs. Straight had two
house guests, Mrs. Arthur Swami and Mrs.
Harrison Tweed, both well known in the
fashionable world Of New York. Newport
and Palm Beach. On the ground floor the
big culinary department of the Whitney
cottage was busy, and many servants were
preparing dinner for a party of guests At
seven-thirty Mrs. Straight, the hostess,
had finished dressing and descended from
her rooms on the second floor and greeted
the gathering Of guests in the drawing
loom. A few moment later Mrs Arthur
Swami was released from the attentions
Of her maid and, descending the stairs,
Joined the guests in the drawing room. A
moment later Mrs. Harrison Tweed had
finished dressing and her arrival in the
drawing room completed the party.
At ten minutes Of eight dinner was an
nouneed. The guests passed from the re-
ception room into the big dining hall both
Of which are on the ground floor, and the
busy hustle Of the household was centered
upon the kitchens, the pantries and the
dining room. The lights still burned on
the bedroom floor but the maids soon left
the ladies' rooms and either went to their
own apartments in another part of the
house or came downstairs
Since the Whitney cottage is surrounded
by its own ample grounds it is not the
custom TO pull the shades in the dining
hall during dinner. IN spite of the vigi-
lance OF the private watchman Craig IL
would have been quite possible for burg
lars to watch the guests at dinner through
the windows and to have hidden behind the
ample shrubbery II the watchman passed
by on his rounds.