The Topeka state journal., 1919-11-24
Baggage Snatchers Get Treas
ure at National Hotel Door.
Trunk Dragged to Alley and
Hauled Away in Auto.
LEFT UNGUARDED 20 MINUTES
Samples Belonging to New York
Salesman Included Diamonds.
Hold Transfer Man and Porter
for Interrogation.

A trunk containing $4,000
worth of jewels was stolen last
night from in front of the
Seventh street entrance to the
National hotel. Admission of
the theft was made today by the
Topeka police department after a
night of fruitless search.
The trunk, containing diamonds and
other sa amples, belonged to A. Isaacs.
travelling salesman for Finsberg Broth
ers, jewellers, New York City, stood for
twenty minutes unguarded During
that time it was dragged to the alley
on Seventh. between Kansas avenue
and Jackson street, loaded in an auto
mobile and hauled away.
Trunk Here Few Minutes.
Isaacs arrived in Topeka from
Wichita at o'clock last night He
turned q check for his trunk over to
baggage man named Elmer FelIman,
employed by the Payne Taxi Co.. ac-
cording to the police.
The police say the trunk was un-
loaded by Fellman about 7:15 O'Clock
and the claim check was left at the
desk of the hotel There were two
another travelling salesman. Both
trunks were dumped on the sidewalk
in front of the Seventh street entrance.
About 1885 o'clock, William Delly,
porter at the National hotel. went out
side to get the baggage The Isaacs
trunk was missing.
AT noon today, Clyde Tresner, chief
of detectives. said Fellman and Delly
were held and would undergo a gruelI-
ing examination this afternoon.
Nothing On Fellman.
"Fellman says he doesn't know a
HI ~, IT.
ner, "and the negro says he never saw
the trunk. Fellman called at the hotel
for the checks as was his custom, and
went to the Santa Fe station, hauled
the two trunks to the hotel. went in
side with the checks, collected for
their delivery and left. We really
haven't a thing on him and he ap-
pears to be a decent sort of a chap.
The porter. I understand, hasn't been
in Topeka long.
I'VE haven't a clew. There is nc
one who saw the trunk taken away, nc
one saw any one lettering around the
entrance and no one saw the automo-
bile in the alley"
ment last night revealed marks on the
sidewalk and on the alley paving
showing that a heavy obstacle had
been dragged into the alley and loaded
onto a truck or automobile. The po-
lice believe the tracks were made by
the trunk.
Contents Known to Thieves.
The trunk weighed 100 pounds anC
was an ordinary brown leather affaiI
with no marks to distinguish its pre-
cious contents. Isaacs reported to the
police. The police however, are in.
clined to believe that the contents were
known to the thieves.
Topeka jewelers. stated today tha
many statesmen carry $35, 900 in jewel,
in trunks. especially if the sample
cases contain diamonds.
The robbery of eleven homes in one
block Saturday night was nearly
wiped from memory of the police BY
the trunk mystery.
Pants Thief in Eleven Homes?
1t was the pants thief, or a THE
who has adopted his methods who en-
tered the eleven homes and took moth
ing excepting money. The loo
amounted to II cents in one home Il
sos in another. The total hau
amounted to approximately s1S4.
At each home in the 1900 block OF
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