The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-12-19
CAP IDENTIFIED
ASSTEVENSON'S
FOUND At SCENE
Lad Still Maintains He Knows
Nothing of Robbery--Came
Here Recently as Glass
Eater in SideShoWs.

The roommate Of Wllbert n. Steven
son, held on suspicion following the dla.
nond robbery OF tho windows Of the
Joseph. Myers Jewelry shop 10 Main
street, Friday afternoon positively lden.
titled the cap police hold which was
picked UP near the scene Of the rob-
berry as belonging TO the thief.
stevenson returned hatlesa to his
room the night OF the robbery, his room
mate says, and Is quoted aa saying that
he had lost his hat.
joe Bishop and w. j, Joyce Friday
effort to solve the mystery OF the
crime.
Lodgers at tho rooming house, a1S
South Front street, where Stevenson
lived with HIS mother, have told police
that the man had IN his possession a
short time before the jewelry window
wlA which ne attempted 10 wfest oif
the haep which held a paddock 20 hla
motaers door. II was q new handle,
fastened 70 q rusty hatchat, which
crashed through the Joseph Myers win
dow stevenson denies that he had In
his possession such a handle
The detectives say that dodgers de-
clare Stevenson came in the night Of
the robbery, out of breath and minus
his cap. The gem thief lost his cap
just outside the window which he
smashed. stevenson denles having run
homo without a cap,
The window smasher's cap bore the
name OF a Tulsa, okla, clother, One
roomer at the place Stevenson stays
| claims, police say to nave seen an
| oklahoma label In Stevenson's cap, as
| II hung on hall rack Stevenson de-
MED that he had such cap. But the
| cap picked UP outside the smashed win
| dow made e. very preaentable ut when
| placed on Stevenson hoad.
These sum up most OF the evidence
against Stevenson. In his favor Is the
| fact that Of persons who were passing
and saw tho window smashing job, none
| has been able to identify Stevenson as
the man who welded tho hatchet,
Prisoner Eats Glass.
Stevenson claims that he was no far
| ther north on Main street after o'clock
"wednesday afternoon, than Nolen's drug
store, Main street and Talbot avenue.
| The smashing occurred at 6:9S o'clock.
Police say they have man they
| think will be ablo to swear that no
talked with Stevenson about Q o'clock,
near the Joseph Myers store, How
| over, this man has not viewed the man
under arrest, He probably will zoe
| Stevenson Friday afternoon. The do
tectve department admits that II Stew
| enson is not the man seen near the
ened.
Stevenson says that he came to Mem
| phis about two weeks ago from Can
| tom Miss, where he was n glass eater
and fire swallower with a road show
SLevensnns mother, he told detec-
| tives peddes perfumes and toilet ar
| tices for a living, He claims that a
key found In his possession was to the
paddock on his mothers door, and that
| having key, he had no call to try
70 force the padlock with n hatchet
| handle as Other roomers claim he did
One Gem Missing.
Seven diamonds were stolen when
| the window was smashed, Six have
| been accounted for, but one is miss.
ing One il thought TO have been
smashed 20 bits when run over by a
| street car. The other five were re-
| turned to the store. Johnny Durant 4
| clyde Blum, another newsboy for 25
cents Blum took the ring back to
| the store.
Detective Jack Klinck took little
| Johnny to newspaper offices Thursd9 y
| afternoon to find the boy who Johnny
| said had picked up second diamond
on Main street at Madison, after /,
| fell through hole in JohPny's knicker-
! lockers, They are convinced that
| Johnny was mistaken when no sai1
he found two diamonds.
But Johnny 80 evidently needed q
new pair Of shoes, that Charles w
| Miller, citv commissioner when ne saw
| the little boy in CUSTODY Of the hig de
tectives gave him IS bill. Detective
| Jack Klinck took Johnny to a store
and paid $3.50 for pair Of shoes and
80 cents for q new pair OF stockings,
After visiting the ncwspaper offices
| Klinck gave Johnny rs cents more, 80
that he might buy his stock Of papers
and go TO work. But Johnny had had
| too much prosperity for one day, ard
| decided that he wouldn't go back 10
work until Friday afternoon. He bought
| a nic with tho tE cnpts