Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-04-11
Calico Cottage, the Dolan Aiken House, Showing
the Rose Treliis, the Corner in Which
the Safe Stands and the Always
Open Window at the Right.

M lasupudDi0 Albeu EBC0Dtly
that Mrs. Clarence ". Dolan.
wifo OF tho millionaire Philadelphia
gas and trnction owner. had tele-
phoned late the night before TO the
chief Of police and reported the
stealing OF about $4,000 worth OF
Jewels from her bedroom safe,
shiver OF apprehen sion went through
tho colony. Was this the prelude
to another epidemic of robberies
such az had occurred two years
ago, when not only Mss. Dolan then
suffered a considerable loss, but
number of Others. among them Mrs.
Dorothy Whitney Straight, josef
Hoffman and Lady Kemp?
At that time the thief ghowedaa
remarkable familiarity with the
habits OF those from whom he stole
and an unusual discrimination In tho
matter OF the Jewels he took. Nor
wero the robberles done by servants
that was clearly proven. The evi.
dence pointed TO somaone, unscrupu-
lous and daring who moved among
lis victims as one OF them. A RAT
ties, In short. who either did the
Sealing himself or furnished the In
formation by which his aides could
operate.
The details of the second robber,
OF Mrs. Dolan when they wero
secured only stimulated the uneasi.
ness.
For the Jewels had been taken
from q safe In her bedroom; safe
that WIGS hidden behind heavy sur
tains in the very room where she
slept!
Tho gems consisted Of a pearl
necklace to which Mrs. Dolan was
sentimentally attached, two pins and
q pair OF earrings. The necklace
contained tifty-nine rare pearls.
three very large. One pin she con-
eidered priceless because OF it's asso-
ciations-it was a diamond and ruby
service badge giyen her by the Gov
eminent for teaching French to
soldiers about TO go overseas. Tho
ea1inge were OF extraordinarily
large and perfect pearls set In rare
old French gold The other pin
was very valuable one OF platinum
worth from $4,000 to 100000.
The Dolan residence in Aiken Is ca
Calico Cottage. Mrs. Dolan'a boudoi
about four feet high, is placed near
open window looking out upon the sec
story porch. Mrs. Dolan insists that
window be left open night and day no
ter what the temperature. Up the p
runs. like the steps OF a ladder. NJ
trellis for the climbing roses which &C
screen to the lower piazza. The sal
covered with heavy curtains.
Mrs. Dolan wore the jewels on the
day night previous to the Wedne'
when the theft was discovered. She
sists that she locked the safe when
put them In and arranged II acoordin
a combination which she thought that
she knew. She keeps, however, O MI
randum OF the combination for uB,
event of memory failing or some @
such emergency.
The servants are absolutely beyond
picion; they are all old servitors on "
the greatest dependence is placed. II
safe had not been locked 1t would have
no hard matter for one who knew It's
ton to pass. in the darkness, the r
Waterman; to climb the TROLLS to the
entering the room, wherein Mrs. L
might at the time have been sound as
have swung open the safe door and sli
away with Its contents.
On the other hand, IL the safe had
locked, as Mrs. Dolan believes It was,
It would have been necessary for the
Der to have entered the room and ma,
lated the combination.
But-and this is what troubles not
society but the polioe-both of these
ries presuppose the alarming facts
the thief must have known where the
was, known Mrs. Dolan's whereab
known the combination II the safe
locked and-whether 1t was or was
locked-must have been possessed O
formation that no mere casual bu,
could possibly havei
Where did the thief get this info
ton?
II the safe was opened, the work
that of super-expert. for upon it's
ished surface there was not loft so 7
as pin scratch; nor were there any