The Washington times., 1922-07-25

CHARGES
Thief A 7
CAY PARTY
Quantico officer Asserts Gem
Taken From Wife as She
Was Under Ether.

Denying that she was guilty Of
stealing a ring from woman pa
tient during an operation at Co.
lumbia Hospital, where she is a
nurse, Miss Irene Sunderland.
pretty twenty -three-year-old Lou
isville. KY, girl, today entered a
plea of mot guilty" before Judge
Robert B. Hardison in the United
States branch of police court, and
waived preliminary hearing. Judge
Hardison ordered her held in
$1,000 bonds for the action of the
grand Jury. ,--v..... a..s..
Expects Bond Today.
The girls attorney, Harry +.
Whelan, said he expected to have
bond furnished this afternoon and
would secure her release pending
further action in the case.
Miss Sunderland Is the daubhter OF
the late S. B. Sunderland, member
of the lower house of the Kentucky
legislature. who died last May. The
girls mother, who is in Louisville,
has not yet been informed OF her
daughters arrest.
Miss Sunderland was arrested last
night following the recovery OF the
missing ring through clever ruse
engineered by Lieut.. George Riley
Rowan. of the Marine Barracks at
Quantico. Va. The officer reported
that $3.50 diamond and platinum
engagement ring had been stolen
from his wife on July 20 while she
was under ether on an operating
table at the hospital,
Gay Party Staged.
Recovery Of the ring was made
while Miss Sunderland, with Lieu
tenant Rowan, another nurse, and
d. G. Anderson, Washington man.
ager of the w. J. Burns Detective
Agency, were at a dinner party at
a downtown hotel during which high
balls were passed about to enliven
the affair.
Burns operatives. following the
trail of Miss Sunderland. are said to
have observed the ring on her finger
two weeks ago. The surprise din
ner" then was arranged so that
Lieutenant Rowan could be present
and identify the jewel.
Miss Sunderland had been invited
to the dinner to meet Lieutenant
Dixon" a marine officer, who had
seen her and was anxious to enjoy
her companionship.
with the other nurse and Detec-
tive Anderson, she went to the hotel
and the four become seated at a
table. Miss Sunderland wore gloves
and was asked to remove them.
When she did so. Lieutenant Rowa n
recognized his wife's ring on the
nurses finger.
That's a very pretty ring sug.
gested Lieutenant Rowan. En-
gagged. | presume"
Miss Sunderland blushed deeply.
replying Not exactly"
Out in the lobby of the hotel were
Detective Sergeants O'Brien and
Livingston, Central Office men.
Detective Grabbed Her.
lingering the ring on Miss Sun.
derland's finger, Lieutenant Rowan
gave the signal that he believed 1t
to be the one stolen from his wife.
The dinner finished. all hands
started out OF the hotel. On reach.
ing the street, Detective O'Brien
seized Miss Sunderland's hand. She
struggled with him, indignant. De
tective O'Brien took the ring from
Ine nurse finger anu Sne was TAKEN
to Police Headquarters.
Weeping, and bitterly assailing the
detectives for falsely" arresting her,
Miss Sunderland maintained that she
had found the ring in the operating
room two days after Mrs. Rowan be.
came the mother Of a baby. She ad.
mitted being in the room while Mrs.
Rowan was under ether.
Lieutenant Rowan was elated over
the recovery of the ring he had given
his wife when they became engaged
a little over a year ago.
This morning Miss Sunderland was
photographed and had her finger.
prints taken by Detective Sergeant
Fred Sandberg.
"I am disRraced," wept the young
woman at police headquarters this
morning. "Aftcr nv four ve""s IT
hard work. il looks like my aim 10
nurse will BE- blasted
Miss Sunderland was gradua ted
from the Nurses Training School OF
the Columbia Hospital last month.