The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-01-05
OpenCrave
in Hunt for
RoyalGe1l1s
Treasury Agents to Disinter
Body of Seaman and Search
Casket for Russian
Crown Jewels.
Smuggling Plot Barred

omuggllng Plot Barred
Chicago, Jan. 4.--Four or five mil
lion dollars worth of the crown jew
els of the Russian cars are buried
in the grave of James Jones, an
American seaman, in the national
cemetery at Cypress Hills, Brooklyn.
according to a copyrighted story pub.
iished today by the Chicago Daily
News.
The jewels, the News says. were
smuggled into the country by a band
of New York men. who obtained them
in Nladivostok in 1920. En- route to
America, one of the conspirators, the
story says, decided to double-cross his
fellows and hid the jewels in seven
packages in the lining of the coffin of
Jones, a messman who had died
aboard ship.
The body was buried, the story
says. before he had a chance to re.
cover the packets, and as the ceme-
terry is under guard of soldiers. they
are presumably hidden i'll the grave.
Will Open Grave.
The News says. William b. Williams
Of the New York Office of the Depart
ment of Justice and customs officials
will ask Judge Hand for an order to
open the grave.
Federal officials. the story con.
tinues, have been working on the
case for two years. They eventually
unearthed records which fitted in
department and by the former i'm.
perial Russian ambassador telling of
the smuggling plot. These records
show that the shipping board steamer
Edellyn, at that time in the army
transport service, sailed from New
York January II. 1920. and reached
Vladivostok May 90, leaving June
for New York by way of Gibraltar. A
distance out of Gibraltar, the sea-
man. Jones, died on board and his
body was embalmed and brought to
this country, eventually being buried
September 23. 1920, in the Brooklyn
cemetery. All these details CORE
spond to the information furnished in
the anonymous letters. which pur-
ported TO come from two members
Of the band who were double-crossed.
Agents Admit Probe.
The records also show that three
members Of the transports crew de-
serted at Yokohama. The letters said
members OF the band who had
shipped in the crew to reach Siberia
and get the jewels were forced to de-
sert ship and proceed by another
route because the transport had been
delayed and would not reach the 81.
berian port in time for them to keep
their appointment with the persons
who had the gems i'll their possession
At the Department of Justice offices
here, agents admitted they knew of
the investiga ton and that the News
story coincided with their informa-
tion, but they said the case was in
the hands of the Treasury depar rmenf
secret service and Williams, in New
York.
Seek Russian Jewels.
New York, Jan. 4.-Bombarded
hllll w llildiii u. w iiiio'iiot
special agent of the Treasury DEPART
ment, finally admitted this afternoon
that his office was working on a
Russian jewel case
Williams at first declared he knew
nothing about the story, but later. un-
der questioning, said:
1--WE are always looking for the
Russian crown jewels"
When asked whether his agents in.
he said:
"Print anything you want
Williams Tells of Search.
After first processing to scoff at
the newspaper story published in Chi
cago stating that he expected to find
Russian crown jewels in seamans
grave in Brooklyn, Williams at last
admitted that a grave would be
opened.
Were always looking for tho
Russian crown jewels" he said, "but
YOU can say now that We are work.
ing on a Russian jewel case"
From other sources, it was learned
that federal agents recently had in
uured at the national cemetery at
Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, whether
James Jones of the army transport
service had been buried there. It was
established this afternoon that a
sailor by that name was inferred
there, but no request yet has been
made to cemetery officials for per-
mission to disinter the body.
Denied i'm Capitol.
Washington. Jan. 4.-Department
of Justice officials today said, III
reference to the story published in
Chicago concerning a search for Rus
sian crown jewels in a grave in the
national cemetery at Brooklyn that
they were not interested in this
case" They added that numerous re-
ports had been received from time 20
time of the arrival of smuggled jewels
from Russia, but in no case had in-
vestigation disclosed any warrant for
the reports.
At the Treasury department COM
plete ignorance was declared of the
reported search. Officials both of the
secret service and of tho customs
service said they had conducted no
such investigation and knew nothing
Of It.
W Dill =. VIII C.a