San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-11-15

Underworld He M MNNs SM1M k@WMMZ
Theatre. and Cafes and Dance Clubs in His Dress Suit
&C, is, by Weekly Reserved
X IRIS. JAMES P. DONAHUE, daughter of the
IVJ late Woolworth fve-and-ten-cent mult-mil-
ava lionaire, slipped off her Jewels stepped into
her bath at the Hotel Plaza, New York, and ten min
utes later when she came out of the bathroom her
$500 900 ropes of pearls were gone!
How did the thief who stole those jewels know
that Mrs Donahue had fortune in pearls? And
how did he know just where they were at that mo-
ment?
Those pearl necklaces were discovered by pro-
fessional member of the Underworld who is known
to the police pathfinder" pathfinder COM
rnits no robberes; his hand never steals anything
It is the practiced eye of the pathfinder which
spots the jewels on the woman's neck or fingers,
finds out who she is and where she lives watches her
residence and follows her evening after evening until
he knows all about her jewels and her habits of life
And then it is that the pathfinder notifies the
other members of his criminal band. From this point
on the pathfinder drops out and his thug burglar
or hold-up man associates do the rest.
Mrs. Donahue's matched pearls were not taken
casually. The pathfinder had fully informed him.
self all about these jewels and all about Mrs Dona-
hue's habits of life He had passed the information
over to the hold-up members of his gang and it
not the pathfinder but others of the gang who after
probably many days of patiently following Mrs.
Donahue at last found their opportunity to seize the
jewels while she was separated from them in her
bath.
In the long line of recent jewel robberies of we'll
known New York women always there has been the
pathfinder who scented the prey appraised the value
Of the jewels after making that they were genu
inc and not paste, acquired all the necessary nfor
nation to the habits of life of the intended victim
e ~ Al A.
members of the gang took up the trail and robbed
the victim.
The roughneck gunman or burglar is out of place
at the opera, in the theatre lobby and in the fashion
able restaurants and dancing clubs of New York.
His features not attractive his hands big and
evening clothes set awkwardly his figure His
victims picked for him by nsders-men who are
part of the fashionable night-life of New York
the pathfnders.
Thus it is that few of the head-waiters some
of the walters themselves, the private detectives,
doormen and other employees of the cabarets res
taurants and dance clubs often the pathinders or
inside members of the hold-up gangs. Some of the
pathfnders have no occupation, but well-dressed
carefully groomed, presentable men, who frequent
the places where richly jeweled women are to be
found. No who leaves her home wearing
valuable jewels and visits the theatre the opera or
any fashionable cafe avoid the likelihood of be-
ing spied upon by pathfinder.
If her jewels are imitation she need have no fear
Pathfnders make mistakes. Women with paste
jewels are never molested. But women who usually
wear paste and occasionally their real gems
are quite likely to be attacked and robbed the night
they have their real valuables around their necks
The bold hold-up of Nora Bayes, the actress, the
other night, revealed very wildly the keen discrim
inaton and well-informed knowledge of the gang
sterS Miss Bayes has $4,000 string of pearls
She also has these pearls duplicated in paste, and it
is the imitation pearls she wears in her part the
stage
Now and then Miss Bayes wears her genuine
pearls to the theatre if she has some engagement
after the performance where she wants to wear
them. Nobody has ever attempted to relieve Nora
Bayes of her stage jewels.
But the other night, when she happened TO have
the real jewels about her throat the thugs attacked
her. The pathfinder had done his work with un
erring skill he was accurately informed. And few
days later Detectives Sullivan and Sheehan attached
to the staff of Deputy Chief Inspector Fay arrested
Louis Taubman, young habtue of the Broadway
all-nght district, and charged him with being the
pathfinder who had so skilfuy advised the thugs
on the night when the actress was wearing her genu
inc jewels
Pretty Mrs Fay Perkins had rough experience
one evening last March when rough-neck bandits fol-