Evening star., 1935-04-22
JEWEL ROBBERY
RACKET REVEALED
Federal Agents Accuse Pri.
vate Detective in Theft
at Miami.
BY REX COLLIER.


A national jewelry robbery racket.
alleged to involve q well-known pri-
vate detective agency. has been un-
covered by a special squad assigned
by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
to investigate . $4,000 jewelry rob-
berry in Miami last January.
As result Of the findings Of this
squad-which has been operating Sc
cretly out of headquarters here-there
is being presented to Federal grand
jury in New York evidence which the
Department Of Justice expects to re-
suit in indictment Of the head Of the
agency and other alleged conspirators
The investigation, which has shut.
tied members of the squad from New
York to Miami in recent weeks. Is
believed by officials to spell the end
OF 4 business with underworld con-
nections that has cost robbery VIC
tins and insurance firms many thou
sands Of dollars in recent years.
Accused BY Agents.
The private detective" Is accused
by the Federal agents Of receiving
from two men gems which they
snatched from Mrs. Margaret Bell,
wife Of q former New York stock
broker, in her room at the Miami
Biltmore Hotel on January 26 Mrs.
while the men, with faces masked
and guns drawn, stripped from her
four pearl necklaces. two rings. a
bracelet and a wrist watch-all of
platinum and insured for $350,000,
but worth less at present market
prices.
The jewels were traced by the squad
from Miami to New York and back to
Miami, where, it is alleged, the private
detective, after conferences with a
jailed suspect and with a police off,
cial there, returned the jewels to Mrs.
Bell through an Intermediary.
A similar scheme Is reported to have
been worked by the same private de-
tective in the famous Donahue jewel
robbery in New York City several
years ago. The motto Of the rae
keteers. it is declared. was, Well
return your stolen goods If you don't
ask questions.
To Go Before Jury.
Charles Cali and Nicholas Montone,
New York underworld characters. who
are being tried in Miami on charges of
perpetrating the robbery of Mrs. Bell.
will be taken before the Federal grand
jury in New York City as soon as the
o1,,IAI
A statement issued by j. Edgar
Hoover. director Of the Federal Bu-
reau of Investigation, disclosed that
Mrs. Bells jewels were recovered"
from a safety deposit box in Miami,
and not from the parked automobile
Of Detective Chief Eugene Bryant of
Miami, as heretofore announced.
1t had been stated previously that
Chief Bryant found the jewels in the
bottom Of his car after he had parked
1t in front Of hotel to keep q
engagement made by phone
with a man unknown to him. The
man did not keep the appointment,
but, 1t had been declared, the Jewels
were found when Bryant started to
drive away.
Key Given to Detective.
According to Hoover's statement,
however, the key to the lock box
containing the jewels was turned over
to Chief Bryant by the New York
private detective on March 18 last,
and Bryant, with c. Harrington,
Miami representative of the New
Yorker, opened the box and found the
gems intact.
It is reported that q British in
surance firm paid q reward to the
private detective to effect return of
the jewels in this case, and that SINH
lar sums have been paid in other cases
in which the alleged racket was
worked.