Evening star., 1946-08-25
| Jewels Recovered
with Code Note From
WAC, Court Is Told
BY the Associo.ed Press

FRANKFURT, Aug. 24-The code
word cemetery" led to the recovery
by Army investigators of hoard
of Kronberg Castle crown jewels in
a Hudson (Wis) house, a prosecu-
ton witness testified today at the
trial of WAC Capt. Kathleen 3.
Nash Durant.
The defense protested the treas
ure had been illegally seized by the
Army without search warrant
and without permission of the owner
Of the house.
Maj John D. Salb of the Army
provost marshals Office in Washing
ton produced note which he said
was written and signed by the 49,
year-old former Phoenix tAriz.)
Country Club manager during an
interrogation in Chicago last
June 3.
Capt. Durant was being detained
at the time in connection with the
disappear of the jewels, valued
at 81 500, 900, and later was charged
with larceny, embezzlement and
conspiracy.
Recovered 1913 Items.
The note read:
ITO Eileen. Jack cher husband.
Col. Jack w. Duranb or David
Maj. David F. WatsonD.
ct hoyo nnnfoccoI to !, a
box of jewels which I hid in the
attic. Will you give same to off,
Ger carrying this note. Our code
Cemetery goes. Sorry to cause
you so much trouble. I don't want
you to worry about me any longer.
Love, Bonnie"
With this note, Maj. Salb said
he recovered 1913 items of the jewel
collection in the home of Capt Du-
rants sister, Mrs. Eileen Longeran,
at Hudson The code word, he said,
was an agreed-on signal to send her
Capt. DuranD the Hesse crown
Jewels.
Earlier another prosecution wit
ness, Roy C. Carlton of Gilgore,
Tex, testified that he and two Ger
mans "at Capt. Durant's orders" dug
up the jewel box in the cellar of
Kronberg Castle and then "the four
of us-Capt. Durant, the two Ger
mans and I-carried the contents"
to her room.
Carlton, former mess sergeant
and assistant to Capt. Durant in
managing the castle as an officers
club, also said he had seen Col.
Durant and Maj. Watson, both of
whom are being detained for trial
in connection with the same case,
-four or five times weekly" at the
castle and "once or twice a week"
in Capt. Durant's room after the
jewel box had been taken there
Over objections of the defense,
the prosecution said it was attempt
ing to establish there was a con-
spiracy involved.
Illegal Search Charged.
The defense charged that Army
investigators had made an illegal
search and seizure" in the Lonergan
home on the night of June 3.
Overruled, the defense asked and
received leave to produce at a later
time the owner of the Hudson house
in support of it's contentious that
the Army confined and threatened"
the Lonergans before Maj. Salb
arrived and established an armed
guard around the house.
Under cross ss-examination, Mai.
Salb admitted Mrs. Lonergan was
very upset, nervous and excited"
when he arrived to take the jewels.
He said he didn't know" if it was
because of mental pressure" by
Army questioners.
Maj. Salb denied searching the
house, but said Mrs. Lonergan
voluntarily" turned over the Jewels
The drab Army blankets were re-
moved for the first time today from
the fortune of gems, silver and gold
were laid out in the courtroom.
Guards stood alert at either end
of the long table and no one was
permitted closer than one yard from
the table
The trial was adjourned until
Monday.