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Show POLICE HEADQUARTERS SAFE BECOMES REAL PANDORA BOX More Disappearances Discovered, With No -Satisfactory Explanation From Those in Authority; Responsibility for White's Continuance Up to Commission Action Today. Trc skeleton-closet or police hertd- T quarters is providing the inspiration inspira-tion for further storiea of theft. Now a diamond ring and several bottles of heroin tablets are said to have been stolen from the "strong box.' ' Then, again, reports of the fafe having hav-ing been found open upon various occasions occa-sions are being whispered about. Ail ordinary-looking sheet steel affair, trie leaky device id getting a reputation be-t'itilng be-t'itilng a conjuror's strong box. T:d vou know of the disappearance or a. diamond ring from the safe in detonive headquarters?" was asked ol Chlet J. Par!"v White. "Yes, there was a report of it, answered the chief, after some hesita-lion. hesita-lion. "One of the men reported that he found a diamond ring and turned U in and that later it could not be found. Chief White gave the name of the man who claimed lo have found the ring. The man, a member of the detective force, denied finding a ring or turning one in. Told what Chief White had said, lie remarked: "Well, Chief White knows.". Chief White admitted that he had received re-ceived reports that the safo had been , found unlocked on several occasions. Jo- , aeph C. Sharp, chief of detectives, denied having knowledge, first hand or by report, re-port, that a ring had disappeared or that the safe had been found unlocked. Both Chief White and Chief Sharp denied any knowledge of the disappearance of any heroin from the safe. . Detective Brown's Statement. "Did you receive a ring from one of the detectives which later disappeared from among- the valuables in the safe?" was asked of Detective Walter S. Brown. "1 received a. ring," said Detective Brown. "It was a lion's head ring, with what appeared to be a small stone in the mouth. "It might have been, a diamond dia-mond or a sapphire. It was very small. If tho ring was gold and the etone genuine, genu-ine, it would be of not more than $o value. If neither the metal nor the stone was genuine, the value would be negligible. It was for some lime in a drawer of a. desk in t he office, with odds and ends of little value, and later placed in tho eafe. Afterward the safe was cleared of all the things that were not of a pparent value, 1 he articles being placed in envelopes in a. locker. Whether or not it is now among that stuff, I do not know." , "Did you ever know of the safe be-! be-! ing discovered open?" the detective was j ajsked. ! "Upon one or two occasions I found U not locked when going to the office in Die morning. That was before I had quit working in the office. The bolts were turned, but the combination wag not off and the safe opened readily without manipulation of the combination knob. I presumed that I had overlooked turning off the combination before going home the night before. At that time no one was working, out of the offk-e at night and I was usually the last man to leave, about 6 o'clock, and the first to arrive In tho morning." Plot to Discredit Brown? Mr. Brown said that he had no knowledge knowl-edge of the disappearance of he 10 in from the safe. He said that he did riot know whether or not the safe wa found unlocked six weeks ago. It was to discredit dis-credit Detect ive Brown, Commissioner Karl A. tciieid believes, that the opium was stolen irom the safe. The public safety commissioner says he suspects the intent was that guilt should be fixed upon Brown, whom he contemplated making inspector in-spector of the department. Admitting that others than the actual thief might have been interested in fixing the crime on Brown, if his theory is correct, the public safety commissioner asserted his belief that neither Chief White nor Chief Sharp had any knowledge of such a possible pos-sible plot oth r than might have been obtained ob-tained by subsequent investigations. Commissioner Scheid said last night that he lias no pledge of votes that will insure Mr. White's confirmation when he is proposed tonight for reappointment as chief of police. Pie expressed himself as confident, however, that Mr. White will be confirmed. "There wa.s nothing to assure his appointment ap-pointment when I announced intention to propose his name." said the public safety commissioner. "I made the announcement announce-ment in order that any honest man mlht have opportunity to present any valid reason rea-son why he should not be appointed. No nonest man has as yet advanced a reason rea-son thnt I can recognize as a valid one." Mr. Scheid has declared that onlv the confirmation of Chief Wlme can keep him fn.the position for any length of time, that lie will undertake to find another man immediately if the chief is not confirmed. con-firmed. in the meantime, both Chief White and Chief Sharp say tho mystery of the opium disappearance is no nearer solution than when first attacked by the talent of the department. Commissioner Scheid savs that he expects the detective force to iind a solution. Chief White admits he has despaired of an explanation that can be proved. Pic regrets the threat of prosecution prose-cution as a handicap in the chance of fixing the crime. Would Punish Thief. When asked f he would proecule the I man if caught, tho chief answered, "I would just as soon that the report spread that I would be willing to let the man go unpunished if he should confess to the crime, since that would possiblv encourage encour-age a confession, but once I hari the proof 1 would send the man to the state prison if possible." Both White and Sharp are talking of the affair now as if they suspect some one other than a member of the detective force took the opium. Chief Sharp, when talking of this possibility, took pains U demonstrate the care that had been exercised ex-ercised in having the detective quarters fitted with locks that could not be picked or forced. One of the doors of the offices Is elaborately elabo-rately equipped with an expensive lock and" a plate of brass to prevent the forcing forc-ing of the lock by the thrusting of a knife or other thin instrument between the door and the jam. The door has every appearanco of being proof against anything other than the key for the lock or an ax. Above the door is a transom. It opens into the hallway, outwardly from the room. It is secured In position by a pair of hinges and two small nails, driven partly in at the edges of the transom ends. But for the naiis, a draft of wind would be sufficient to make the transom -swing down. |
