Show NV JJ ft q Ia L 9 a r r I iN i. i 1 en Clever v ef Thi Tho ll n. n Who ww oli Q n e F Jr 1 t L Lad f S r I a Merry Mry Chats By George S. S Second seo nd Deputy Depoty Police co Commissioner oner I of New York Tok 1 IMS by tiT tt tte X w Tort Tork Hc ld l O CD AU J 4 ES EIS worth a kings king's s 's ransom I diamond experts expert at atI by I G I bat but priceless in the tho estimation estimation ezI es es- ez- ez I of th their owner because nse of sentimental reasons reasons Jar Iy burled buried In a rode rado box bor in Morningside Morning Morning- I tide side Park In tn Nor Nev Tork rork ork city for months while hUe det detectives whom whon I led Jed scoured the country at large arga for a R. tangible clew through which I could fasten the crime upon the thief who wh wb abstracted ted them from froma II shadowed shadow a vault a man nian I suspected and from the tho day of or th their ir taking but who had brt up upa a brave front to the end These in th K nutshell are the facts surrounding the theft ft of the jewels of Mrs F F. Ambrose Clark the capture capture release recapture and conviction of Coleman the thief who ho whoso so 0 y stole them and who subsequently subsequently led me one o of the merriest chases of m my professional career Had Bad James Fenimore Cooper Imagined lien n S n he wrote The Pathfinder and nd his bis other ether r Interesting Leather reather St Stocking tales of tit adventure the tho scenes scenes scene of which were laid laM on an the shores ihor s of Otsego Lake and right where N. N Y Is la now lo located tb that t moro more than forty lorb years would later lter a mysterious gem robbery oc occur ur there how he would hare han revelled Kt At Athe he th tb thought of writing this story stor- with its many pe peculiar u ar intricacies an and frequent lively action There are few or none of ofuS ofus us r residing idin in or about New York who are not familiar with the tho history of the Clark ra family family of of of the very Tery b best t American meri an origin William Willism A A. A Clark was one of the themen themen themen men who financed and introduced the sowing In machine into the American household household house house- hold and long before belore his hll death acquired vast vait wealth which be he bequeathed to his hist t wife fe and children The Clarks practically practical ly Ir alone atone erected d' d the great eat Singer Build BaUd ing In New York city Mrs William A. A Clark long after her husbands husband's death m married d Bishop Henry Codman Potter forming me rue of the most benevolent couples to grace race New York society For j cars the bl Clark rk family has owned a vast c country es estate t in and nc near r Cooperstown There was nas as never neTer a more courageous or or daring gentleman rider of high class jumping horses than Mr F. F Ambrose Clark the eldest sou SOD At t his hll mothers mother's home he maintains a private race course tal takes takis ke keen n delight in breaking hunters and has lisa bred some of the very nry best cross country horses in America In the good old ld racing d days when the jumpers Ita started t d once every racing day at Morris Park ark S Bay and Saratoga Mr fl Clark was Wall sure to have huc bat o a good ono in at choice odds and backers were ere always ure bure tt tO get t good o d run for th their ir money a good price aud od usually be down on a a. n winner win win- in inner D ner r if if Mr Cla Clark k vas was up win win-I Mrs AIrs F. F Ambrose Ambroso Clark also was a a. re remarkably ret re- re t clever and dar daring n rider of hunt hunt- ers era In the summer much of their time was W-BS spent at tho the beautiful Clark home home- stead Arriving there in the early eary summer sum sum- mer nier of 1 young loung Mrs Clark brought her jewels Jew with her ber So valuable and be beautiful u fur were they that it was deemed advisable to keep them in the great vault l and md d ate in the Uie office of ot the Clark es esin estate tatoi in Cooperstown town Of course they re reasoned the jeweld really dolly safe In madams madam madams I jewel cue case at t home but how much more secure cure rhe they would 1 be iu iii the estate office So 80 there they were taken taken taken-a a treasure box valued at 50 and and packed safely and andl l securely awa away iu Lu a locked d jewel caske cuJe with rith some gome valuable papers In the estate office were can can- ti to carefully place them In tho the moat most secure cure compartment In tho the vault Tault What Wha t tan an im imposing structure the Clark estate of floe fice building is A one sty white m marble structure of oS Colonial design deign with ith great I marble columns in Ia front of It it could I Ir readily r aC b t ho be taken for a public JI librae bra r u it I bank buk or a government building It stands 1 aloft aba on a a. knoll and has a long row V of I steps leading t to the tho bi big dout double lu boat froat doors doers There are a a. side aide and arida a eclar e entrance Inside la It the usual dignified office The Tho clerks clerke are behind m massive S iTe screw and railings and and right lx in the mid mid- Cil dle of the room stand uUnd the big bi double do red vault and bu burglar lar proof safe If a n pr professional thief sized sired the place up Ul I from r ni nithe the tic exterior he be would coo consider ider it good picking for his line but bUl If he saw thu tho especially the the- vault Moult and Dd he h fe-h m might blight decide to take a a. chan chance e at Kt it The urns same routine HH was followed in t testate th estate office en tho on-tho the morning of J July 7 1 1004 lOOi u occurred every other weekday The Tho manager caine came A later than the theoffice theoffice office JUice staff taft but by nine oine o'clock every everyone everyone one was w. as ready to whatever business busi ness came in 10 r j ft jf H was c customary marJ for lor all aU th time the estate oM of- fic fk employ to the tac b building for or-I or luncheon a at C Cooperstown per town is III such sucha a quIt quiet well behaved town town town-on on a brand branch t 1 f the Delaware and Hudson Railroad that no Quo one bad over ever heard of a absing crime crim being committed there The court hou house e and und jail are re Were there re and anti the jud judges cs and i ib sheriff riff all live there here It was waa unusual for or mar march merchants h ute to to lock their store tore doors at midday while they went ent home borne for the noonday meal muL The rhe last Jut left the estate office at twenty minutes after twelve At one o'clock w when en all returned d to their desks everything apin appeared ap ap- D In lii apple pl phi piu order In fact nothing noth noth- l lf f ing g unusual was wu discovered until five fhe o. o o'clock lo k in 10 the afternoon when the jewel jew box waa nas found iu iii the cellar of at thu t office It lt d been forced open with iI b harP bu U thai belonged to Lu th the b building building-a a chisel antI hatchet The rhe thief had evidently wounded him or herself her her- self because there thero were many stains ou on the demolished jewel box and end the tools tool r t 7 1 I c cI b m. m I I id 41 r I t i t t i I. I I f. f I 4 Ii I 0 1 Ii vl i J I 1 I m jl 0 4 r g r t l m i t i i rr m. m I I 1 41 S 3 I I lt I I t U 1 t t LL m I I 5 1 1 t 2 I 5 iJ fr t i ii I 7 Uc tra tr a i 1 Vt l 4 w. w f 1 4 U J t. t rr 4 r I 6 I I 11 t a at 1 P 1 rr I ou i c 4 I f jl t I it r 4 5 it I g i J 14 j i fr 1 i I I JJ 7 cit i rf i L g 1 I rt i 7 1 J. j r f l p I i A I i i A pI p I HE BE B APPEASED APPEARED TO BE NO NG FOR OME I I There appeared to have been a struggle There were cre small f footprints from the hec of ot a woman shoe hoe apparently T Then o oI there TV wera era larger footprints cellar f floor or A while whilo muslin flour sack tl that at belonged In the tha cellar was wa's spattered with stains taIm Yes Y the thief had wiped bis hisor or her hands on the ba bag That was was' all any one could tell me when 1 I 1 ar arrived cd at Cooperstown to in In- Thc They confidentially whispered to me and sincerely advised me nie how the he crime crime had bc been u committed d and by br whom nhom I Inside aside jo job or i ins aside de assistance n e was the cry Theres a woman in it sure ash as th shooting h one would bay any And ev every evrY ry one I told told told- mo mu to look for fOl some one with a cut et cuton eton thief must be in In on his bis bisor or h her hands The town yet ret was waa the cry erl Positively a job jol jobby jobby by local o 1 t. t I 1 i was told How Bow would a a a. stranger v those costly jewels jC were in that tide iafe and when cn he be could o f 8 steal al l them S uwe oue w who bo worKed in Inc tue ULU had tipped had l off the whole thing I And again didn't tb JO job show great familiarity with the surroundings Who'd know where to get cl and aud ud hatchet but some sonic one who knew that cellar Why the wise shrewd wd calculating nativeS had bad m me half JIsI convinced that their ii t 11 i ic Ies were corr correct t but fortunately I 1 p ced much valuable experience arid and J. ledge t be the thc methods method of the L clas i criminal Could he not turn lurn this trick single handed d at noontime On the face of it did not the job have hav all the earmarks o or a 4 first class bank sneak or h heel J man But if it the trick was walt turned b by an old timer it was so clean and cleverly done dooe that an experienced detective could pick the man among a dozen or BO in a jiffy jUly 1 was v with ith Pinkerton Pinkerton Pinker Pinker- ton then and nud I bad had the names nod and nil t arc S of the tho best beat all round thieves a at t w UJ t huger tips Ups whether 1 they were in or out working or squared up and when whoa a detec detective c went wont out oat for tho Pinks to lines 1 Ufa tc a crime he was Wal likely to lose loae his position no matter how good he was I if he ho did not oat carry the hasty pudding bag hal ns as John Connors christened it it was was some baG with an an album of photographs photographs photo photo- graphs of the great professional thieves and nd anda a lot of loo loose e pictures of good grafters grafters graft graft- ers era in their special uno I io procured from the larger cities If there timer was A suspicious stranger In town when ono one investigated a crime out would come the thc mn mug book Did he look like liko this man or that c l And ninI nine nin I times s out of or ten tea the tho identifying witness j would pick out for us the tho picture of a It crook that was dolo doing a ten j ear stretch in some But 1 figured out who anon among the thc elect of f f the tho underworld might I 1 have committed this Job Johnny J Price Patsy Pathy Flannigan Big BiS Ed once a cou man but a good t sneak neak Wally not not possible working possible working iu iii a I poolroom in New York and supposed to tOI nave it Billy Coleman Colemun likely a wonder as a sneak Phil Lanile alias Georgie Shea but but he ho was servIn serving u u zt i term in Wisconsin And In this nay way 1 kept rummaging through my stock of suspects of the best beet t. t men in the trade of In snoa k thieving 1 Had an any one seen een an any strangers loitering loiter loiter- ing jug or loafing near tIe the esta estate office I Wh Why sure enough Mrs Emma Tuttle luttle who was on her front Crout porch tb the th the ro ery p Mcd had ven a Pleasant pleasant pleas Pleas- 1 ant loo old little man iu in front of the thu Italian fruit Atari Starl diason cross fOSS from the estate office He lIe was fidgety Ap Appeared Appeared Ap- Ap P Pp p to be waiting for some one ODe or orsome something some some- thing She described the man to a a T 1 s I he hc ha ba nh pleasant laughing eyes tres That sounded good gool Jo to me Her description tion of the stranger was an as good as ns a ft vr r a n I had in mInI a athe athe ai the author of this ibis job jol I show showed iho CM JUT her t tV t C pictures In the hasty pudding baG bagas bag as she had seen the one ouo of O Ci n n Thata M Thata the man I saw v. Another witness corroborated her identification It i. i is no for a tI crook to non be-non the street u and a detective must most get him closer than that to hold him on a criminal charge Co Closer than that I could not get him liim m. m Still sun with his criminal record and nud the identifications a warrant was issued for his arrest charging him with tho the rob bery I w was s 3 not Dot altogether sure be he had Fad committed tho time crime I had seen iri takes t kes made in identifications but with T the warrant wo we mould could pick him up luNew m lu New ork- ork learn if h he be had bad all any fresh 1 11 cuts on him fetch him to Cooperstown and ha have the lLa citizens citizen t him A lo lot o of th thing could oud happen Again in 1 I might I loj lo- lo calc Bill Billy in New York rork DU u borne good J d dI him and this way 1 11 clever shadows shadow hall w b on I the goods and th then might trail him to lo if he heal was al the have fC it om OUI him go goud d the Ule j job b. b t the te c thief The more mora I thought of e circumstances cs surrounding cur sur and aud ro rounding n ing th the cL crime the tho more inure i 1 LIked the tuc Billy Coleman dew clew I I the warrant war hold t e 1 I. I tul told th the authorities to rant rant until u l Jl u Was ns as located they lucy would bu be notified Meanwhile a u w was sent description of the stolen broadcast A large reward wa Va was offered ed fO for J their heir recovery and the arrest t of the thief The New York ne newspapers were ablaze with account of Ue pl PIlO o- o s of the tile c b but bt t task He lie Hewa lc vo iby e-iby 1 BUI as wa but Lut jut tic lie WWI Was u uI I wa vs a New Nev York Vork man juan I great lra traveller veller as us well ma making 1 I the thc big bb cities here or OL abroad lib his head head- quarters I 1 roamed the streets of oC New NewYork NewYork York rork searching for him One night in Seventh avenue near the Thirties 1 I saw sawa a time ono side lide partner of Coleman I trailed him nu and sure burc enough we act Billy V Wt trailed lihu him be tu went cut to 10 bi Ills lis 11 away ns uptown ou th lh i cd U us in iu the j moru-l I I m in ing nn and d. d night 1 It and nud day Ct constant 2 j I I lance Jance was kept up but bo ho never made mad a I suspicious move mOTe 81 Be Jl nut mat thieves U d ta U take his hla wife I I I I I I and he her do dog a l little black and white te Lox fox ox terrier out for a 8 walk at night Sometimes Some Some- times the they thel dropped dropped Into an Episcopal church ChUICh When 1 told Bishop Potter this ho he had a hearty laugh Ho Housed used to joke with me jue about bout it and asked uio We if I thought one Episcopalian wo would ld rob an- an other Without permitting Coleman to cco b-cco become Je a n cautious examination examina examina- tion of his Ilk Lands hands was made b. b by us with withfield withfield Uh field iel gl cs to see Gee if ho he had been cut but no t feigns sigus oC or it jt We Vc speculated as to whether h it il would be lie wi c to tu him him hini to lu and ami i if hewUS he hc was a turned out oi ul released t th titus thus s s him hium that we wc were c mistaken about him him- him throwing h him hm m oC off his hit guard UlL 10 so o we could trail hun as atin That sounded good souti so soon oh on uti July 20 tl Wo-J Wo Joe Joc DOMing mind and Adolph detectives de de' arr arrested him luru By the way Dow Dow- liu hug i la is une of or the detectives ci under tinder wy my su supervision su- su IU m iu the LLe New york Voik Department De lie- now Jow And AUt a corking corLing good bood fly Iy cOl cop coil be lie b is hi too After Alter the arrest Bill Billy was t scat to Not ol oL a It clew was Way found foun in New York to justify any suspicion that he be J had ad committed the thc robbery Not r Notmark a amark I mark was found on aD Cu Colemun Aito Altogether the thu cu CUM eue e |