The Strange Heist at the Palmer Inn

The Palmer Inn on Front Street, between Pike and Union, was visited by sneak-thieves who carried away several hundred dollars' worth of jewelry yesterday. Mr. Bartlett, the proprietor, and two gentlemen who were occupying Room No. 12 attended the boat race in the morning, leaving the house together about 10 o'clock. Shortly after they left, a masculine-looking woman called at the house and asked Mrs. Bartlett to show her the house. None of the vacant rooms suited her, so she insisted upon being shown the occupied rooms with a view to future occupancy. After being shown through all the rooms, she went to the parlor and sat down. A few minutes later, a strange man came upstairs into the lodging house, spoke to the strange woman, and then walked straight to Room 12, which he opened with a passkey. Mrs. Bartlett thought nothing of this as she supposed him to be a friend of the roomers. Mrs. Bartlett did not see him leave the house, but the strange woman took her departure a few minutes after his entrance. When the men returned from the boat race in the afternoon, they found that two trunks in their room had been broken open and all their valuables taken. Among the stolen articles were a diamond, valued at $140, four rubies, three sapphires, two gold nuggets, two silver nuggets, one copper nugget, a gold scarf pin, and a suit of clothes. The police are looking for the tall, masculine-looking woman and her strange friend, of whom they have good descriptions.