A brazen daylight robbery shook the quiet streets of Washington D.C. on October 25, 1911. The victim, wealthy businessman J.H. Clay Stewart, had his sprawling estate on 11th Street Northwest breached by a cunning thief. The crime unfolded with calculated precision, as a man posing as a painter arrived at the Stewart residence to oversee exterior work. Two men were busy painting the facade, with one of them perched on a ladder at the third-story level. At approximately 3:30 pm, the doorbell rang, and the maid answered it, allowing the fake painter to enter the hallway. Stewart, a man of means, was out when the theft occurred, but his staff remained vigilant. Suspicion was initially low, with the housekeeper remarking that the two painters were working diligently and didn’t arouse any suspicion. Little did they know, one of them was in cahoots with the thief. Between 3:30 pm and 4:00 pm, the thief slipped away with an estimated $4,000 worth of jewelry from Stewart’s home. The crime was carefully planned and executed, leaving behind few leads. Authorities are now on the hunt for the cunning crook who left no fingerprints or evidence behind.
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Key Facts
- State: National
- Category: Violent Crime
- Era: Historical
- Source: Library of Congress — Chronicling America ↗
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