The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-08-27

a GREAT JEWEL ROBBEkIs
There is strange and too often fear
full history att iched to every great gem of
price, many o. which, while flashing on
the brow of auty, or in some regal or
imperial ornament, are dimmed to the
thoughtful mind by the tears shed over
them, or by the blood in which they have
too often been bathed. Robbery and muir
der have ever been mingled with the sto-
ries of precious gems; and as peaceful
man, living in these highly civilized times,
/ have more than once felt my life to be
far from safe as soon as it was known that
in the little black leathern case carried, or
even in the scrap of tissue-paper In my
waistcoat pocket, 1 held so many valuable
diamonds, rubies or sapphires.
One gets used to it in time; but at nrst
there is strong feeling that every person
who looks at you, or says a word about the
weather, is bent upon murder and robbery.
You live solitary life during your travels.
riages You would not ride alone in
first coupe with some strange traveller,
upon any consideration, even if that
strange traveller were a feeble old woman,
since you would certainly suppose her to
bO ~ uiSC. 1LtCSdhety uASc'SU
ladies become swindlers' accomplices; cler-
ical gentlemen, the swindlers themselves;
and distrust of everybody and everything
becomes the bane of your existence. Your
wine or tea seems to be drugged, your food
poisoned; and once, at a hotel where L
was staying, l had serious thoughts about
giving the proprietor into custody for sup
plying me with medicated soap.
/ will not mention the name of the Bond
Street firm with which was some yearsago
connected, but let it suffice that their name
was well known, and that the manufacture
of more than one regal diadem had been
intrusted to their skilled workmen. was
with them some twelve or fourteen years,
and it was during that period that the Incl
dent am about TO relate occurred. As
matter of course, the strictest injunctions
respecting care, caution, and watchfulness
are issued to all the employees, especially
to those whose daily business brings them
into contact with the public; and being
always in the show-rooms myself l was
one of those in whom the elders of the
firm placed confidence The consequence
was, that being tolerably thoughtful, sharp
of eye, and a good judge of gems, / rose
to occupy one of the most responsible po-
sitions, and to me were always intrusted
those rather delicate, critical, and caution
demanding embassies, where customers
wished for Jewels to be sent to their houses
for inspection.
In course of time, little feeling of jeal-
ousy sprang up; but it did not trouble me,
70, either from extra care, or from good
fortune, had not in any single case been
the cause of loss to my employers state
of satisfaction hardly to be enjoyed by Ell
ther of my brother-assistants, so many, so
ingenious, and so carefully contrived were,
in those days, the plans for defrauding
the great jewellers. do not know that
any very great improvement has taken
place of late years; but my experience is
with the past, and / relate accordingly
In fact, so many were the tricks, that
when a visitor came to the show rooms
the first question we had to ask was: ais
this lady or sharper?"
Very often the swindlers, or thieves
were easy to detect; for though dressed
in the extreme of fashion, and arriving
perhaps in a brougham, there would be
some slip of the tongue-some vulgarism
which would betray them Frequently,
a misplaced h, or a wrongly applied verb
has raised suspicious which defeated care.
fully planned swindle, and sent the disap.
pointed ones to lament their i'll success
or often to Jail. But with all care, the
jewelers. enemies are so many, and their
losses so heavy, that, in spite of enormous
profits, the balance-sheets at the end OF
the year are not so satisfactory as is sup.
posed for those who follow this artistic
business. Now a well-dressed couple
would come and look at some rings, turn
them over for half an hour, and then
leave, declaring that there was nothing to
suit; when perhaps before, more often
after their departure, one or two valuable
gems have been missed-taken no one
could tell how. Twice over, assistants al
lowed jewels to be taken into the next
room, at some hotel, to show a sick lady,
and came back ruefully to announce the
sick, as well as the sound, lady had disap-
peared. Times out of number, ring,
chain, or bracelet has been snatched from
counter or table; once such a thing hap
pened when l was in waiting, but pre-
sented pistol stopped the marauder before
he reached the door-a door already bolt
ed by the porter and my friend was COM
mitted for trial, and afterwards transport
ed. One select company of visitors pur-
chased goods to the amount of nine hun
dred pounds, when the gentleman of the
party wrote a check on the spot for the
amount-Drummonds of Charing Cross
being his bankers-but as l objected to the
Jewels being taken away until the check
was honored, l was courteously told to
send them to MOrley's Hotel, and halt
sorry to be compelled to show the dis
trust, / bowed the distinguished custom
ers out.
Here, johnson" said to one of our
n of IN le
and present this check; take a cab"
In half an hour johnson was back with
the check branded with the words "No
effects"
/ received an invitation to dine with the
head of our firm after that, and returned
home at night wearing very handsome
gold watch. "a reward for your shrewd-
ness" said the old gentleman, clapping
me on the shoulder you'll be in the
firm yet, Willis, that you will"
Il hope may" l thought, as 1 went
home that night; but the happy consum-
nation never arrived, since was but NOR
tai, and, like other men, liable to be de-
ceived; though, upon maturer considera-
ton, don't think / was very well used.
/ was seated one day busily examining
some stones which were to be reset for the
Countess of Maraschino, when the prin-
cipal came softly in.
Lock those up, Willis" he said, "and
20 and attend to those parties IN the front
showroom. Thomas is with them, and /
don't half like their looks"
i hurried into the show room to relieve
Mr.. Thomas of his task, which he gave up
with a very bad grace, and proceeded to
listen to the demands of tall lady and
gentleman in black, both of whom wore
respirators, and spoke in low, husky
voices. The gentleman looked very pale
and ILL., and the lady was very closely
yelled as to the upper part of her face
but upon my approach she threw up her
fall, and displayed the bright bold eyes of
a very handsome woman.
Don't look suspicious" l thought, as /
evaded the glance directed at me; for our
rule is not to look at eyes, but hands,-or
rather fingers, which sometimes turn out
to be light In this case, though, the Ia
dy's were 6ien gdnt6e, and the gentleman's
thin, white, and soft,-an invalid's hands,
in fact, and proceeded to listen to their
demands.
"Well, Lila, what's it to be?" said the
gentleman.
81 thought you had decided, love-" was
the reply. Something simple, and not
too expensive now, whatever We may de-
eide upon hereafter. Why not keep to
what YOU said,-a bracelet, or a cross"
"Well, show me some bracelets" the
gentleman said 1--WE do not want any
thing of high price, but something pretty,
light, and suited for young lady of eigh-
Il L IL