National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1873-08-01
A Diamond Story.

There il now living in Paris lady
whose name is not divulged-who has
become celebrated throughout all En-.
rope for her adventures and for hei
magnificent diamonds. Tho value OF
these diamonds was estimated at eigh,
millions of francs.
Among her intimate friends Madame
X. counted Sir Joshua ID. gentleman
of cold and reserved bearing. He was
very attentive TO her. But, unfortu-
nately for Madame X. the devoted En-.
glishman did not love her for herself,
but for her jewels, and he was in reali-
ty the chief of an organized band of
robbers.
His plan was we'll laid. Tn the month
Of January last year he induced the hus
band of Madame X, TO have the ceiling
OF hia apartment frescoed, and recon-
monded 10 him for that purpose an Ital-
ian painter, who, Sir Joshua said, was
an excellent workman. The painter. II
member of the robbcr band, came from
Milan, and improved the time he was
at work in the room by taking an i'm
preston OF all the locks. A month
after this, Sir Joshua suggested to the
husband that his wife's diamonds were
not in safety, and that Madam
ought to buy jewel-case for them,
the same time remarking that he knew
very good English maker. The new
iewel-case was accordingly made in
London, and the diamonds were placed
in it.
At the end OF two months later, on
the warm recommendation Of Sir Josh
ma, permission was granted by Madame
Y. to another of his roufederates, II
! Munich jeweller, To cop the designs of
some of her iewclry, ostensibly for the
Empress of Germany.
The plan was then complete. A uaiot
de chambre, i'll the employ Of Sir Josh
ua, opened every day the jewel.case
which had been provided with secret
and invisible opening in the back of the
case. II was only necessary to press "A
button and a secret spring opened the
box.
In this way all the diamonds were re-
moved one by one, their places being
supplied by imitation stones, which
were made with such inmtable perfec-
tion by the Munich jeweller that they
exactly resembled the genuine dia-
monds. Madame X. did not perceive
any change, and the robbery was only
discovered 10y chance. A few days ago
one of her intimate friends, lady who
was going to London, borrowed from
Madame y. a splendid solitaire.
Take good care of it, said Madame
X, as she gave it to her friend; at
would be worth fifteen hundred thous-
and francs if it did not have little de-
feet,
The lady wore the diamond at the
Covent Garden Theatre, and while there
one of the best known jewellers of Lon
don, Mr.. b., was in her box.
She called his attention to the brilli-
ant, saying what pity it was that it
had Il defect.
Mr.. b. examined it and could not de-
tect any flaw.
He asked to be allowed to see it by
daylight on the following day. He did
so, and pronounced it an imitation dla-
mond.
The English police were notified.
Sir Joshua, fortunately, had been ar
rested two days before this in London,
on suspicion of being concerned in the
Bidwell forgery case. He was exam
med by Mr.. williamson, tho chief OF
the detectives. about the diamond rob-
berry. At first he denied all knowledge
of the affair, but afterward, thinking
that the truth was known, he related all
these interesting details, and gave tie
address of many of his accomplices.
Figaro adds that the whole band was
then in London, and probably all would
be captured; that the friend of Mad
anne Y. had not dared to reveal her ter
rible less to her, and that she would
first learn it from the London police on
the same day that it was published in
the columns of the Figaro.