The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-08
Extraordinary Robbery.

The Figaro of Paris tells remarka-
BILE story of most ingenious robbery
which has been recently perpetrated in
Paris. ..-..-y.--....-..-
There is now living in Paris lady
whose name is neutrality-suspicious. has be-
come celebrated throughout all Europe
for her adventures and for her magnifi-
cent diamonds. The value of these
diamonds was estimated at 100000
francs. -ss..,r-
Among her intimate friends Madame
x. counted Sir Joshua D., a gentleman
of cold and reserved bearing. He was
very attentive to her, andwa her favored
lover. But, unfortunately for Madame
x, the devoted Englishman did not
love her for herself, but for her Jewels,
and he was in reality the chief of an
organized band of robbers.
His plan was we'll laid. In the month
of January of last year he induced the
husband of Madame x. to have the cell
ing of his apartment frescoed, and
recommended to him for that purpose
an italian painter, who, Sir Joshua said,
was an excellent workman. The pain
ter, member of the robber band, came
from Milan, and improved the time he
was at work in the room by taking an
impression of all the locks.
A month after this Sir Joshua sug-
gested to the husband that his wife's
diamonds were not in safety, and that
Madame X. ought to buy a jewel-case
for them, at the same time remaking
that he knew a very good English maker.
The new jewel-case was accordingly
made in London, and the diamonds
were placed in it.
AT the end of the two months later,
on the warm recommendation of Sir
Joshua, permission was granted by
Madame x. to another of his confeder-
ates, Munich jeweler, to copy the de-
signs of some of her jewelry, ostensibly
for the empress of Germany.
The plan was then complete. A Valet
de chambre, in the employ of Sir
Joshua, opened every day the jewel
case, which had been provided with a
secret and invisible opening in the back
of the case. It was only necessary to
press button and secret spring open
ed the box
In this way all the diamonds were re-
moved one by one, their place being
supplied by imitation stones, which
were made with such inimitable perfec-
ton by the Munich jeweler that they
exactly resembled the genuine dia-
monds. Madame x. did not perceive
any change, and the robbery was only
discovered by chance. A few days ago
one of her intimate friends, lady who
was going TO London, borrowed from
Madame X. a splendid solitaire.
"Take good care of it, +" said Madame
X, as she gave it to her friend ''it
would be worth fifteen hundred thou
sand francs if it did not have a little de-
feet"
The lady wore the diamond at the
Covent Garden theater, and while there
one of the best known jewellers of Lon
don, Mr.. B., was in her box.
She called his attention to the bril-
liant saying what pity it was that it
had defect.
Mr.. B. examined it and could not
detect any flaw.
He asked to be allowed to see it by
daylight on the following day. He did
so and pronounced it an imitation dia-
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 examin-
ed by Mr.. Williamson, the chief of the
detectives, about the diamond robbery.
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 the address
of many of his accomplices.
Figaro adds that the whole band was
then in Lop Gon, and probably all would
be captured; that the friend of Madame
X. had not dared to reveal her terrible
loss 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.