American citizen., 1876-04-22
A Great Diamond Theft in Lon
don.

The London Telegraph of March 2
says: Between half-past O'Clock OIL
Saturday afternoon and midday yester
day, but most probably during day
light on the first named day, Messrs
Williams & Son, manufacturing jewel
ers, of Hatton Garden, were robbed O
jewelry valued at f25, 900. The reason
for believing that this bold and, so far
successful theft was perpetrated before
dusk on Saturday, is that at night time
the window shutters are left open and
a gas-light enables the police and every
passer-by to see the interior of the
counting house, with the iron safes con.
tanning the valuable stock in trade. A
person might let himself into the house
in the daytime, supposing him to be in
possession of latch key, and, being
unsuspected, would have ample time to
ransack the place, and the almost total
absence of marks or traces would ap-
pear to show that the robbery was COM
mitted in the most methodical and lei
surely manner. When the principal
partner visited his business premises at
L O'Clock yesterday afternoon, he open
ed the street door as usual and passed
by means of a Chubb's key into the
counting house, where he saw
every thing in perfect order,
the safes being closed and the
floor clear of any litter or sign of
intrusion. Looking towards one of the
front windows, however, he was startled
by perceiving a number of jewel cases
on the counter. They were placed there,
not in any confusion, but as by a person
accustomed to handle such things; and
they were hidden from an external view
of the shop or.office by an opaque glass
screen. Finding the cases to be mostly
empty Mr.. Williams tried the safes,
which were all locked. One of the cases
containing number of watches had
been rif1ed only of two or three of the
most valuable, showing that the thief
knew what was best worth taking. Mr..
Williams was obliged to return home
for the keys of the safes, and when he
got back again to the house of business,
which is few doors from Holborn Cir
Gus, on the left hand going up Hatton
Garden, he was able to open all the
safes as easily as if they had not been
tampered with. Intact, it then became
perfectly evident that not only these re-
ceptacles of costly property, but the
front door and door of the counting
house had been opened with
false keys, made from molds
which must have been taken
from the true ones. Two only of the
safes had been robbed; but from them
had been distracted jewels of the large
aggregate value above mentioned. The
list of stolen property, as nearly as can
at present be ascertained, from refer
ence to the books, is as follows: 800
diamond and gem rings; 10 to Is pairs
of brilliant earrings; 40 diamond brace
lets; 5 diamond ornaments for hair; 200
gold lockets, set with various precious
200 carats of diamonds; 40
carats of rubies; 40 carats of emeralds
60 gold chains; besides a great quanti-
ty of loose gems, pearls, turquoises and
sapphires, with various goods of 49,
carat stamped gold, all numbered and
having the private marks of prices,
with the name Henry Scott" and
cipher t'X."
That the keys were made with great
skill from carefully taken molds there
is little doubt; for Mr.. Williams found
his own duplicate keys in secret
place, and the safes are of the latest |