The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-07-16
DIAMOND SWINDLES.
Broad Street Merchants and
Others Victinized.
1.-THE BEWITCIIING WIDOW"
Vigorous Efforts to Secure the Conviction
of the Operators.

The public interest in the diamond swindle bust.
ness continued undated yesterday, and the several
victims of the scheme were hard at work all day
preparing evidence against the implicated parties
and hunting for new facts. Rogers l. Fay received
a number Of letters from people in the country who
had been "taken in in manner similar
to that in which the two conhding fish,
mopgers were induced to abandon their wealth.
The police authorities at last reused
to q sense of the necessity of action against
the diamond dealers. and vigorous war is to be
carried against them. Inspector Murray has
been consulted with. and an interview was arranged
with Captain Williams last night to engage his
operation in the matter. Many of those alleged to
be concerned in the combination of swindes are
said to live and do business in the Twenty ninth
precinct. and 1t is thought Captain Williams can
root them all out and get them before the courts.
As tame goes by new cases come into prominence
and the circle of supposed operatives enlarges Mr..
c. c. feathers. of No. 80 Broad street. cheated
out Of money by the diamond game but in a differ
ent way from Messrs. Rogers Fay. His story
is as folows:-"A man came here day and
told me that he very badly of. He
said he from the West, was rail-
road man. aud through sickness had got into diff
culties. His family then, he said. had been taken
down, and he was finally so reduced as to be COM
PEELED to pawn his wifes diamonds. told him
was sorry for him. but could do nothing in the
matter. He came again and again. but was op-
posed to meddling in such things. and felt COM
pclled to send HIM away. He called
more. told me his name was La Motto.
aud sat down here in the store aud cried
He said the tima on the diamonds would be up the
next day and il did not help him they would be
lost and the last valuable he had in the world would
be gone from him. l asked him where the tickets
wero and he told mo with man in Bleecker street:
l took cab and went there and asked to be allowed
to the jewels. I was told they were not
in the habit of doing business that way.
I left the place Disguised; Next day La Motto
came again. told him would make one more
effort to assist him. and went straight to the
Bleecker street place. asked how much was due
on the tickets and was told Sl75. found they had
been pawned at an Office in the Bowery for some.
thing over $1,000 AS 1 paid him the money said
1 suppose these stones worth the amount and
he answered. They worth good deal more
| took the tickets to the Bowery. The
so picking nm the best stone in the
lot sked how much had been lent on that They
told me $780, took that out and returned the re-
mainder. Not long after sent friend to the same
place with the stone to pawn. They demanded how
much he wanted on it and he said $50. That they
$40 He desired to it valued by the proprietor.
and they sent it to that gentleman Word ime
back that $50 the most that could be lent the
stone. My friend came back to me. l went to the
place myself, and exactly the same scene was en-.
acted. added my opinion Of the pawnbroker and
told him what thought Of the whole transaction.
birds OF FEATHER"
IL had nearly forgotten it. when one day fine
looking woman came in here and asked me il de-
sired to purchase some diamonds She SAID she was
compelled to part with them owing to temporary
embarrassment. I said would buy them II they
proved to be most entertaining lady. OF remark
able presence and quite cultivated; but business
again. She came. and / made an appoint
ment to meet her at my house and she was to bring
the tickets with her. These, like the others, were
in pawn, and the amount was for $4,000. On leav-
ing the office here that evening l rememo ered had
some business with the freight superintendent Of
coming on from the West. and took the Jersey
City ierryboat When got on the boat went out
fell on-what do you thinki-La Motto
and the widow in earnest conversation. muir
INJURED to myself. Birds Of a feather and went to
the other end OF the steamer That minute felt as
If 1 had banked $4,000. But my confidence in hui
man nature. and particularly lovely widows in tenn
porary embarrassment and weeping railroad men
with starving families and pawn tickets. not
railroad tickets. to sell. tumbled 50 far below
was mingled with the pleasure 1 felt at the secu-
rity of my money. l would have paid 1t out:
there is not o doubt of that. then became con-
WINGED there was an organization at work at this
sort OF game. That night the lady came to
my house at the hour agreed upon. When
heard she in the parlor l went down to
her. The smile with which she received me
ali. well-that could never be Swallowed on paper.
And her teeth-how they shone! and how close they
were crushed together and how large and beautiful
they were, and how they matched the lustrous.
laughing eye--or rather pair OF eyes, She had two
with which she extended her little hand was all per-
fectly bewitching. There was sort OF conhding
acquaintance and friendliness in her manner that
very taking and made man wish
the world filled with such highly bred
exquisitely cultivated ladies' Her costume was por-
feet and her head dressed in the very latest
agony. After few preliIninares we came to the
diamond business and the So ,00O declined; had
changed my mind; couldn't do it. She reduced
the amount, but still was obdurate. Lower still
she moved down the scale and yet remained frm.
She opened her great black eyes, looked in their
depths and ctured in the retina the figure OF
the weeping railroad man. something was wrong.
What, she couldn't make out but war all right
wouldn't lend any money. And would only buy
such diamonds rs could see and judge She finally
wanted to borrow $50. Soft as l am couldn't SEQ
even that. She pushed me hard for the $50. and
pointed to q bracelet on her arm, saying. III you
need money so badly as that the jewel on your arm
feathers RULED left the house. and since then
have nothing OF diamond brokers'"
OTHER sUFFKREns
The Overwhelming widow having failed with Mr..
Leathers tried u well known -four dealer doing bus-
ness In the same street She sold him the Same set
of jewels it s said that the former gentleman de-
cined and for the amount she originally demanded.
few days after he had made the purchase the
merchant discovered the swndle. He does
not think Mrs. Hascy IN the he
dealt WITH Is he anxious to find out
II l. said he In satisfed with his experience and does
not court further information the subject OF dia
monds or people alleged to be implicated in any ne
farious traffic in such gems. Mr. John II. Drake.
who has charge OF the case of the old priest who
lost 5000 was out of town yesterday amassing
testimony for the coming trial The clergyman
but the jewels sold him. 1t is said.
came came from a house in the Bowery. pesectivss s
aud number OF arrests are expected to BIO made be-
fore the end OF tho week. 1t was fully expected
yesterday that two three of tho combination
would soon be picked up by the police; but as they
were not IL was supposed tho authorities are wait
Ing TO connect them so unerringly that in the
meshes OF the law II will be impossible Tor them 10
slip through.
gentleman in Jersey wrote some friends here yes
rda ha nd ao inll ed n m