Daily globe., 1879-01-26
Diamond RObberIps.

| Sp1n' az enl.ie afternoon III the Office of
o. .Spyer, weil-known diamond dealer,
ano listened with rapt attention 10 re-
mln1scences and traditions Of dialpan6
roboenes, successful AMI attempted.
| One day 8 respectable looking gentle
man with young lady, to all appearance
his wife, came into Spyer's and spent
severa! hours locking at diamonds. One
cross and earrings valued at $1,000
seemed to strike the young wife's eve.
| lhe husband demurred at the price.
The wife ptayfully coaxed hiu, to Duy.
| We'll, well, win think about it.,' said
ne, as they departed without ouyipc.
The next day fho voung woman Drove
up Ia coupe, and said: my husband
s;esiEes 70 see those again. think Re will
ooy. he as SICK IN bed, and viii yor. 20
10 the ooathern with me,or send cler1?"
warned by previous bitter cxperi
e;toe, involving loss Of $1,000, Spyer
an alo not send q clerk, bat went himself.
lh9 couple haa suit Of paElcrs on the
second 1ioor. TIE young lady was quite
engaging. Her husband was sleeDiny.
would the gentleman wait q few no
neEts! lie would Tle iadv was IN
usual y Interesting; and, always saccep-
tlpIe TO the charming woman, the time
passed agreeably to the diamond dealer.
Ahe young lady got up and entered the
amer apartment, bur returned immeCi-
aSe:y with the announcement that her
husband was awake. With tie sweetest
affectation ofenthusiasn, she picked:uD the
case containing the Jewels, and. With
Let me show them 70 my nasha2e.n
disappeared within.
Ti1e door seemed accidentally to blow
smut. Spyer jumped up: and as ne Gid
SO he heard q key turn in the lock. He
at once recognized what was I'd and
sp1ang TO the door opening to the hall.
de found it locked. He was a prisoner.
lhe solid door mocked hin. Ee vas
desperate. II AL instant he drew his re-
voiveT, placed 1t to the lock, fred: It was
shattered, and the door swung operi; to
his touch. Like a mad1nan, he tore
along the halls, down tie stairs, through
the rotunda, and around to tie ladies'
entrance, just as lady il a carriage gave
the order, Relay depot, East St. Louis"
he leaned into the window Of the car
riaGe. and said, "Wlll your husband take
the diamonds, madam?n
quietly said, "the price IS too large, and
then they are such hard things to keep
produced the case from the recesses Of
her m12H and handing it IL him, saving.
II should have been euici1eTn S3yer
looked at the diamonds, saw that tlle7
were al right, and hade the Young Won.
an good CAY. Within the hour she and
her confederate had left the hotel. Since
!. then 6pyer has never left G diamond
leave his hand for more than two seconds.
lac Gait house at Louisville IS now de-
tendant III q suit For SIC, coo DAMAGES.
It IS the custom Of travelling diamond
merchants 70 deposit their sock il the
safe Of the hotel. ! New YORK traveller
had been at the hotel Cor several days,
Ete came down from his room at about
supper time one evening, and handing
over q little s$stchcl to the young clerk il
charge with 'sput that in the safe" the
smart young clerk took the satchel, gave
check Tor it; the drummer walked awav:
the clerk was called by guest who want
ed ice water in s75, put the sarchel un-
der the counter; another man came 10
and loudly complained that his baggage
had not been sent to his room; the clerk
took to explain, and the man WHO per
haps, had followed the drummer thous-
ands of miles, and for months, reached
over and under the counter anu secured
the valuable package, and has thus far
escaped detection.
About as interesting a case SIS there 81
On record created a profound sensation
among the diamond dealers Of Maiden
lane, New York, several years ago. The
street is a narrow, dingy little thoroue.
fare, and On it are lacated the establish
ments of twnty i've or thirty wholesale
diamond dealers. They import direct,
and supply the trade. The jewels are
wrapped up in little paper parcels, fatty
folded, and are, of course. not mounted.
A man of solid and respectable appear
ance became gradually known as buyer
of small diamonds, such as are used for
clusters and settings for ladies' iewe,ry.
The test Of the purity of a diamond is
found in holding them close to the mouth
and breathing upon them. Flaws will
show up as little black spots under this
process. This solid and respectable
gentleman was always particular as 10
the purity OF the diamonds be wanted,
and when satisfied generally made a
purchase of from two to five carats, the
gems being sold, Of course, by weight. It
was customary 10 note on the outside Of
the package the amount sold. One day
one of the dealers walked into the store
of another and found him in state Of
perplexity. He had just weighed what
remained in the paper and added to the
aggregate sold, and found that this pack
age was about five carats short. Diamonds
are worth $50 per carat. The visitor, in
some surprise, stated that he was troubled
by exactly the same thing, and he could
not for his life account for it. Their dis
coverles spread. The other dealers were
at once exercised. and on examination it
was found that there was not one of their
number but had this mysterious shortage
to account for. A close watch was then
set by each individual upon all of their
employees and upon all their customers.
1t was left few days later for one of
the number, an old man sixty years of
age, to detect the tongue OF the
solid and respectable buyer to shoot
suddenly out as he leaned over q
paper of jewels to breathe upon
them, and return with four carats of
diamonds upon its end. The old man
seized the adept thiet by the throat and
found the sparklers stuck to his tongue.
The thief promised with the old man
for $4,000. There was no arrest in this
case. 1t is estimated during the three
years that this man patro1ized the
diamond dealers of Maiden lane that he
realized fully $4,000 from his adriot dis
honesty.