New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-03-10
NEW ULM REVIEW, WEDNESDAY, MARCH, 10 1880
Two Diamond Swindles IN Chicago.

dollars for about fifty dollars, and this
is generally the type of the victims
caught in the swind]ing operations.
Well, the indulgent papa looked
around the jewelry stores pricing
everything that took his eye. but could
not find anything be thong ht at q
sacrifice; and so he put an advertise
ment in the papers that he wanted to
purchase pair of earrings. To this
q reply came by next mail that q lady
was in great distress, detained here in
Chicago, and could not proceed for
want Of money. Her trunk was at
nameless hotel in the upper part Of the
city, and she was compelled to sell her
diamonds.
The South Slider replied, encourag-
ing negotiation; whereupon the de-
tanned female arrived in carriage for
q personal interview. The merchant
seemed to be impressed with the lady's
story, and said that if au expert would
say the stones were worth the amount
asked, which was eight hundred dol
lars, he would give four hundred dol
lars, seeing she was in such distress.
The lady was very much pressed for
time; she had to make q certain train,
which circumstance would not admit
of her running around the city. The
merchant was not willing to purchase
unless he could show them to an ex-
pert Of his acquaintance. The lady
asked who it was, and how far It was
to go. He said about three blocks,
and told her the name of quite
prominent diamond jeweler of State
street. She said, with sudden con-
tortions of body, that she felt quite
indisposed, but if she could rest few
minutes, she would 60 over with him,
and finally asked him where was the
nearest drug store. "At the adjacent
corner" replied the merchant, and, as
she passed out, she said she would re-
turn in q minute or so. To make a
long story short, she communicated
with her husband" who was con-
veniently waiting for her in the drug
store, and he asked the proprietor if he
could use district telegraph boy,
standing by. for few minutes-just to
step around the corner. The privilege
was granted to him. He wrote, there
upon, hasty and very urgent note re-
4uesting this prominent diamond ex-
pert and jeweler to meet New York
man at the cashiers counter of Field
& Letters without any delay. In the
meantime the lady recovered and re-
turned, and with the merchant pro-
ceeded to the place designated. But
unfortunately the jeweler was out.
Without blush, and with some ap-
parent effort, the lady recalled that she
knew an expert, clerk in an auction
store in the city of Chicago, who
claimed to be a great expert in dia-
monds. The Notwithstanding dictu
waited upon him with the lady and
ne pronounced the gems to be worth
$l,4O0. The lady could not wait any
;onger-the train was about to depart,
and so che consented to close bargain
FOR $500. AS soon as he had paid the
money over and got the earrings, he
could not rest until he got the opinion
of some diamond experts in the city,
and in half an hour had an authorita-
tive Judgment on them that they were
worth at the outside about 5000. The
stones are known in the trade as
"Cape'' diamonds, being very much
loft" in color and shape, and in fact
most inferior specimens of their inferior
class. At thirty dollars a karat they
would 60 begging in the New York
market. OF course, especially as the
deeced party refused to squeal, there
was no recourse in the matter. The
misfortune is that the genteel swindler
returned to Milwaukee.
sWINDLE NO. 2.
There hangs out his sign on Dear
born street young and rich real e.
tate dealer, and the extent to which he
has just been taken III on the same
sparkling gems is severe. He had an
itching to invest some money at q big
percentage, and, looking up q Sunday
sheet, as usual found number of bar
gains in diamonds, studs and earrings,
which had to be sold, or money to be
borrowed on it, to help the owners out
Of difficulty. He, too, came forward
and forthwith fell into the hands of a
diamond sharp of the first water, who
is now en- route to Leadville. Col. Call.
ing at the real-estate Office the shark
priced some prominent lands on the
North Side and wished to know if the
building rates had advanced much.
He expected, he said, within q short
time to have q large amount of money
to invest in real estate, but had called
upon other business that morning,
which was to raise some money to
make good certain margins on pur'
chases Of grain on the Board of Trade.
He said that he had quite quantity Of
diamonds which had been left him BY
his notwithstanding heirlooms in
the family for generations-and he
would not part with them for all the
world. Associations made them sim
ply priceless. At the same time he
wanted to raise on them-must raise
$1,000, and asked nonchalantly what
was the rate of interest. The modest
real.estate gentleman, it being about
his first transaction and he being
rather conscientious, put the rate 81
interest as low as three per cent. 8
month. but would not loan his money
for less time than two months. The
owner of the diamonds only wanted
the money for ten days, but he was
magnanimous enough to say he would
pay an entire month interest. The land
man wished to refer the matter tc
| an expert, and he also wanted tc &c
the diamonds. The owner of the dia-
monds said to him that he had just left
them with q jeweler to be reset, and
had not money to take them away, but
he would show them to him if he would
go with him.. They started. After
going to q certain block, and winding
up three or four flights of stairs, they
came to the place where the diamonds
were being reset. The jeweler said ia
the man, as soon as he entered, II am
| glad to see you. There has been man
here with fourteen hundred dollars
waiting for those diamonds, but he says
be wants to purchase them right out
and this is his card handing card
at the same time. '.Well," he an.
swered, 81 don't want to sell them.
You know I told you don't want te
sell them; what I want is the loan.
would not part with them. They cost
my mothers grandmother over thirty.
1 = n :