Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1881-11-16
Tricks Upon Jewellers.

low SlOlc IcIi AAt tAASS Pe~
rond earrings. He evidently knew
when / was not in the store. He came
in one day and said to one of my clerks:
's.Is Mr.. Johnston in?'
: .'.No,' was the reply.
81 am sorry for that, he said. L
wish to buy pair of diamond earrlngs
for my wife.
This was repeated on four or hve
successive days. The last time he said
he would not wait to see me, but would
look at some earrings. The clerk showed
him an assortment, and he finally selec-
ted three pairs, valued at $3.50, and
said: Il guess l will let my wife select
from these. She will be at my store IN
an hour, and 1 want you to tell MI
Johnston to bring these around himself.
as he is acquainted with my wife.
"'An right, sir; L will, replied the
clerk
BY the way said the fellow, " If
ven will permit me, will write a note
to Mr. Johnston.
Certainly said the clerk, who
showed him to desk and pointed out
where he could get paper and envelopes.
He sat down, wrote short note. folded
it and put it in an envelope and directed
it to me. Then he went back TO the
counter and said to the clerk; think
YOU had better put the three pairs OF
earrings in here and will seal them up
SO that Mr.. Johnston viii be certain 10
bring the right ones
very well,' said the clerk, who
handed out the three pairs of earrings
and the fellow dropped them into the
envelope before the clerks eyes, and
was apparently about to seal the enve-
lope when be said suddenly:
"'Oh, 1 guess You may put in that
other pair, pointing to pair which the
clerk had laid on the shelf behind him.
The clerk turned and got the other pan
and handed them to the fellow, who
dropped them apparently into the same
envelope, sealed them up, handed them
over and said: Let Mr.. Johnston bring
the four pairs to my store as soon as he
comes back giving the address OF q
well-known store in the vicinity. Then
he left. and the clerk laid the envelope
one side until / returned. Of course
we found but one pair of diamond ear
rings in the envelope. which was the
last pair dropped in. The other three
pairs were paste, about the same size.
The fellow had taken two of my enve-
lopes, and into one had placed the three
bogus pairs. When the clerk turned to
get the fourth pair, the fellow had put
the genuine in his pocket and substltu-
ted the others. Wenever saw him after
wards, but heard that he had practiced
the same game in other places.
''Of course the imperative rule Is to
not let goods go out of your sight until
YOU get the money. The trick of having
goods sent to hotels and boarding houses
with bills for collection is so stale that
the undertaking rule is TO keep your
goods in sight. But shrewd fellow
once managed to get three watches from
me by a clever dodge. 4 bright, sharp
looking customer came i'll one day and
said: Il am from Ohio, and have a COM
mission to buy some goods for my sister,
who is to be married there. He picked
out bill of $500 worth of various arti-
'eles and said: just send them around
to my store in Broadway at II o'clock,
naming a well-known carpet store IN
Broadway. The goods were sent by a
clerk, who found the customer apparent
" engaged in showing carpets, and per-
fectly at home. He recognized the
clerk and said:
"'Ahl Just step this way, LAID l will
give you a check He went with the
clerk to desk, drew check, and took
the goods. He appeared to be so per-
fectly at home that the clerk had not
the slightest suspicion. OF course the
check was worthless, and We found that
he had secured the desk privilege at the
carpet store by pretending that he was
buying large stock Of carpets among
other purchases III the city. He fooled
five jewelers. in New York, and others IN
other cities.
s-One day a swarihy, foreign-iooking.
well-dressed young man calle d on a
brother jeweler and handed him his
Dumas, Prussian Lee
CATION. Washington He said he was
with his wife and child at the st. Nicho-
las Hotel, and wanted to buy some
watches and iewelry, for which he would
paw cash. He said his wife was too
sick to leave the hotel, and wanted the
goods sent with the bill. The jeweler
thought he would make sure thing OF
it and take the Jewels himself. He went
to the st. Nicholas, was told that Mr..
Dumas was stopping there. and was
shown to his room. Mr.. Dumas was
busy writing, but welcomed the jewelel
cordially.
"sAh,' he said, / am glad you have
come. / am sorry that my wife is con
fined to her bed. will Just step into
the next room and let her make hel
selections
The jeweler, i'll moment of weak
ness, consented. After waiting five
minutes he began to get nervous. Hc
did not like to disturb a sick lady, bui
went to the Office to make some inqui
ries. There he found that Mr.. Duma:
had Just stepped out, and had no wife ol
child in the house. He was finally
caught, after he had played the same
game on a number of jewellers, anC
lodged in Sing Sing. When he wa:
captured he tried to conciliate his last
victim by the presentation of beauti
ful overcoat. But the oyercoat proved
to have been stolen.
SIN showing jewelry it is the custom
so show only six watches at once, ol
some uniform number. If the customer
wants to see another, one of those al
ready on exhibition Will be taken away.
The same rule Is observed with rings.
The tray is always full, or with a known
number of holes empty, so that if ring
were taken the loss would be instantly
detected. Sometimes swindiers will
watch an opportunity and slip in a
worthless ring and take away good
one. One jeweler of my acquaintance
found five plated rings thus substituted
for plain gold rings in one day. The
trick was played upon number OF
jewelers. about the same time, and then
the rogue was captured.
"A common trick in buying goods on
the instalment plan is to give wrong
name, mentioning the name CT some
solvent person. The reference will, OF
course, give good report, and it viii
not be discovered until too late that the
good character does not belong TO the
one who purchased the goods.
49,.