The Osceola times., 1881-12-17
TRICKS Upon JEWELLERS.
some of the Ingenious Practices Of Rogees
who Steel vaiusbles.

from me three pairs of diamond earrings.
He evidently knew when was not in the
store. He came in one day and said to
one of my clerks
"1s Mr.. Johnston imp
"'No,' was the reply.
~ am sorry for that he said; 4 wish
to buy pair Of diamond earrings for my
wife,
This was repeated on four or five sue
cessive days. The last time he said he
would not want 10 see me, but would look
at some earrings The clerk showed him
an assortment, and he finally selected
three pairs, valued at $3.50, and said: Il
guess ] will let my wife select from these.
She will be at my store in an hour, and
want you 10 tell Mr.. Johnston TO bring
these around himself, as he is acquainted
with my wife
"'All right, sir, l will,' replied the
clerk.
"'By the way, said the fellow, if you
will permit me, will write note to Mr..
Johnston
Certainly, said the clerk, who show
ed him 10 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 di irected 10 me-
Then he went back to the counter and
said to the clerk: Il think you had bet
ter put the three pairs of earrings in
here and will seal them up so that Mr..
Johnston will be certain TO bring the
right ones
avery WE'LL said the clerk, who hand
ed out the three pairs of earrings, and
the fellow dropped them into the envel-
haf ha oil ri 20 nd
parently about to seal the envelope, when
he said suddenly:
"'Oh, guess you may put in that 9th
er pair pointing to a pair which the
clerk had laid OH the shelf behind him.
The clerk turned and got the other pair
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, he said, giving the address
of well-known store in the vicinity.
Then he left, and the clerk laid the en-
velope one side until / returned. OF
course we found but one pair Of dia-
mond earrings 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
envelopes, and into one had placed the
three bogus pairs. When the clerk turn
ed to get the fourth pair the fellow had
put the genuine in ps pocket, and sub
stituted the others. We never saw him
afterward, but heard that he had prac-
ticed the same game In other places.
"Of course, the imperative rule is not
to let goods go ont 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 a shrewd fellow
once managed to get three watches from
me by clever dodge. A bright, sharp
looking customer came in one day and
said: Il am from Ohio, and have a COM
mission to buy some goods for my sister,
who is about to be married there He
picked out bill of $500 worth of various
articles and said Just send them around
to my store in Broadway at ~ o'clock,
naming a well.known carpet store in
Broadway. The goods were sent by a
clerk, who found the customer appa-
rently engaged in showing carpets, and
perfectly at home. He recognized the
clerk and said
"'Ah, just step this way and | will give
you a check He went with the clerk
TO a desk, drew check and took the
goods. He appeared to be so perfectly
at home that the clerk had not the slight
est suspicion of anything wrong. OF
course the check was worthless, and
found that he had secured the desk priv
ilege at the carpet store by pretending
that he was buying large stock of car
pets among other purchases in the city.
He fooled five jewellers in New York, and
others in other cities.
zone day swarthy, foreign-looking,
well-dTessed young man called on
brother ie'weler, and handed him his card
I-'Alexander Dumas, Prussian Legation,
Washington He said he was with his
wife and child at the st. Nicholas Hotel;
and wanted TO buy some watches and
jewelry, for which he would pay cash.
| He said his wife was too sick to leave
the hotel. and wanted the goods sent with
the bill The ieweler thought he would
make a sure thing of it and take the
goods himself. He went to the st. Mich.
olas, was told that Mr.. Dumas was stop
ping there, and was shown to his room.
| Mr.. Dumas was busy writing, but vel
coined the jeweler cordially.
"Ah,' he said, Il am glad you have
come. am sorry that nay wife is con-
fined to her bed. i will Just step into
the next room and let her make her se-
lections,'
"The jeweler, in a moment of weak
ness, consented. After waiting five min
utes he began to get nervous. He did
not like TO disturb sick lady, but went
| e.. In ar 10 H..
There he found that Mr.. Dumas had Just
stepped out, and had no wife or child IN
the hotel. He was finally caught after
he had played the same game on num-
Der of jewellers, and lodged in Sing Sing.
When he was CAPTURED he tried 10 con-
ciliate the last victim by the presenta-
| ton of beautiful overcoat; but the over
| coat proved TO have been stolen.
"ln showing jewelry, ii is the custom
to show only six watches at once, or
some uniform number. If the customer
wants to see another, one of those
already onexhibition will be taken away.
The same rule is observed with rings.
The tray is always full, or with known
number of holes empty, so that if ring
were taken the loss would be instantly
detected. Sometimes swindlers will
watch an opportunity and slip in worth
less ring and take away n 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 jewellers
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 Of some sol.