Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-10-22
TRICKS UPON JEWELLERS.
soAE or TIRE INGENIOUS PRACTICES or RoGrEs
WHO STEAL yALUABIEs.

by which a sharp fellow stole from me three
pairs OF diamond earrings He evidently knew
when was not In the store. lie came in one
day and said to one Of my clerks:
lis Mr.. johnson in:'
NO was the reply.
Il am sorry for that he said wish TO buy
a pair of diamond earrings for nav WIFE
This was repeated on four or FIVE 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
hnaiy selected three pairs, valued nj $3.50 aud
said: Il guess l will let my wife select som
these She will be at my store In an hour. and
L want you tell Mr.. Johnston To hrin,r these
around himself, as he is acquainted with nv
wife,
All right, sir; will replied the clerk.
BY the way, said the fellow If Won wiz
permit me, will write a note to Mr.. Johnston
certainly, said the clerk, who showed hlm
to a desk and pointed out where he could -et
paper and envelopes. He sat down. wrote a
short note, folded it and put IL in an enyelope
directed TO me. Then he went back to the
counter and said TO the clerk: Il think Won had
better 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'
livery well, said the clerk who handed ont
the three pairs of earrings ana the fellow
dropped them into the envelope before the
clerks eyes. and was apparently about TO seal
the envelope when he said suddenly:
OIL guess you may put in that other pair
pointing to apair which the clerk had laid on
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, scaled them up handed them over.
and said: Let Mr.. johnson bring the four
pairs to my store as soon as he comes back he
said, giving the address of a wel-known store
i'm 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 envelopes, and into one had placed the
three bogus pairs. When the clerk turned to
get the fourth pair the fellow had put the gen.
uine In his pocket and substituted the others
Wenever saw him afterward but heard that he
had practised the same game in other places
of course the imperative rule is TO not let
goods 60 out OF your sight until you get the mo-
ney. The trick Of having goods sent TO hotels
and boarding houses with bills for collection 40
stale that the undertaking rule is TO keep your
goods I'm sight. But slI:ewd fellow once man.
agedto get three watches from me by clever
dodge. bright, sharp-looking customer came
In one day and said: Il am from Ohio. and
nave commission to buy some goods for nv
sister. who is about to be married there He
picked out bill of $500 worth of various arti-
Giles, and said: Just send them around 10 INV
store in Broadway at IL O'clock naming a we'll
known carpet store in Broadway The goods
were sent 10y clerk, who found the customer
apparently engaged In showing carpets. and
perfectly at home. He recognized the clerk and
said:
"'Ah just step this way. and will give youa
check He went with the clerk to desk, drew
check, and took the goods. He appeared to
be so perfectly at home that the clerk had not
the slightest suspicion. OF course the check
was worthless and We found that he had se-
cured the desk privilege at the carpet store by
pretending that he was buying q large stock Of
carpets among other purchases I'm the city, He
1ooled hye Jewellers In New York, and others in
other cities.
Zone day a swarthy, foreign-looking, we'll
dressed young man called on brother jeweller
and handed him his card-.Alexandcr 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
lewelry, 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 Jew
eler thought he would make sure thing of IL
and take the goods himself He went to the st.
Nicholas, was told that Mr.. Dumas was stop
ping there, and was shown to his room. Mr..
Dumas was busy writing, but welcomed the
jeweller cordially.
"'Ah, he said, Il am glad you have come I
am sorry that my wife is confined to her bed.
will just step into the next room and let her
make her selections"
"The jeweer, in a moment Of weakness, con-
sented. Alter waiting five minutes he began to
get nervous. He did not like to disturb sick
lady but went to the Office to make some in
quiries. There he found that Mr.. Dumas had
Just stepped out. and had no wife or child i'm the
house: He was finally caught. after he had
Played the same game on a number of jewellers
and lodged in Sing Sing. When he was captured
he tried TO conciliate his last victim by the presen-
tation of a beautiful overcoat. But the oyercoat
proved to have been stolen.
I'm showing jewelry it is the custom TO show
only SIX watches at once or some uniform num-
Der. III the customer wants to see another one
OF those already on exhibition will be taken
away. The same rule is observed with rings
The tray is always full, or with q known num-
Der of holes empty, so that If a ring were taken
the loss would be instantly detected. Some
times swindlers will watch an opportunity and
slip in worthless ring and take away a good
one. One jeweller of my acquaintance found
nve plated rings thus substituted for plain gold
rings in one day. The trick was played upon q
number or jewellers about the same time, and
then the rogue was captured.
"a common trick in buying goods on the in
stallment plan is TO give wrong name, men,
donlng the name OF some solvent person The
references will, of course, give a good report.
and 1t will not be discovered until too late that
the good character does not belong to the one
who purchased the goods"
One of the shrewdest and boldest tricks ever
played on jeweller was done by woman of
nerve In Cincinnati not long ago. One day q
mlddle-aged woman, OF fine personal appear
ance, well dressed, and of most attractive man.
ners called at a private lunatic asylum and
asked to see the superintendent. That official
met her i'm the parlor.
IL wish to make arrangements forthe confne-
ment of a patient here" she said ''What are
your terms and the conditions on which you re-
ceive your inmates?" lf .1r
''Our terms are SIS per week. and you must
have the certificate of two physicians"
VERY well, said the LADY, IL will paw Won for
two weeks in advance. The patient is my son.
who is insane on the subject OF diamonds He
has mania for selling my jewelry. L have not
yet gotten the certificate Of the physicians but
can easily do so. L will bring my son here i'm
the afternoon, and IL you will keep him an
hour will bring the physicians with the auth
ority."
Then the lady entered her carriage and drove
to a jewelry store. There she selected a, 600
worth OF jewelry, which she said was intended
for the trousseau Of her daughter, about to be
married. She gave the name of wealthy fam
lily recently arrived in Cincinnati and said to the
proprietor: IF you will let one Of your clerks
step into the carriage with me will go to my
husbands store and give him the money for the
goods"
The proprietor consented, and the clerk. with
the goods in a box entered the carriage with
the lady, who said she wished to stop on the
way and show her purchases to friend. They
N he md a. a..