Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1882-11-16

lady, enter any marked JeWelry house
and select lot nf valuable gems. With
the utmost suavity he would order them
sent to his hotel, u. o. D., Immediately,
and with the lady would quit the store,
enter hack and drive 10 the hotel. The
messenger arrived at the hotel. would be
directed up 10 the purchasers room, the
latter having previously left word with
the clerk TO send him up Immediately upon
his arrival.
The messenger upon knocking at the
pretended purchasers door, would be in
Vited IN, and very politely requested to
produce the diamonds and receive his
money. Immediately upon the diamonds
being handed TO him, the sharper would
by cough give signal 10 his accomphce
In the next room. She would then call
him and ask him TO come into her room,
just for minute, Immediately. The knavc
would thereupon place the jewels In @ Ca
binet that stood In the room, and excusing
himself, would withdraw for a moment,
The messenger would wait a reasonable
time for his reappearaece. and then, becom-
ing weary, would go to the cabinet to take
possession of the jewels, when vollal they
would be non est. The cabinet has been
made in such manner that its drawers
pull out from the back. II has been placed
against door connecting with the next
room, part OF which has been cut cut.
The thieves from the other room have alb
Stracted the jewels and fed.
Another scheme that is very often
worked is for the thief TO enter diamond
establishment and look over certain dia-
monds. After making q minute examina-
ton OF them he will leave, promising to
call the next day. He will call at the ap-
pointed time and again ask To be shown
the ''sparks." After examining them he
Will request the clerk TO hand him an en-
velope. Upon receiving 1t he places the
gems In the envelope, in the presence of
the clerk, puts his name on the envelope,
pays small amount deposit and asks that
they be kept for him until the morrow,
when he will call and pay the balance, 10
thus the salesman gladly consents, and lays
the envelope one side from the customer.
The next day and the next arrives and 60
ing without the appearance of the purcha-
ser, the envelope is opened and to the as
tonishment of the unlucky seller, counter
felts OF the genuine articles are found en-
closed. The thIef's mode of operation in
as follows; Upon calling at the store the
first time he takes away in his mind mi
mute description or the diamonds he has
examined. Repairing TO some crooked"
jeweler he has duplicate paste ones made
with the same setting. Placing these in
the palm or his hand so as to conceal them
from the y pArty who 10 to wait on HIM, he
rc-enters The jewelry house at the appoint
ed time. Upon being handed the stones
he deXterously lets the counterfeIts fall
tIom the palm of his hand to the ends OF
his fingers at the same time rapidly carry
ing the genuines to his palm. TINS feat,
as a matter OF course,l Is akin ta'egerdemain,
and requires vast amount of practice,
com hlned with a wonderful control of the
facial muscles. Having changed the arti.
cles in the position desired, it is very
easy matter TO deceive the clerk into be-
lief that the''Donas"are being placed In the
envelope. A Philadelphia expert was
amassing fortune at this game, when be-
coming TOO bold or reckless, he either by
accident or intent attempted TO ''walk"
the same establishment twice, and was
caught.
The plan executed by the gang in LOUIS
vile recently vas the oldest known to
crooks, that is Of employing ''staul to
attract the attention of the ''main guy"
while one or more men do the work. The
in the case hardly deserves SYM
pathy for his loss, as robberIes OF the same
@hn al
daily, together with description Of how
the work is done.
Perhaps the latest and most unique
manner OF purloining diamonds Is as fol-
lows:
An apparently old decreplt old man, ac-
companled by his wife or daughter will
enter a first class jewelry store and
ask to be shown some loose diamonds, or,
in other words, diamonds that have been
removed from their settings and placed
together on q paper, which are all exhibi-
ted to the purchaser together. The old
man IN enactlng his part, Is very near
sighted and partially blind, an1 IN order to
obtain good view of the diamonds) places
bis head In close proximity to thetn. At
this instant the lady will point to some
other articles i'm the case and ask their
price. The condescending clerk, thinking
he is sure TO make good sale, diverts his
attention for a momeHT from the old gen.
tleman and reaches in the case TO produce
tor inspection whatever the lady has asked
to be shown. Now is the opportunity and
with the Iapidity almost of thought, the
old man darts his tongue into the midst of
the loose diamonds. AS many of them as
touch that member, adhere to it, and are
drawn back into the posSessor q mouth. The
few that are taken are not missed for the
time being, as the stones are never coun-
ted, but weighed. Ordering some article
to be sent 10 given address for blind,
the pair take their departure from the
store and hundred chances to one are
never detected. Once obtained, the thieves
easily dispose OF the diamonds to any
ieweler, first, of course, removing them
from their settings, SO they cannot be lden-
u6ed.
While not belonging strictly to the
branch of diamond thievery, q great deal of
money is realized by sharpers in the fol-
lowing way.
They get off to some provincial town
and stop at It's best hotel. After having
cultivated the acquaintance of the proprl-
etor, they, in plausible strain, set forth
that ilI-fortune has overtaken them, been
unlucky at gambling, or something of that
sort. However, they have a diamond pin
left which they would pawn to pay their
Till If there was only pawn shop in the
town, which, of course, there is not.
Would the landlord accommodate them
with the loan of $50 on 1t until they re-
ceived money by express, which was on
IL Tho HnnrnrnhInnnfnd laxdlOrG