The bee., 1883-12-29
STEALING PRECIOUS STONES.
IngeniOGs Devices of Thieves i'm ths
MetropoIis-PrOtecti Measures

SJOMEQ- away IN Lllt N6SI IOGhGl OT lll6
folds of handkerchief Consequently,
thieves and burglars In the course of long
wears of successful and unsuccessful at
temBts TO gain possession of these coveted
goods have developed high degree of
skill and cunning. Repeated attacks
have stimulated the jewellers to an equal
display Of ingenuity in deyising measures
for their protection. The rivalry has
been something like that between heavy
guns and armor plate. The thieves have
been constantly trying to get in and the
jewellers to keep them out. At present
the jewellers have rather the best of it.
They have organized a protective asso-
citation and employ corps of competent
detectives. Some years ago the jewelers.
throughout the country lost on an aver
age 500, 600 year by the depredations
of thieves and burglars. Now the aver
age annual loss through similar causes
does not reach ANYTHING like that sum.
cat this season" said Mr.. Hopkinson,
editor of the Jeoelers' Circular, " the
thieves keep sharp lookout for chance
to make rich haul. One can hardly
walk through John street or Maiden
lane without coming across some noted
thief who is there for no good purpose.
The headquarters of the jewelry trade
on Maiden lane and John street are well
guarded. At night four watchmen pa
troll each block. They are furnished
. with pass keys, and, in the course of the
night, enter every store in their charge,
One man enters the store with q lantern,
another follows with drawn pistol, and
the remaining two guard the entrance.
The stores are also protected in major
ity of cases by the most improved sys-
TEN of electric alarms. In the daytime
all the clerks in the jewelry stores keep
sharp lookout for suspicious characters.
Every stranger who enters a store, though
seldom aware of it, is kept under the
strictest surveillance until he departs. De-
spite all these precautions. now and again
jewellers get swindled. II is usually done
by sharp young men with some knowl.
edge of the trade, who represent them
selves as buyers, or the sons of out of
town dealers, who have come into the city
to make their fall purchases.
"a game practiced very largely last
winter was what is known as the 'um-
brella dodge The manipulation Of the
little game usually operates on wet days,
when he can find an excuse for carrying
an umbrella Wien he seats himself at
the counter, he places the umbrella, which
is Slightly distended, between his legs
Then, when the tray containing the dia-
mondevafterwar before him, he uses all
sF~ereer fees to distract the attention
ofSere Jack Sho is waiting on him from
the cases.' and, if successful, sweeps as
many of the diamonds as he thinks
will not be Immediately missed into
the umbrella. Then he makes some
excuse for not purchasing and goes off,
promising to call again, which is tie
last thing on earth he ever does, eX-
cept, perhaps, under the compulsion
of a police officer. If he makes a
good haul he sometimes purchases
a fifty dollar ring, or pin, to dis
arm suspicion. Now jewellers are very
Suspicious of the stranger with an um-
breIla he is watched so closely that his
chances of working the umbrella dodge
are very slender.
"Another clever rascal operated with
walking stick, at the end of which
was some wax When the trays contain.
ing the diamonds or precious stones
were placed before him, he would use his
stick as pointer to indicate some article
that he desired to look at, contrivinl
with the end of it to touch one of the dia
monds. The diamond would adhere tC
the wax. He would then withdraw tht
stick and pass it through his hand be
hind his back and thus, unperceived, take
the diamond from it.
"But the cleverest of this class OF
thieves was a man who preyed on the
trade some years ago. He used to rep
resent himself as a diamond merchant
and affected to be very shOrt-sighted
In fact, he was SO excessively short
sighted that he would take the tray witt
the diamonds to the window and ben:
over them until his nose seemed to tOucl
them. His nose did touch them, and a
the end Of it was stuck on a small piec
Of wax flesh colored so that it would no
attract attention, or if noticed would b
regarded as wart or pimple-a deform
itY to which all flesh is heir. When h
had succeeded in attaching diamond Il
his olfactory organ, he would return tn
tray to the clerk. carelessly aveTting hi
head at the same time, under pretence 0
blowing his nose, SO as to have an op
portunity to slip the diamond into hi
handkerchief. He had quite run o
success for a time but 'roughed' it on tn
trade little too often, and was spotted
He went into a store on Maiden lane
where description of him had preceded
him. He had occasion to wipe his nos
several times and each time dropped
diamond into his handkerchief. Whel
he reached the door on his way out h
was unable to open ii. The clerk, b.
some electrical device, had slipped tn
bolt. When he iurned round, instead o
the obsequious clerk whom he eXpectet
TO find at his heels anxious to assist him
he was confronted by a pistol in tn
hands of man whose expression clearl
indicated that he meant business. III
wilted. Give me your handkerchief
said the man with the pistol. The THE
slowly and reluctantly obeyed. Hi
pockets were then searched and he wa
given into the custody of police officer
He got three years. When he came ou
after completing his sentence, he wen
to the firm by whom he had been detecte
and asked for assistance. The firm
charmed by such sublime exhibition {
cheek. gave ten dollars, but whether
used it TO help him earn an honest living
as he promised, cannot tell.
At one time a great many trunk
containing valuable samples wei
snatched from travelling statesmen, bl
since the formation of the jewelers. Pr
tective association very little of that wor
has been done. The reason is that I'll