The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-05-08
BIG rAM0ND ROBBERY.
An Art Snicsman's Articss StOry-Ifis
simple Account OF His temptation.


A New York special says: \ dazzling
array OF diamonds VAS on the desk of the
Judge i'm the Jefferson Market Police
Court to-day when James ii. Marriott was
arraigncd to he examined on the charge Of
stealing the costly stones. He was ac-
companied by Marie PrereuX. Ex-Goycr-
nor solomon and Rudolf Dulon represent
ed the German ambassador AT Paris,
who caused their arrest. Marie Pre-
rcux is a pretty young woman. with fair
hair and delicate features. Marriott is n
~fine-looking Young man. He is an English
man, but has lived SO long in France that
he has acquired a French exterior. He
wears 4 small moustachea and side-whiSkers,
has a dark complexion and black hair. lie
was very nervous and depressed. When
he was a~rraigped before Justice Gardner
the Woman clung 10 his arms rs if shefeared
10 leave him. Justice Gardner said:
This is not an eNtvaditable offence, but
we can hold him for bringing stolen pro-
perry into this State. Let a formal COM
plant be taken against him.
Ex-Governor Solomon said he had no
complaint to make against Marie, who had
no connection with the theft other than ac-
companyiug her lover i'm his flight. Deputy
Marshal Bernhard said that a complaint
could be taken against the prisoner for
smuggling diamonds into the country.
In answer 10 the formal questions,
Marriott said be was twenty-nine
years old, his business was that OF q
picturc-Gealer. and he was guilty OF the
charge. He said Marie knew nothing Of
the theft. His conduc: toward her was very
a~ilectiOnsie, and he continually held her
hand and spoke soOthingly TO her. The
Justice said the lowest bail he could fix was
$4,000. and rs the raising Of this security
was ont OF the question he would commit
Marriott for trial without bail. lie dis
charged Marie and she returned to her
clearinghouse. Marriott was led into the
prison and locked up in a narrow cell on
the first tier. lie sat down on the cot and
buried his face in his hands. When he had
partly recovered his seli-poSSession he told
his story.
AN STORY OF TEMPTATION.
81 was for several years." he said, Gin
the employ Of Durand Ruel. a picture
dealer at | Rue de La PaiX, Paris. ! was
a salesman and had a good salary. We had
many customers among the wealthy people.
One day early in March, Franz Kramer, a
German who had a iewelry store at $50
Rue 81. Honore, came to me and asked me
TO try and sell TO some of my wealthy ac-
quaintances a very valuable diamond neck
lace. | said | was not in that line OF bust
ness and refused TO do il. Kramer called
four or five times more and urged me to
undertake the commission. saving | could
make a nice profit by it,. On March eth |
finally consented, ana hegaye me theneck-
lace and told me to show it to w. W. As
tor. the American MiniStOrtO Italy. who was
4l.~, % 4Ia Hotel nrfs4cl Dloaa N~onINp,a
Mr.. Aston had already bought several
works OF art at our store. Mr.. Kramer
valued the necklace at $4,000 francs. |
called on Nj. AstOr and showed him the
Jewels. He SAID he liked them very much
and might purchase them, but was not
quite ready 20 decide. | took the diamonds
back to Kramer. That same evening he
called on me again, bringing the necklace.
the two earrings. and some loose dia-
monds. and told me TO 60 again TO Mr..
AstOr. | went to the hotel and found that
he was out. | could not return the dia-
monds that night TO Mr.. Kramer, and
during the night the stupid idea Of UNI
ming away took possession Of me.
HIS FLIGHT WITH HIS SWEETHEART.
"The diamonds fascinated me, and ] lost
nv head. | left Paris that night with
Marie, went by rail to Dieppe, and there
crossed over to New Haven. | sold four
or five OF the diamonds in London 10 raise
money. and because | did not know how to
sell them / narrowly escaped arrest. The
police were looking for me all over Europe,
and | was i'm constant stress OF mind. !
bitterly regretted my mad step, and would
gladly have returned the diamonds II | had
dared. ! went from London TO Antwerp,
and then sailed on the Pennland for New
York. | sold two OF the diamonds in this
CITY. When the officers arrested me they
gave me their word Of honor that | should
be released ii | revealed the whereabouts
Of the Jewels. l do not think they could
have found them otherwise"
As soon as Marriott landed in this city,
on April 18th. be sought a hcarding-place
with a view OF avoiding the hotels. lie
was directed TO PIG west Twenty-secOnd
street. He called himself Henry James,
which he understood was m American
name, and represented the woman as his
wife. He hired the secOnd-stOry front
room. Their life after that was very quiet,
and they became iayorites in the house.
They seemed TO have plenty OF money and
dressed well. They went out very little,
and Marie never went out without him.
Only one man called on them. They hada
very careless way OF leaving jcwelry about
their room, and one day the landlady found
the great necklace on their bureau. She
showed It to her husband, and the stones
were so large that they agreed they must
be paste and OF little value. The muff and
trousers in which the diamonds were con-
oealed were hung in the closet, and the
pin-cushion, containing thousands Of dol
lars worth Of diamonds, was on the bu-
reau.