Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-04-23

principal on business. Shown into the
private office, he stated that he had a
valuable pdr,trc of diamonds, the worth
of which he wished TO have assessed,
with view of disposing of it, if he
could obtain fair price. The lew
elor was willing 10 entertain the nego-
tiations; and the applicant departed,
promising To return with the specified
articles for examination an hour later.
He Immediately proceeded to II dia-
mond-merchant on Regent street where
he represented himself as being in the
employ of Messrs So-and-so-the
firm whose premises he had just
quitted-saying they wished to purchase
necklace of stones of u certain value,
and requesting that samples might be
sent at once-no unusual or suspicious
order, but an affair which might occur
any day in the ordinary course of trade.
Some necklaces of briliants were Sc
lected and placed in case; and the sup
posed messenger, with confidential
clerk in charge of the diamonds, took n
cab and were driven forthwith TO the
Strand. "Wait moment" said the
swindler, who got out first; "I'll Just
see if the governor is disengaged;n and
went in, leaving the clerk and the dia-
monds in the vehicle. The governor
lCaS disengaged, and consented TO a pri-
vate interview and consideration of the
pdrure mt once, the young man return
ing TO the cab without his hat to fetch
the parcel, which he had left in charge
of friend. "Come alongr' said he to
the unsuspecting clerk. "Mr. - is
at liberty, and will see you immediately"
at the same time taking the case of jew
els from the other in the most natural
manner possible, and preceding him
bareheaded, with all the confidence of
an inmate of the house, towards the
masters Office. AT the threshold of that
apartment he paused, politely holding
the door open for the clerk to enter first,
at the same time introducing him by
name. The instant the misguided man
had passed him, our friend turned,
slipped out at the house-door which
opened into a side street, and vanished,
diamonds and all! Here, there must
not only have been intimate knowledge
of the premises and the habits of those
who were thus unconsciously made TO do
duty rs lay-figures in the accomplish
ment of the trick, but efficient co-opera-
ton of confederates outside must have
existed, or the spectacle of hatloss
man, otherwise well clothed, would GER
tainly have excited attention and led to
arrest
AS for the substitutions of paste for
precious crystal, there is scarcely any
jeweler who has not been deceived at
some time or other, and many could
furnish the materials for dozen curious
romances of real life from the attempts
at this imposture which have occurred
within their experience. Some of the
biggest rascals with whom they have TO
deal are the men-Jews for the most
part-who buy up objects of value for
the purpose of breaking them up, and
selling the stones, metal, etc, which re-
suit from the process, to working gold
and silversmiths for re-manufacture. II
these individuals are crafty in selling, il
may well be imagined that they are not
over-nice in their buying. That they
ask no questions of promiscuous vendors
is of little Importance, since they are
astute enough, rs a rule, to decline
transactions which they perceive may
possibly compromise them. But gold
article taken behind screen to be
"tested" is easily made to appear as
nothing but gilded silver, to any one ig-
norant of these details, by the applica-
ton of a little quicksilver TO one spot,
and contemptuous valuation coinci-
IDENTIFY. One of these worthless had "a
pair of scales which had long been sus.
pected, though they were used under
the eyes of the customer, and had been
subjected to repeated examinations
without anything wrong being detected.
At last, it was found that underneath
each tray was q piece of soft iron,
made magnetic at will by the com.
pletion of an electric current
This was managed by pressure of the
right or left foot upon one of two but
tons underneath the counter; and So
although the balance of the beam was
perfect, the operator could cause either
scale-according as he was buying OF
selling-to descend pramaturely at his
pleasure. Chambers Journal.