Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-15
..DIAMoND CUT DIAMOND"
srine Committed in the Name OF the
Queen Of Jewels.

From the Chicago Tribune.
A notorious New York diamond thief
went to London and purchased in
Hatton Garden magnificent stone
weighing about l21k karats. He paid be-
tween $1,000 and $1,000 for it. He then
made his way to Paris and put the stone
in the hands of the best maker OF paste
goods, and ordered thirty fec-similes OF it.
He then had the whole OF them mounted
in rings ct exactly the same designs. IN
London are many large pawnbrOkers VINO
lend sums OF $1,000 and upward for snort
terms-fourteen days or so-st . or = per
cent. He left the original ring with eacl
OF them in turn, took 1t out again. ana
repledged it two or three times I'M
iii they were well acquainted with MIN
and the gem. One saturday. WHOM is
their busy day. be rushed round 10 tne
whole collection and left one OF The lmlts-
tiOns for sums ranging from $4,OOO 10
S6. 90. He placed twenty-cight in ali.
They possibly did not examine them
closely, as he was so Well-kn0Wn and ms
appearance and manners were calculated
TO ward of suspicion. The shrewdest
pawnbrOkers in London were taken IN by
This schemer The Attenboroughs (tbis
family have about eight establishments
have five Of these rings, the Bussells
had three, and so forth. A much
cleVerer, though not such an eX-
tensive scheme WAS worked IN
Paris in 1873 by q notorious French
''chevalier dindustrie.' lie had mag
nificent stone worth 30, 000f., al which ne
also had an imitation made and set in the
same manner as the original. he then
went to the IpOst extensive retail leweler
there, and, banding him the genuine gem
IN a ring, asked him how much he would
charge TO reset it in a combination set
ting, or a setting whore the stone could
be used as ring. scarf pin and stud. The
jeweler named an amount which he said
was much more than he wished to spend,
rs the stone was only an
imitation and not worth the outlay.
The jeweleT was sstOnished to hear
that the fine stone he mad in his hand
was an imitation, and testing IL slightly,
assured the owner that it was real dia-
m0nd. At this the sharper laughed and
stated he had bought it in Baden baden
from q gambler out OF luck for 2J0f., and
that the jeweler must be mistaken. lie
willingly left it until next day for further
testing. When be came the following day
the jeweler assured him that 1t was real
diamond as he well knew }, and 10 back
his opinion offered TO give him 22,500i. for
it. The sharper still asserted that the
jeweler was mistaken, but agreed TO
sell it for that price on condition that
he would not be held responsible
if II was afterwards discovered to
be an imitation. This was agreed to, and
a document was drawn up by which the
jeweler agreed to give 22,500f. for the
ring. and 10 hold the vender, who had
bought il and still believed it 10 be imita-
tion. not responsible alter the sale. The
transaction was concluded in the presence
OF witnesses. just before the money was
paid over and the ring delivered the
sharper skillfully substituted the imita-
ton and palmed the diamond. In a few
days afterward, when the fraud was dis
covered. although the schemer was still
on the spOt, the dupe had no remedy, as,
in the document he had signed, he had
agreed to purchase the stone whether
imitation or not.