The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-04-17
FATAL DIAMOND

l am the most unhappy man that eve
occupied u prison cell. l say this adyia
eddy knowing that hundreds are at thi
moment bewaiIing their late, which II
many cases may seem harder than mine
but 4 is not, II they still retain the self
respect which / have lost. That's wha
tortures me; my prestige is gone, I au
degraded In my own eyes, | despise my
self IS heartily as the most Virtuous mar
in the world could, That /, to whom
half the thieves in London have looked
for guidance, should myself have laid 1
plot for myself and walked into It'll 1t IL
too humiliatingl To fall a victim to a TOT
powerful combination Of adverse circum
stances is no disgrace to be outwitted by
the superior innesse OF the police is hard
but endurable, but to fall into a snare
which should not have misled a boy who
had never 30 much as stolen a handker.
chiefin his life-this, this Ia shame
II was that diamond ring that did 1t. l
really think that some special ill-luCk
must have attached to the trinket, for il
brought no good to It's previous posssssor,
1t was hardly In the regular way Of bust
ness that 1t came into my hands-just as
1t has escaped from them In a most un.
business,like fashion. That young man
must have been in great straits before he
united himself to me In the business OF
stealing bis unole's cash box In order to
obtain funds to pay his gambling debts.
1t was q very easy matter for me. He
waste mix a few drops OF an opiate /
gave him with his relatives brandy and
water one evening and leave the hall
doorOpeni I had only to walk in and take
up tho booty he had collected and placed
ready for me.
1t was o very fair collection OF plate that
awaited me as we'll as the coveted cash.
box; but | am fond Of jeWelry, and the
house was SO beautifully asleep, that
could not resist creeping upto the masters
bedroom to see II there wa not in II a
trile worth picking up. There was-the
diamond ring and q rather good set Of
studs. / took them, and slipped out Of
the room so quietly that SHOULD not have
disturbed their owner, even II my young
friend had not, by way OF making sure,
doubled the prescribed dose OF the opiate,
and therefore plunged his uncle into, not
sleep, but death.
Poor young fellow the knowledge that
he killed relation who had alwayStreated
him with kindness, II also with severity,
was too muChfor his mind, which doubt.
less was never strong. Those debts Of
honor were never paid he never came to
claim bis share Of that nights spoil, and |
have heard that the distant cousin who,
failing him, inherited the old mans
property, grumbles greatly at having TO
pay for his being kept I'M lunatic asylum.
Thiais Cowardice on my part. / have
condemned myself, as the fitting punish.
ment Of my folly, to set down In black
and white the way IN which l %entrapped
myself, and lam poatponing the task to
meander over an irrelevant incident,
The ring had not been long In my posses.
sion whenI paid the unluCky visit to Paris
which began my misfortunes. The Lon.
don police were very active Just then, and
business was IN conse quence dull and
risky, 80, being IL, fundg, thought /
might take q holiday and enjoy q fortnight
in the city Of pleasure. was pretty we'll
known at home, but / had not, so far as
know, 0 single enemy In France, and l
did not intend IA, make any. For a fort.
night | wouldb 10 q mere innocent pleasure.
seeker, taking the days amusements as
they came, and making no effort after
either my own gain or others loss. Such
was my intention; but, alas what inten-
ton, especially II II be a good one, can
Withstand the force Of the habits OF a life
timer Mine gave way, and speedily.
One evening--a pleasant April evening
Il formed one Of the crowd that sur.
rounded the platform at an open-air con-
cert. By my side was standing q stout
and elderly man, whom, from q score oil
tiny indications, | guessed to be British
holiday maker. "There's from fifteen Ia
twenty pounds In hiB'coat pocket, Ill be
bound thought i. Heista far too cautious
to leave his money at his hotel, where
Frenehmen, whom he. regards as all
thieves, may lay hands on 1t, so he carries
II about with him, thinking that on biz
person 1t cannotiail to be SAFE"
The idea Of undeCeiving HMM this par.
ticulAr was too tempting. / found mysel!
smiling in anticipation at the bewilderet
and horror.stricken expression his face
would wear when he discovered his loss
It was the humor Of the thing that touch,
ed me. That fatal gift Of humor, which
has ruined 90 many honest men, led me
TO my destruction. Deep In my soul
beneath the outer garb OIL. the nan Of the
world | was wearing, dWelt the INSTINCT
81 the professional pickpoCket. Almost
unconsciously l tnsertedmy left hand we
arc oil ambidexter to our profession inhil
pocket, and gently drew out q pocketboUl
-the very sort Of ~poCketbook | knew HI
would carry. Il edgedawaytrom the victim
as o aa the little operation WA
over, and disentangling myself from
the interested auditors, who wert
listening TO. a gayly:dressed damBe
shfieklng with the remains OF a ono
powerful voice, / soon found myself walk
ing,along the brightly lighted boulevard
| had not gone long before | noticed tina
the diamond ring which constantly wort
Oh the third finger Of my left hand, wa
missing. II was q little too large for me
but / had not thought II advisable 10 hAyI
the Bize altered Just yet and the resul
was that II had slipped from my finger.
knew that | wore II when l left my hotel
but 1Could not teCollect noticing It's pres
enCe al any subsequent time, so 1 went l.
every place l had visited since l came oul
the Gale where l had dined, the shoI
where / had bought some cigars, th
streets / had traverssd, looking every
where Tor aome trace Of my lost jewel, an
inquirlbg Of every one TO whom / had pre-
vlonaly spoken, II they had seen anythinI
1telt q dfeary conviction that my treas
tired ornament was gone forever, when
as a last resource, | went 10 0 bufeat d.
police, and gave q description OF the rim
10 the officer there. The officer was pc
lite, but gave me small hope Of ever Gee
Ing my diamond again. l gave IL up a
gone forever.
I was sitting In my hotel dull and de
pressed, angry Of my own CareleBsnesI
and Inclined 70 give up any further hol
day and forget my annoyance by q speed
return 10 my professional duties In Iot
don, when my friend Of the police oiiC
aalh6aI r.