Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-19
JEWEL THIEVES.
SOME or THE TRICKS LONDON GOLD
SMITHS SUFFER FROM.
Danger Of Letting Jewery Go Out--A Gus
toner with Wax on His Eye-Giass-
Mixed Up Rings.
uondou Evening Standard,

smiths and jewellers are at once the most
varied and the most ingenious.
In fact. so serious have become the at
tacks of the predatory classes in this
direction and 30 defenceless, ap-
parently, are the attacked that a
company has been started with the
object Of insuring, on certain terms,
the dealers in gold, silver, and precious
stones against the losses caused by shop
robberies, or by goods parted with on
false representations. Naturally enough,
the value of the prize to be secured Is
sufficiently tempting to draw forth oil
the resources of the despoilers, and that
these are by no means to be despised If
shown week after week in the records oil
our police courts. What can be neater
or more finished as an example OF the
art of stealing than the following true
story:
ONE METHOD.
A well-dressed, gentleman-like-look-
ing man. with a military cut about him,
one afternoon enters the shop OF the
first chronometer-maker in London. and
says be wishes to purchase q reliable
time-keeper After carefully examining
the stock produced he selects a watch OF
the value Of about 100 guineas He ap-
parently is about TO pay for it, when he
suddenly saws that it is most important
it should keep time TO the tenth part OF
a second-be would rather it was care
fully examined by the matchmaker
before he takes it. He will be dining
between and 8 o'clock in Gordon
Square. andif Mr.. Y. will kindly let his
assistant bring the watch at that hour,
having carefully examined it in the in
terval, he will pay him for it. As it
happens the master lives in that direc-
i ton and says he will leave it himself as
/ he goes home. Calling a cab, this he
accordingly does. When he gets to the
house the door is opened by page boy
: who says g." Colonel - is in the dining
room. ""Good evening, says the military
customer, "you are from Mr.. F.'s es-
| tablishnent and have brought the
watch / ordered" On being informed
/ that Mr.. +. himself is before him, tho
gentleman apologies profusely, takes
the watch, goes into the next room TO
write the check, walks of, or rather
rides of, in the watcbmAker's cab, and
leaves him TO discover from the page
boy that he WAS only looking over a
furnished house. and anxiously awaiting
tho opinion Of his friend, tho jeweller,
as 10 whether or not it would suit him.
For many day afterwards, if his assist
ants wanted 10 rile that celebrated
matchmaker, all they had to do was TO
ask himif he would like to leave certain
goods himself. :.
Another ingenious trick was practiced
by lover of diamonds in the rough.
| For some time the merchants in Hatton
Garden found their stock disappearing
in a mysterious manner for which they
were utterly at a loss TO account But
among their customers was venerable
looking gentleman, who, as he said, hid
been in the trade for years. Unfortu-
nately bis eyesight was not so good rs
it used to be, aud therefore when exam
ming the parcels of precious stones he
was obliged to hold them very close
TO the magnifying glass, which all pur-
chasers use on such occasions. 1t was
strange, but true, that always after the
visits OF the particular customer, who
purchased but sparingly, the various
parcels we're found to be more or less
deficient. At last one day q diamond
was observed to drop from his magnify
ing glass, and then it was discovered
chat the cavity between the glass and the
outer rim was lined with soft wax, to
which several small diamonds were
found adhering. Then the riddle was
solved, but the nefarious game had been
going on for some months before 1t was
discovered, much to the loss OF the Hat
ton Garden merchants.
THg FOREIGN NoBLEMAN.
Then there is the well-known but
probably forgotten instance of the for
eign nobleman who one fine morning be-
gan his campaign by purchasing in
jewellers shop near the Mansion House
a diamond ring worth about IS, which
by the time he arrived at the bottom OF
Ludgate Hill had increased in value to
something over GOO, and this IL how
he managed it. He visited every
jewellers shop on the road, asked to
see some diamond rings. but found
nothing to suit him. AT each inspec-
ton, however, he exchanged his own
ring for one OF greater value. The
shopkeepers we're satisfied at a glance
that each aperture in the ring trays was
filed when the customer left their shops,
and it was not until some hours after
wards that the trick was discovered.
The reimbursement of those rings caused
lively mornings work among the
jewellers in Cheapside before each re-
ceived his own again.
The proprietors of these valuables can
hardly leave their shops for an instant
with safety and must never do so at
regular hour unless they wish to be
robbed. Not long ago Regent-street
tradesman who dined in the middle Of
the day lost an expensive case OF rings in
the simplest manner. A well-dressed man
entered and asked the price of a piece
of plate in the corner of the window
farthest from the door. He most con-
siderately would not have the master
disturbed at his dinner. but told the as
sistant if he would come outside he
would show him which article he meant.
This the guileless youth did, and while
his attention was thus engaged con-
iederate popped in and got clear OF
with tray of valuable rings Mean
while, the would be purchaser, having
had his question answered, walked OIL IN
another direction.
ANOTHER CLEVER DODGE.
Even with the greatest care precious
goods when sent on approval to very
swell-looking customers staying at arIs-
tocratic hotels are constantly being lost
sometimes after this fashion: A benevo-
lent-looking old ge ntleman drives up in
a handsomely appointed carriage and
pair to West End jewellers, and wishing
to make his wife birthday-present Sc
lects one or two strings Of pearls, which
are sent to his hotel that his wife may
make her choice. When the assistant
arrives with the goods no Is requested in
low tone to close the door gently and
to tread lightly, as the lady is in bed III
in the adjoining room. OF course I'M
der such circumstances The shop-keeper
=. IL ~ folfowIny his Dearlq