The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-08-23
MARTs FOR THIEVES
JEWELRY "FENcES WHERE PLUM
DER IS BOUGHT AND SOLD.

bEh - pOg1FIf NiNb o0hRt
Prices for Diamonds Are Lower Than in
Reputable stores-How the Business
Is Conducted What Inspector Byrncs
Says About the Subject.
81 would like to know how some jew
elry store keepers manage to sell their
wares somuch cheaper than others, was
the remark that man heard the other
day in a famous jewelry shop not far
from Union square.
The speaker was a pretty young lady
who held In her dainty right hand a
beautiful solitaire diamond ring not less
than carat in weight
"This ring" she continued to the
clerk, 'you ask &110 for. You say there
is an actual market value for pure white
stones of this weight, and that no re.
taller can sell it for less and stillmahe a
profit.
GLOW isit then, she continued, "thai
at ---," and she mentioned the name OF
"a well known place near Madison square
''they offer me q ring with exactly this
size Of stone for $s5P The diamond
was warranted absolutely pure and flaw
less and to weigh a carat.
The clerk to whom this question was
put wore peculiar smile as he uttered
the two words "jewelry fences"
Then he went on to oexplain to the lady
certain facts that very few New Yorkeri
know of, but which have been very ap
parent to reputable jewellers for severa
years past.
ADVANTAGES OF THE ''FENCEs."
There are half dozen large and fash
ionable jewelry stores on Broadway ant
the adjoining streets between Tentl
and Thirty-hfth streets which are moth
ing more than repositories for stolen ar
ticles Of jewelry. These people, o
course, preserve a respectable appear
ance, even toward their questionabl,
patrons.
These fashionable fences" do an i'm
mense business, amounting to thousand
of dollars every month, in this way
They have a prestige over the ordinar,
pawnshop, for the reason that in min
cases out Of ten they buy the goods out
right, and pay 20 per cent. nearer tn
market value than the others. o
course many of them do a legitimat
pawn business, and in this way also ar
enabled to sell their wares at much lowe
figures than the square up and dow
ieweler.
But the main attraction these place
have for the gentlemanly sneak thief
the protection they offer against deteC
ton by the police The latter in hunt
ing for stolen goods seldom if ever in
wade these places, whose great show Q
plate glass, hundreds Of thousands G
dollars worth Of stock and outward ei
fusion of respectabiity seem to presen
perpetual barriers against fraud of an
description.
Said well known jeweler in spealin
of the matter:
"There are scores of robberies con
mitted every day by sneak thieves c
which the public never hear at al
These robberies of jewelry are reporte
to the police, but they seldom get int
the newspapers, as it is the policy of tn
men at headquarters to place the thievt
ON their guard by announcing the faC
that the police are close ON their trail.
WHAT INSPECTOR BYRNEs SAYS.
When Inspector Byrnes was aske
about these fences" he said that Will
they may exist he has serious doubts {
their doing a regular business of th
kind to any magnitude.
Several times, in tracing up stole
iewelry, especially diamonds, he said h
detectives have found the goods in OF
of the swell Broadway stores Whe
the proprietor in one instance was aske
how he came by certain pair of di
mond solitaire earrings worth betwee
5000 and 81 900 he said that we
dressed, middle aged man brought thei
to the place. He was attired in dee
mourning, and explained in dolefl
voice that his wife had but recent
) died and that he had no use at all f.
the earrings. He asked if the prophet,
, would purchase them, and on beir
, answered in the affirmative asked no
much he would give. On being to
800 he handed them over. and on gettir
the money left the store and that W.
the last seen of him.
This was the proprietor's story. Ho
. much truth there was in it the poll,
could only conjecture.
In another instance where the poll,
were hunting for several ladies' rings,
diamond lacepin and a diamond brac
. let, they were found in Broadway jeN
elry store a few blocks above Madisc
square.
The person who sold them, accordi1
= to the proprietor, was young lady wi
4 had every appearance Of respectable
i and refinement She told the owner tn
she was an English woman recently a
: rived in the country. Her funds h,
. become exhausted sooner than she e
!, pected, and it was positively necessal
u for her to begin western journey
once. 1t would take her some time
Q communicate with her friends at hon
+" TO obtain the necessary money. So s.
y had no other alternative but TO realize
Q her jewels She was given 81 200 for t
o jewels, but although she was particul
to request the proprietor to keep thei
l. as she wished to redeem them, she hi
never shown up.
q The police subsequently discovered tn
X the woman was under the protection
Z a we'll known thief, who had committ'
D. the burglary. New York Journal.
e The GreendaIs Oak.
= A curious historic interest attaches
u tI,a frraat 1raanaola ooh - yWolI,a