Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1892-09-08
THEY GOT THE DIAMONDS.

Wv ell, SIT, SAID inspector DuTlelgn OF
the criminal investigation department,
to Mr.. Stein, the well-known diamond
''if you are nervous about
the safety of your valuasles the best
thing you can do is to act upon the fol-
lowing advice:
"As to the strong room in your Office,
keep on your watch chain lot of dunn
my keys for ornament, so to speak, and
deposit the tue keys at your bankers
every afternoon; put good safe in your
study at home, but any diamonds you
may take to that house may be kept in
dummy champagne bottle in your Gel
lar there; get secret electric alarm pnsh
designed and fixed in your private resi-
dence. and another at your office-both
of them communicating with the nearest
police station; and, lastly, never on any
account take revolver about with you
or you're dead man before you get
it out further than the flap of your
pocket"
Mr.. Stein thanked the detective, and
promised to act upon his advice in every
particular.
Mr.. Stein, a diamond merchant of
high standing, was expecting the arrival
of large parcel of valuable cut gems
from Amsterdam. He had been warned
several times by friends, and even by
the authorities at Scotland Yard, that
his precautions against being robbed
were absurdly inadequate.
No man in his senses would allow it
to become notorious that he often car
ried parcels of valuable gems on his per-
son, and sometimes merely looked them
up in trumpery little fashioned
safe in the study of his villa at Nor
wood-a house standing a considerable
distance from the nearest police sta
tion-a home shared with him by no one
but an old housekeeper.
"If you make sound, I'll shoot"
Such was the pleasant information
that fell upon Mr.. STEMS ears as he
woke one night from his beauty sleep.
1t was a stormy winter night and the
rain beat spitefully upon the win
dow panes. Mr.. Stein might have shout
ed himself hOarse and no one could pos
sibly have heard him. His housekeeper
was absent, having been called to the
sick bed of relative.
"We've got you fairly at last, eh, old
Stein?"
"What do you want?" inquired the
diamond merchant, nervously.
"What do we want? That's goodl
Now, look here, Stein, when you left
your Office this afternoon you went to
the post office at Holborn, and you ask
ed for a registered package and they
handed you a fat parcel of diamonds.
You put them in your pocket and came
home. You've not been out
since, SO the diamonds aren't far off.
So much for your little business"
Gentlemen" replied Mr.. Stein, "you
have caught me very nicely. You in
sist on having my diamonds or my life.
L have no particular wish to die yet,
and resistance on my part l can see
would be perfectly useless. 1 will agree
to help you; that is to say, 1 will engage
to put you in possession of the packet
you are in search of, which is carefully
hidden, and of anything else of value
which you may require in my house
upon one condition.
"Well, what is it?"
"My condition is that you promise to
give to me, and not to take away,
which is hanging in my safe.
1t is the portrait of my dear grand
mother"
"Oh! is that all? You can keep the
Did lady. She'd only be in our way"
"Thank you. Then here is the key
If the safe in my study; but you won't
ind anything there. Believe me, there
IS nothing in the safe except the por-
,rait of my grandmother"
snow, you just come along, Stein,"'
said the burglar in chief. "WeIl soon
gee what's in the safe. And, mind
irst sign of any nonsense and I'll shoot
sure as my name is"
Mr.. Stein hustled on some clothes,
md all three descended to the study.
The safe was in front of them. The key
was soon applied to the lock, and the
safe was opened. AS Mr.. Stein had said,
here was absolutely nothing whatever
inside, except the miniature.
81 told You sol" said Mr.. Stein, re-
The two robbers cursed and swore.
Bill took the miniature off the peg it
in the safe and put it his pock-
It. Stein shouldn't have the portrait,
le said, till he fulfilled his promise
lbout the diamonds.
81 am quite ready to keep my prom
se," said Mr.. Stein. "Follow me, and
will show you where the diamonds are"
Holding a candle before him, he led
he way to the cellar. The cellar door
vas unlocked, and they all entered. !
"Don't see any diamonds here" COM
blamed the chief william. "Out with
hem Stein, and be smart about It'll"
The merchant reached his hand out to
he back of bin, and drew forth appa-
entity magnum of champagne.
"Here you are gentlemen" he said,
the neck of the false bottle
md disclosing to their astonished gaze
he packet of diamonds within.
"Good business-eh, Bill. Stein, my
10Y, you're trump. Are all the other
here champagne or only dia-
The merchant laughed. "There are
10 more diamonds" he said. ''You can
ZEE for yourselves. But if you will |
ring up a magum of champagne with
'ou we will broach it to your good |
lealth."
The men agreed, and took glasses out
# the pantry on their way up.
Haven't you friend in the garden |
outsider" inquired Mr.. Stein with
augh. "Call him in; we may as we'll
rink together" And he opened the
'ottle and began pouring it out.
Bill went to the front door and passed |
signal to the accomplice watching
who promptly joined the party
nd took his glass, as invited. All the
hree wore masks; they were safe from |