Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-12-27

Within the past three days, if all
current reports can be believed, dia-
mOnds 10 the value of twelve hundred
dollars have been stolen in this city.
1t is,the prevailing idea, or was last
evening, among people who knew some
thing Of the facts, that the work was
done by party Of four men, who came
here along about last Monday, and
whose usual haunts are in some OF the
Pennsylvania oil towns. The apparent
leader of the party was a mosc quiet
and unaSsuming person, not particulars
ly cOnyiyial in his habits, yet not adj
verse to taking d social glass OF some
thing inyigorating if the matter was in
sisted upon by anyone with whom he
happened TO be brought in contact.
Sun. it was his firm policy never 10
get drunk, even at the Christmas sea-
son, when folks who keep straight all
the rest OF the year sometimes break
the mOnotony OF life by having bit Of
time. Not only did our friend not
indulge to any appreciate extent but
he was unusually sOllcitOUs in looking
at,er the welfare and personal con-
yenience Of others who needed little
unobTusiye guardianship, and as one or
TWO oil his own party had tendency
to assume larger load than they could
carry, and The Christmas season afOre-
said threw others often perfect
sJrangers-in his way, he had chance
to give a correct imitation OF the good
samaritan every once in q While.
Among those VINO needed a little deli
cate attention of this sort last Monday
night, was a stranger apparently well
nNed so far as the goods OF this world
are concerned. TOR he wore a prOfuSion
of diamonds of a particularly fine quail
ity. This stranger. as the story goes,
was introduced to one of the four Penn
sylvanians. he introduced the others,
somebody th0ughtully set up the
drinks a few times, and matters went
on in one way and another until the
man with the diamonds was weary and
had to be put to bed. He arose with
what is technically called a peach Of a
ceeding TO count his diamonds, when he
found he hadn't any TO count. Some
body who feared his might lose them,
perhaps, had thoughtfully taken them
all, and up to the present writing they
haven't been seen. The stranger who
lost the sparklers had 10 leave the city
at once, on q matter of business, but
he acquainted the authorities with his
loss. and they began TO figure on the
thing.
They were still trying to connect up
the story and locate the right people
on Christmas day when, as luck would
have it. another gentleman, pretty well
known about town, lost a fine diamond
10 the same party. Whether diamonds
and drinking 90 hand in hand, as it
were, or whether it is simply q coin
Cidence. can be settled by every reader
for himself, but certain it is that the
second unfortunate was considerably
intoxicated Christmas night. While in
that happy condition he ran against the
Pennsylvania combination making a
collection of fine gems. The sOlicitous
gentleman who don't drink except when
he can't get ont of it without hurting
somebody's feelings, was in pretty good
shape. but his companions were in
various stages of intoXicatiOn The
entire party lined up at a wei known
bar. and had something. and it was
about that time that the gentleman who
knows that TOO much liquor interferes
with business noticed the fine diamond
pin the Wheeling man was wearing in
his tie. He expressed his admiration,
and finally deity removed it for a
closer view. In his admiration he pass
ed il one of his friends, who was also
q specialist i'm gems. and he passed
it to third Of the party. About this
time the attention of the owner of the
pin was distracted for a moment by
somebody setting 'em up, and when his
thoughts got around TO his pin again
two Of the party were gone, none Of the
others knew who had the button, and
there was another man whose cup of
sorrow was running over.
The victim didn't notify the police
until Yesterday. and then a warrant
was sworn out, but the party could not
be found, and are probably frisking
around in new pastures by this time.
This is a small slice out of life in a
moderately-sized town, and the narra-
rio, of +In ipoidanrc NAV cnrvp 2 * =