The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1895-03-08
JEWELRY THIEVES.
SCHEMES EMPLOYED FOR BEATING
THE BIG STORES.

Women Are as Bad rs Men. Though They
Don't Put Up Such Large Jobs-The Dia-
mond Customer Who Rode In n Private
Carriage and Was an Elegant Man.
AN through December we employ de-
tectives, - said the manager Of one Of the
largest jewelry stores in Broadway. "One
OF these detectives stands by the door.
There is always something about his dress
and general demeanor which tells his call
ing, so the professional shoplifters give
us a wide berth. Amateurs there are who
try to get away with goods, but usually
they are easily scared and replace the
missing articles at once when they are
made aware that their movements have
been watched. When piece Of jewelry
is missed under circumstances which in
dictate that it has been stolen, detective
saunters up to the customer suspected and
pretcnds to search for the missing ring or
chain or bracelet, whatever it may be. 1t
was here moment ago, madam, he says.
Ii must have caught in your dress or in
the lace on your sleeve Please look and
see Then he moves away, and, as a rule.
the woman produces the piece of jewelry.
expressing surprise that it should have
been found about her. Occasionally, how
ever, the suspected person denies all
knowledge as to the whereabouts of the
lost article. In this case, if the facts war
rant it, bill for the full value of the
jewel is presented to her, and the choice
of paying the bill or producing the stolen
goods is offered
Lots of small things are stolen in the
holiday season." continued the manager.
These are hatpins and other little trim.
kets, worth a dollar or two, sometimes
only 80 cents They are too insignificant
for US to bother about Were we to raise
an alarm or say much about such petty
thefts it would probably cause US to lose
the sale of goods worth hundreds of dol
lars. Il had such a fright at such and
such a store the other day., one woman
would say to another. They accused such
a nice looking lady of stealing, and be-
lieve she was perfectly innocent and
neither of those women would come into
the store again. When the detective sees
these hatpin and scarfpin fiends, he init
mates to them in quiet way that the
house does not want their custom, and
they take the hint and depart. No attempt
is ever made to recover the small articles. -
The sharpers who play for big stakes
resort to all sorts of ingenious devices to
get possession of the goods, said the man.
ager of another large business house. lone
evening gentleman of fine appearance
entered the store. He had driven up in a
private carriage, with a coachman in liv-
cry He looked at diamond necklaces and
earrings, examined them closely, called
for a magnifying glass to look at the
stones and was very particular as to his
selection. Finally he picked out the par
ticular diamonds he wanted and ordered
them sent to his hotel, where he would give
a check for them. He was an elegant look
ing man of fine address and bearing, but
the fact that he gave US no references,
made so few inquiries about the stones he
bought and so quickly made selection in
a matter that most men would take day
or two to deliberate about made me sus-
picious l determined to take those dia-
monds myself to the hotel The gentle
man received me in a sumptuously fur
nishcd apartment, and his manner was
courtesy itself as he asked me to be seated.
My wife is in the next room, he said
L want to give her little surprise. FIX
cuse me while I take the diamonds into
her. I'll only keep you waiting a few
minutes.
My instructions are that the dia-
monds are not to go out Of my hands until
they are paid for replied.
"'OhI Very well, then, he said care
lessly. I'll put them in that drawer there,
lock the drawer and give you the key
while / go into the other room for the
check
L cannot let the diamonds go out of
my hands, l replied again. He looked
somewhat disconnected at this, and then
his manner changed abruptly, and all his
suavity deserted him.
'''I'll lock them in that drawer and
give you the key, whether you like it or
not, he said apgrily. Il am accustomed
to having my own way
Il had loaded pistol with me, and in
a second had 1t leveled at him, warning
him that any more talk like that or any
attempt to touch the diamonds would fix
him 50 that he wouldn't ever see his wife
again
you've got a thief in room No. SO and-
so, said to the hotel clerk few minutes
later and l related what had occurred.
He was slow to believe me, because the
man have given them big draft OH a
Denver house, and they had let him have
5000 or 500 on it. 1 went with him up to
the room, and even in that brief time the
rascal had disappeared. 1t turned out that
he had no wife with him at all. exam
ined the bureau in which he was SO anx
ious that should deposit the diamonds
and found that he had made hole in the
wall against which the bureau stood and
a corresponding hole in the back of the
drawer AS the bureau was placed against
the wall which separated the two rooms
he occupied, it would have been easy for
him to get the diamonds into the other
room while held the key to the drawer IN
my hand. The full value of the diamonds
be had selected was nearly IS. 600. New
York Sun