The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-15
DIAMONDS In HIS LINE
DETECTIVE TH0RNToN's ExPERI-
ENcE WITH THESE RoBBERIEs.
Unusual Cases That Were All Report
Ell on sunday-A Woman Who
Returned n stone.

Diamond robberies is my long suit when
they are reported on Sunday" remarked
detective Ben Thornton, the coIored sleuth
hound OF the Indianapolis fly cop force.
Having thus delivered himself Mr.. Thornton
elevated a boot to the office table and pro-
ceeded with his tale.
ITS strange" observed the detective,
but I've had a lot OF success in getting
next to people who 'swipe' these spark
lers.' It's curious, too, that the three biggest
diamond cases I ever worked up were re-
ported to the department on Sunday. I've
got one in mind nova big case, where l
was able. by the judicious use OF a little
horse sense. to save a young woman's repu-
<ation and run down a fellow that deserved
70 be exposed. The case was a peculiar one
in many ways. One Sunday afternoon,
about a year ago, a young man en-
ployed in the office of one Of the
paving companies came to the station
house In a great stew. He had been
robbed Of a diamond, a valuable stone. In
der the circumstances he was pretty badly
cut up. He had a girl down East some
where. and was engaged to marry her. The
wedding was only a week of, and he had
intended presenting her with a diamond
ring. The theft OF the stone had somewhat
interfered with his plans. 1 went with him
TO his boarding house and investigated. TIL
stone had been removed from the ring and
a fiashy piece OF glass substituted, the thier
placing the ring back In the box in which 1t
had come from the jewelers. 1 examined
the ring and called it a skiilful job. When
/ questioned the owner 1 saw that his sus-
picions lay in one direction. He believed
that one Of his fell0w-boarders had COM
mitted the theft. The house had a great
many guests, the majority OF the sboarderS
were women. and l learned that the in
mates enjoyed neighboriy privileges. The
people visited each other frequently, and
a general good-feliowship prevailed all over
the house. The victim OF the robbery spoke
particularly OF one young woman, who he
said had often been IN his apartments. He
informed me that she was poor but %genteel,
and earned a living in one OF the downtown
stores 1 could readily see that he suspect
ed this girl. / arranged with the young
man to get me a view OF all OF his fellow
Doarders on the following evening. and
about 8 O'clock 1 went around. The minute
l got a glimpse OK the suspected girl | made
up my mind that she was no thief. She was
about twenty-five or three years old. and
right good-looking. She was entertaining a
caller in the parlor. but Notwithstanding
this my impetuous friend wanted me TO ar
rest her right there. 1 was determined that.
dragged away to the station house, and
finally got the consent of her accuser to
put OF the arrest temporarily. Then / went
home and thought TX out. Next morning /
saw the young man and put to him a few
direct questions. / learned that he had a
friend. a young fellow with whom he was
chummy, and who often visited his room
when he was absent.
But. my goodness added my young
knows anything about this? Impossible.
He never did anything wrong in his life.'
II replied that had no intention of ar
mind right there that I was on the right
clew. subsequently developments proved
ina up WAS ssis eG Friend. ! as s9eH ahe q n Z nis day i9 SoSr
or five Of the smaller jewelry stores. At
three different places i found where a young
had been unsuccessful. / got a description
Of the man at each place and In every in
laid for him. Two days later, just at noon,
! caught him on the Bates House corner
on his way to dinner. 1 had with me one
sell the diamond, but he stood in the back
ground until he was called.
You have a diamond in your pocket
1 said to the young man with nv ar-- IN
his shoulder. He looked blank for an in
slant and then laughed in my face
sheer, but / have a diamond in my pocket.
IN trouble you for It. that's ALL I re-
what trouble he had got into. He drew
the stone, wrapped In tissue paper, from
his pocket and passed IL over.
"rWill you be kind enough TO see IL this
stone belongs to this ring? / asked the jew
eler, handing him the ring from which the
alIOu ldQ DCcn tdkcn. ne look IL ana
deity reset the stone. Then the thief broke
down and confessed. He begged that he be
spared the disgrace OF being hauled to the
station house. in the patrol wagon and 1
walked him down. There he told us the
whole story, and he sent for his friend.
Both men were deeply affected and the man
who had lost the diamond m-agnanimously
appealed to US on the others account. The
young fellow was locked up for a time and
then liberated. The case was not tried,
as I remember, and never got into the news
papers"
Then there was the hotel diamond rob-
which also came to Us or Sunday and
which came to a singular termination. I
an arrest made. We got the diamond all
right and the thing was hushed up. 1t was
"a young married womau was living with
her husband In one Of the prominent no.
tells She had plenty OF money and a lot of
n a ring. The husband was away from
the city a good deal. and his wife spent
much Of her time with another married
in the same hotel. In fact, the women
were chums. They visited each other daily.
she o one rooms One S' S sne wsrs sf asways open ea Il
came 20 the station house for a detective,
who was wanted at this hotel. / answered
the call. and found that a diamond robbery
had occurred the day before. The victim
was the woman / first mentioned here. Her
ring had been taken from the dresser. and
didn't do anything that day, but on Mon
day evening about 5 o'clock I called at the
hotel again. The ring hadn't turned up.
We discussed the robbery until a few min
utes before 6 o'clock, and / left the hotel.
promising to do the best I could. My serv-
Ices were not required there again. As /
passed through the door that evening Mrs.
Blanks chum passed In. We met on the
threshold. 1 noticed that she looked star
tied.
who was that mann she asked Mrs.
Blank the instant I passed out.
THAT was detective Thornton replied
the lady. He knows who has my diamond,
and he's going to and II for me-
The chum. as l learned. made no reply,
but looked uneasy. and In a few minutes. as
was their custom, the two women went
down TO the dining room TO supper. They
ate In silence for five minutes, and then the
chum spoke up suddenly:
- don't care for my supper. you finish
yours and l viii wait for you up stairs
With that the chum disappeared, and Mrs.
Blank continued the meal. In half an hour
she started TO her room. At the door she
took out her key and tried TO unlock the
door. She was unsuccessful. and an investi-
CATION revealed a wad OF paper In the key
hole. She took out the paper, and as she
unwrapped Il her diamond ring fell to the
floor At the same instant the chum
emerged from her room.
"'Oh. did you find your dlamondT she
said. i~nnocently enough.
Yes snapped Mrs. Blank, as she passed
into her room and slammed the door.
NOW, you would hardly believe 81" added
the detective. but l saw those two women
on the street together the very next day"