The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-05-22

street broker, is it-gave you his card,
did he? Well. I am not surprised at
that man there presenting somebody
elses card, If there was anything to be
made out of 1t. That fellow Is one Of
tho sharpest confidence men Of Chi
cago, and this is the first knew of his
being In New York. And as for the
woman with him, she's a notorious
Tenderloin character who has gotten
the better of more than one moneybag
In this town. If that man is your Pine
street broker, you can be pretty sure
those earrings she has on are your
property
"I gave the tip to one of our men
whom found in the lobby, and as we
didn't care to make scene during the
performance, we waited until it was
over and then gathered the pair in and
took them down to headquarters.
at was easy enough to hold the con-
fldence man, but it was hard to get the
woman to give up the diamonds. She
finally consented to surrender them
under protest, but, Of course, she never
made any more fuss about 1t and the
owner kept possession of them.
"This confidence man died in prison
about two years ago, and never learn
ed the solution Of the mystery of his
getting both of the diamonds until
few months ago, when the story came
out.
"The impersonation Of well-known
broker by presenting card with the
brokers' name on it was simple de-
vice to get possession Of one of the dia-
monds The thief had learned of the
brokers' intention to sail for Europe in
few days, and this fact was made use
of to keep that part Of the transaction
in fog until the brokers' return to
New York.
when the confidence man called
upon the owner of the diamonds to an
nounce the supposed robbery Of the
day before, he had planned to secure
possession of the other stone for the al
legged purpose of having diamond ex-
pert make a careful description Of lit
being almost an exact duplicate in color,
weight and shape-and by this means
the missing diamond could be identified
by any pawnbroker or diamond dealer
to whom it might be offered.
"The owner of the diamonds was at
luncheon in the dining room below
when the confidence man called, and
the servant was directed to show the
visitor into the library. 1t was in this
| room where the owner had met the
supposed broker on his previous visit,
and it was here that the safe containing
the diamond stood.
"The confidence man had carefully
watched the opening OF the safe the
day before, and he had noted that 1t
was worked by simple combination.
when the servant disappeared from
the library the thief glanced around,
and, seeing that he would be unob-
served and could readily hear any ap-
preaching footsteps, he set to work to
/ find the combination. 1t was only five
minutes after he had been left alone be-
fore the owner entered the rooom and
found his visitor apparently highly agi-
tated over the mysterious disappear
ance of the diamond he had
taken away with him the day be-
fore, and leaving the owner in ignor-
ance of the fact that while he was
quietly eating his luncheon in the room
below the combination of the safe had
been discovered and the other stone
was at that moment in the vest pocket
Of the man who stood before him. OF
course the owner never saw the thief
afte1ward until he accidentally met him
as have related.
"It is not hard to lose ones self in
New York, but this thief took the
chance of meeting the owner of the
diamonds in the crowd lat the opera.
and lost