The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-18
MILLIONS in JEWELS.
FACTS RECALLED BY THE GREAT pIA-
MoND RoBBERlES IN NEW YORK.
Dazzling Halt For Daring Thieves--what
May BE Seen at the Opera on Any Kven.
ing--The Immense Number OF Diamonds


and iteinizei accounts Of the stolen articles
are published that the public becomes
aware OF tho vast fortunes I'm gems which
are possessed by the wealthy women of
New York.
The Burden gems represented perhaps
half Of Mrs. Burdens magnificent collcc.
tion. She sat at the opera ON tho night
OF tho robbery, resplcndent with glttcring
diamonds aud emeralds, while at her homo
thieves were getting away with almost
s60. 900 worth of her gems
Tho diamond fortunes OF "the Four
Hundred" are, rs a rule. well guarded
when kept at private residences. In all
homes where there arc valuable collections
similar to the Burden jewels there are
safes for tl.,ir Keeping aud In some in
stances strong rooms and vaults are built
In tho cellars and imbeddcd i'm the walls of
the houscs.
No maker Of anarchistic novels or melo-
dramatic playwright has as yet chosen for
his sensational climax ono Of tho most pos
siblo OF modern catastrophcs-tho descent
OF an organized band of thieves upon tho
Metropolitan Opera House upon an ION"
night during tho season, when millions Of
dollars worth OF diaIacnds arc hung about
tho throats OF New York fair women com.
better proof OF the civilization and prog
ress Of our timo and country is needed
than this security.
A dozen detectives In citizens clothes
watch the doors of the opera house as the
carriages let down their occupants each
night and then retire 10 peaceful slumber
and the consciousness Of duty done. Por-
haps half as many remain In tho house
aud do so through the evening. Yet tho
jewels on show at this house on opera
nights represent an actual money valuo
creator than that OF the historic goms pos
sessed by princes and potcnta,cs tho world
over. The New York women. en- masse.
possess more valuable diamonds than the
women of all the world.
The American woman's love for dia-
monds Is something moro than u passion.
Ii Is craze which has something of q
fever In It's poison, and the fro that burns
In tho centcr Of a nawless stono hypnotizcs
her soul liko the magic crystal Of eastern
sorcerers. 1T ism national disease" Max
O'Reil says, (which. when it gets above
the first knucklc. is fatal
III marriage means ono thing more thar
another To a New York girl, 1t marks q
time when she may, with propricty. pin
diamonds In her hair and cntwino them
about her throat and hang them upon her
breast and Rird herself with them until
tho sun. and the moon, and tho stars,
must bow down and acknowledge her SUI
pcrior gorgeousness.
Fiftccn New York womon own 81, 215,
QUO I'm diamonds, rs follows:
Mrs. william Astor. or......................sl5 $4,000
Mrs. Bradley Martin.................... 10000
Mrs. Henry sI.ane. e....................... l2oVUo
Mrs. Oliver II. i. Belmont .............. 100000
Mrs. Townsend Burden. ................. 10000
Mrs. Seward webb. Mrs. II. Mckay
Twombley, Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt,
Mrs. Ogden Goolet, Mrs. Robert Goclci,
Mrs. John Jacob Astor Mrs. George
Gould, Mrs. Elisha Dyer Mrs. whitney
Warren, 5000, 600; total, 81 275, 900.
When Anna Gould became tho Countess
Castcllane last spring, she was made tho
posscssor OF wealth OF magnificent jew
cls, which riyaled in splendor and value
the collections OF Mrs. Astor and Mrs.
Bradley Martin. Besides the Castellane
pearls of fabulous value she received tiaras
and necklaces Of raro diamonds and
wonderful pear shaped pink diamond of
great value, the gift OF her brother How
ard.
A fashionable Fifth avenue jeweler Is at
present constructing n great coronet for
the Countess Castcllnnc all tho gems for
which are TO bo specially selected. A long
pear shaped emerald forms the apex OF the
crown.
Whom Mrs. Astor appeared at the opera
several seasons ago crowned with dia-
monds she created veritable sensation
and set the fashion which has since be-
come old. Every society woman in Now
IL a Il "a Io.,
TO her casket. Then Mrs. Bradley Martin
stunned some great asSomblage by appear
ing I'm respondent stoinachcr of diamonds
and emcralds, and presently diamond bolts
became the rage Mrs. Martin owns ono
of the star collection of diamonds in New
York, and when she is In town she keeps
them at her house. The Bradley Martin
robbery, which occurred few days after
the marriage of Miss Martin and the Earl
of Craven. proved the fact that Mrs. Mar
tins costly gems, MS we'll rs an almost
priceless collection of old watches aud the
family silver were left in most unpro-
tected state, In care OF the servants, hard
ly under lock and key.
Diamonds-so easy Of concealmcnt and
always possessing high market value
are, next TO cash money itself, most great
ly desired by professional thieves. and to
getting them much daring ingenuity and
skill are devoted. The recent great dia-
mond robbcrios IN Now York and tho fail
ure OF detectives To land the thieves have
caused a great deal of bad feeling on the
part Of the reform police commissioners
and their detectives. This wGs given pub.
lie expression when few days ago Com
missioner Parker, who has u sort Of per
sonal supervision over tho detective hu
reau, gave through tho columns of Tho
Evening Post % list OF robbcrics In the
past, the perpetrators of which were never
detected, he claimed. Unconsciously he
paid tribute 20 ex-Inspcctor Byrnes by
selecting that great thief catcher as an OBJ
jeot for the exhibition of his spleen.
Byrnos was abroad, and of course could not
defend himself. .--Cincinnat Enquirer.