The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-05-09


nervously up and down and evidennv
In an excited condition OF mind ua
spied me while / was a dozen naces
away, and with smile of recognition
oeckoned me TO approach him.
I've found the diamonds and tho
thiei at the same time, he said exeit-
eddy. ' 'N''''
That's good. said 1; where are
they?' "''
Come with me and I'll show Won
He led the way down the aisle on
one side of the building until he nearly
reached the orchestra. Handing me his
opera glasses. he said:
In the eighth row, near the GEN.
ter, sits stout, blonde woman wenr-
Ing pair OF large diamond earrings.
ihose are the earrings that formerly
belonged to my wife. and the man who
Is talking with the woman is the Pine
street broker who is supposed to be in
Europe.
Il turned the glasses toward the
couple and gave a careful look at the
people ne had pointed out.
Pine street broker?' said I. lower
Ing the glasses. That's no moro the
Pine street broker than am. That
is
But recognize him positively as tho
man who called on me and presented
his card as the broker?'
Oh! said /, that's the way Won
obtained your introduction to the Pine
street broker, is it-gave you his card.
ala he? Well. / am not surprised at
that man there presenting somebody
elses card, II there was anything 10 be
made out of 1t. That fellow is one OF
tho sharpest confidence men of Chi
cage and this is the first I knew Of his
being in New York. And as for the
woman with him, she's 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
these earrings she has on are your
property
Il gave the tip to one Of our men
whom found in the lobby, and rs we
didn't care to make a scene during the
performance, we waited until it was
over and then gathered the pair in and
took them down to headquarters.
ut was easy enough to hold the con-
tidence man, but 1t was hard to get the
woman to give mp the diamonds. She
70
under protest, but. of course, she never
made any more fuss about it 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 a
few months ago, when the story came
out.
The impersonation of well-known
broker by presenting a card with the
brokers' name on 1t was a 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
a few days. and this fact was made use
of to keep that part of the transaction
in a 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 tit
being almost an exact duplicate In ,olor,
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. II was in this
room where the owner had met the
supposed broker on his previous visit,
and IL 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 II
was worked by a simple combination.
when the servant disappeared from
the library the thief glanced around,
and. seeing that he would be uncb-
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 ana
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. Ot
course the owner never saw the THIEF
afterward until he accidentally met him
as have related.
at is not hard to lose ones self In
Now York, but this thief took the
chance of meeting the owner or the
diamonds in the crowd at the opera
and lost"