The Forrest City times., 1897-04-09

CITIES. but no clue to the minsinR dis-
monds was obtained.
IAN efforts to discover the thief or
to ascertain the method by which the
robberies had been committed were
without result. and as'beginning to
fear that It was case thatcould never
be cleared up when one evening the
telephone bell rang. and was wanted.
The person at the other end OF the
phone was the owner of the diamonds.
who wished me to meet him In the
lobby Of the Metropolitan opera house
as soon as could get there went up
at once. and on entering the lobby
the first person I caught sight of was
the owner OF the diamonds, walking
nervously up and down and evidently
In an excited condition OF mind. He
spied me while I was dozen PAGES
away, and with smile of recognition
beckoned me to approach him.
I've found the diamonds and the
thief at the same time he said excit-
eddy.
That's good said I; where are
they?
Come with me and I'll show you
He led the way down the aisle on
one side of the building until ne nearly
reached the orchestra Handing me his
opera glasses, he said:
In the eighth row, near the CEN
ter. sits stout, blonde woman wear
ing a pair OF large diamond earrings.
Those 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
II turned the glasses toward the
couple and gave careful look at the
people he had pointed out.
"'Pine street broker?' said I, lower
Ing the glasses. That's no more the
Pine street broker than I am. That
is
But recognize him positively as the
man who called on me and presented
his card as the broker?'
"'Oh? said I, that's the way you
obtained your introduction to the Pine
street broker, is it-gave you his card.
did he? Well. am not surprised at
that man there presenting somebody
olse's card. II there was anything to be
made out Of 1t. That fellow is one Of
the 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 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
II gave the tip to one of our men
whom l found in the lobby, and rs we
didn't care to make a scene during the
performance, we waited until 1t was
over and then gathered the pair in and
took them down to headquarters.
1T was easy enough to hold the con-
fldence man, but 1t 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 it and the
owner kept possession of them.
This confidence man died in prison
about two years ago, and l 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 a well-known
broker by presenting card with the
brokers' name on 1t 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 tit
being almost an exact duplicate in color,
weight and shape-and by this means
the uilcSlHS QldLLOuu COulu Dc ltchtillcu
by any pawn5roker or diamond dealer
to whom 1t 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.
1.-THE confidence man had carefully
watched the opening of the safe the
day before, and he had noted that II
was worked by simple ombination.
when the servant disappeared from
the library the thief glanced around
and, seeing that he would be unob-
served and could readily hear any APP
preaching footsteps, he set to work to
find the combination. 1t was only five
minutes after he had been left alone be-