The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-12-19

Two D1amOndss
Mysterious events of the last few
days concerning the false use of his
name In the East are causing c. W.
Hackett, of the Hackett Hardware
company, no little speculation. First
came telegram to the local police
from Providence, r, L, asking that G.
w. Hackett be arrested on the charge
Of forgery and obtaining goods under
false pretenses. The Providence au-
thorities were promptly informed that
G. w. Hackett was one Of ST. Paurs
most prominent merchants, and that
there must be some mistake.
Several days later Mr.. Hackett re-
ceived a check from his local bankers
for $200, drawn in Providence, r. l.,
which he at once pronounced for
gerry. This threw some light on the
situation and showed that some one
was using Mr.. Hackett's name for
criminal purposes. Last Thursday,
however, the plot thickened, when Mr..
Hackett received a package by express
from Providence, which, when open
ed, disclosed a pair of splendid dia-
Hackett has sustained no pecuniary
loss, and, besides, has the dia-
monds, but the complications in the
case are annoying, and he has asked
the Pinkerton agency, together with
Chief Goss, to try to straighten the
matter out. Who it is that is using
his name Mr.. Hackett says he has no
idea. He says he has not lately been
to Providence, never drew a check on
a st. Paul bank there, and is absolute
ly in the dark as to where the dia-
monds may have come from, or rather
how they were sent to him.
When the diamonds were delivered,
Mr.. Hackett did not know what the
box contained, and signed for the
package before opening it. When the
sparkling stones met his gaze, his sur
prise was complete. He had purchas-
ed no diamonds, and there was neither
card nor communication of any kind
to explain that any mistake had been
made, nor has he since received any,
thing to enlighten him. That the dia-
monds were purposely sent to Mr..
Hackett, however, seems certain, as
his name and initials were plainly on
the package, though the store num-
ber was 1852 East Fourth street in
stead Of 268, as 1t should have been.
The name on the box showed that the
diamonds had been purchased from a
jeweler of Providence. The Provi-
dence police were notified Of the re-
ceipt of the diamonds and wired Chief
Goss, asking that the sparks be re-
turned.
The purpose or plans Of the individu-
al using Mr.. Hackett's name is a mys-
terry, though the forged 5000 check in
dicates some sort of criminal proceed
ure. Whether or not the jew
eler from whom the diamonds
were purchased cashed the check
in part payment is mat
ter of speculation. If the jeweler
cashed the check, the case appears
even more strange, as the perpetrator
Of the fraud has apparently made
nothing by the deal, inasmuch as Mr.
Hackett has the gems. 1t may be,
Chief Goss says, that the cashing Of
the check and purchase Of the dia-
monds were the first operations of
plans for larger swindles. Again, the
chief thinks it possible that the oper-
ator at Providence may have a con-
federate here who was to have pre-
sented an order for the diamonds upon
the express company before they could
be delivered to Mr.. Hackett
'1 know absolutely nothing about
the affair."" said Mr.. Hackett, last
evening. Somebody evidently famil-
lar with matters in ST. Paul is using
my name in Providence. For what
purpose is a mystery. Our firm has
no agents or representatives in Provi-
dence, though as a business institu-
ton it is known there, but who forged
the check or sent me the diamonds Is
completely beyond my knowledge I
am nothing out by the transaction,
but it may be that an effort is being
made to swindle some Of my friends
or business acquaintances by the use
of my name, and. If this is the case, I
should like to have the scheme thwart-
ed"
In the last telegram from the Provi-
dence authorities asking the return Of