The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-06-22
THE FAMOUS BLUE
DIAMOND ROBBERY

Those who pay attention to the records of
the criminal cases, as reported by the news
papers, and who have a good memory for
such matters, will recollect the interest
aroused, now several years ago, by the trial
of one Robert Morris for what was known as
''The blue diamond robbery" In the minds
Of some. perhaps, the details of this crime
may be still fresh. But for the benefit OF
that indefinitely greater number of persons
whose memorial faculty is only a nine
days affair, it will be we'll 10 recapitulate
all the facts of the case before proceeding to
the elucidaticn of one very mysterious
point, which at the time baf11ed the cleverest
detectives in London. rlt s+l
First, then, for the recapitulation of the
facts. as disclosed before the right honor
able, the lord mayor at the Mansion house,
and subsequently before the recorder Of
London at the Old Bailey. The victimnof
the robbery was one, Jacob Blumefeeld. IAN
Anglo German Jew, and we'll known dia-
mond merchant in Hatton Garden. This
gentleman, in the course of visit to the
Dutch East Indies, with a view to the pur-
chase of pearls lin which also he dealt) had
picked up from a native Samaritan, for a
song, six stones, which the vendor supposed
to be small, pale, and therefore, compare
lively worthless sapphires, but which
Blumefeeld's practiced eye told him at once
were those rarest and costliest stones in
the market-viz.: blue diamonds. 1t was
stated in court, I recollect, by expert wit
nesses, that there were not more than 80
blue diamonds known to exist, and that the
ratio OF their value to ordinary diamonds
of the same size and water was at least 100
to one. On this basis the six stones referred
to, despite their insignificant size, were
worth fully 100000; indeed, at the time
they were stolen, Blumefeeld was negotiat-
ing a sale of them to Messrs. Rostron, the
Bond street jewellers, for sum several
thousands in excess of that amount. 1t may
be readily imagined, therefore, that the
theft of such gems excited no small sensa-
ton.
The circumstances of the theft were, or
appeared to be, sufficiently commonplace.
On the day of the robbery Blumefeeld had
carefully locked the diamonds in his safe
when he quilted his Office at o'clock. At
about or 8, the Waterman who was on
duty, and who had received pasticular in
structions to keep an eye on Blumefeeld's
office, happened to catch the flash of light
through the keyhole, and, pushing open the
door, which he found unfastened, made his
way inside and actually caught the thief
once collared the fellow-a small. weak
man, who made little resistance to his stall
wart captor-and raised the alarm. In a
minute or two several constables were on
the scene, and little later an inspector ar
rived, who lost time in dispatching a
special messenger to Blumefeelds private
residence in Pembridge square.
On the diamond merchants arrival a
thorough examination of the premises was
made disclosing the fact that his safe had
been opened with a duplicate key, which,
lin fact, was still in the lock, and that, while
everything else had been left untouched,
the most valuable contents, namely, the
blue diamonds, had been distracted. The
thief of course, was then conveyed, without
delay, to the nearest police station, and
duly charged by Blumefeeld. who now rec
ognized him man who had called upon
him at his Office a few days previously in
reference to a proposed purchase of gems,
which had fallen through. He recollected,
also, that he had had occasion to leave the
stranger alone in his Office for a minute or
two; when, probably, the latter had man
aged to get an impression of the lock of
his safe. The prisoner did not deny this.
Nor, in spite of the usual caution, did he
make any secret of the fact that he had
broken into the Office for the purpose of
stealing the blue diamonds But that he
had stolen them he stubbornly denied.
"Some one else had forestalled me- he
said. I found the safe open and key al
ready in the lock. I've got my own dupli-
search me you'll find it in my waistcoat
pocket.
In confessing he had entered the Office
with felonious intent, he was, of course,
only admitting as much as the circumstances
of his capture rendered obvious and incon-
trovertable and, far as that went, was
doing himself neither harm nor good. But
his statement that he had been forestalled
was SO clearly of the cock and bull type
that no credence whatever was naturally
attached to it, He was subjected to the
usual rigorous search. The duplicate key,
as he had said, was in his waistcoat pocket,
and in his coat pockets there were one or
two other felonious instruments Yet not
a sign of blue diamond, nor any other
jewel nor valuable, was found upon him.
His clothes his boots, his hat his person,
even to the inside of his mouth, we're again
and again examined. Not trace of the
missing stones! And this was the more re-
markable because he had been collared red
handed, and from that moment had no
chance whatever allowed him of throwing
away or otherwise disposing of the stones.
81 tell you I haven't got them,' he kept
persisting "I'd have prigged 'em if I'd
had the chance, I don't deny; and it would
be no use if 1 did. But 1 was forestalled l
tell you. Some other chap must have got
in just before me and lifted 'em. You're
only wasting time and trouble in searching
me. You are, indeed"
OF course no attention was paid to this
ridiculous assertion, and after the process
of search had been repeated again and again,
Blumefeeld returned with two of the police
to his Office in Hatton Garden, where it was
thought possible that the thief might have
managed to drop the stones. But the most
careful scrutiny Of every nook, Granny and
corner failed to discover them. Blume-
field, very naturally, fell into fine state
of mind.
Never mind, sir" said the inspector.
"We're bound to find them, you know"
"Do-do you think there-there's any
chance of that scoundrels story being true?"
exclaimed Blumefeeld, anxiously.
mot much" laughed the inspector.
"I'll give five hundred to the first man
that puts his hand on them," cried the dia-
mond merchant.
Which offer you may be sure, made the
inspector try his very hardest in the matter,