Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-04-27
TRICK FAILED TO WORK.
Samuel II. Hayward stops the Little Game
OF Slick stranger Who Sought to Rob
Them.

of Slick stranger Who Sought to Rob
iIhem.
A man giving the name of Robert A.
Brown of Camden, n. j., found he
had made a mistake on Monday after
noon when he tried to swindle Samuel
II. Baynard, ieweler, at Fifth and
Market streets, out of $500 worth of
diamonds. lie worked neat trick,
but Mr.. Baynard was too sharp for
him.. and as n result he is in New
Castle Jail awaiting the action of the
grand jury. When first arrested ho
said he was Robert A. Pyle of Jersey
City, N. j., but subsequently said
Brown was his correct name. He is
thought to be a professional and may
have several aliases.
About o O'Clock in the afternoon the
telephone at Mr.. Baynard's store rang
and Mr.. Baynard answered. A strange
voice informed him that Job II. Jack
son, with whom he is well acquainted,
was at the Pennsylvania railroad station
awaiting a train which would leave for
Philadelphia in 15 minutes. Ho told
Mr. Baynerd that he wanted to take
diamond ring TO Philadelphia TO pre-
sent it to a friend and asked if he had
any 2la carat stones mounted. Mr..
Baypard was suspicious, but said moth
ing that would betray his suspicious.
He replied that he had III carat
diamonds but they were not mounted,
whereupon the person at the station
asked him if he could have ono
mounted in time to send it to himsat
the station before the train left. Mr..
Baynard replied that it was impossible
to do SO. The man with the strange
voice then, after assuring him that he
| was Mr.. Jackson and that he was
extremely anxious to take diamond
to Philadelphia, asked if he would
send two or three stones in the rough
to the railroad station and il one of
them met his approval he would take
it and send check in the morning.
He informed Mr.. Baynard that mes
senger was on his way to the store to
take, the stones to the station. Mr..
Baynard allowed the stranger to be-
lieye that his request would be COM
piled with.
AS soon as Mr.. Baynard left the
telephone he had conference with his
clerks and they decided to send an
empty box to the man at the station
and make an effort to find out who he
was and what sort of a scheme he was
| trying to work. At about that time
Richard Burton, boy, entered the
| store and said he had been sent by
man at the p, W. & B. railroad
station for package.
| The empty box which had been care
fully wrapped up was handed to him
and he left the store. Edgar Chandler,
one of Mr.. Baynard's clerks, followed.
He took with him three diamonds
worth about $500, which he was to
| show Mr.. jackson, provided he found
Mr.. jackson at the station, which,
however, he did not expect. At any
rate he was prepared for any emer-
gency, Fortunately, Mr.. Chandler went
to the station in the same car in which
the boy was riding and when the lad
| behind him. The boy entered the
women's waiting room and handed the
box to tall, well dressed young man.
| Mr.. Chandler took him in at a glance
and seeing that he was an entire
stranger realized that his suspicious
were correct.
The boy had scarcely delivered the
empty box to the stranger when Mr..
Chandler caught hold of him, intend
ing to turn him over to the police, and
remarked II want you. The man
attempted to strike Mr.. Chandler, but
the latter warded off the blow and the
sharper broke away and ran through
the mems waiting room and out to the
railroad tracks,, He made an effort to
get into the yard at the railroad shops
but was prevented BY the watchman
who shut the gates. MIR. Chandler was
IN hot pursuit, and his cries of "stop
thief" attracted many others. The
stranger ran to French street and down
toward the Christiana. evidently hon.
ing 10 escape among the wharf build
ings, but when he reached the wharf
he found that he was hemmed in and
after brief deliberation plunged into
the stream and started to swim toward
the sotith side.
BY this time large crowd of people
had gathered at the wharf and several
assisted Mr.. Chandler and Mr.. Bay
nard, who had also arrived, to capture
the fugitive. James johnson, an en-
ploye OF the p, W. & B. Railroad Co. /,
tried to retard the swimmers progress
mn go ..--.- \ - :,