The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-16
GEMS HID IN THE THROAT.
LONDON POLICE BRING TO LIGHT
NEW TRICK TO CONCEAL
JEWELS
THE x-RAYs DISCOVERED IT
Pouch Formed in the Esophagus
by Lowering a BulIet-Long
Training Required for
the Trick.

The resources of the thief, which are
already numerous enough to make crime
almost a science, have been increased by
one more. The new trick is method
of hiding stolen diamonds and small ar
ticles in such way as to make detection
impossible unless the Roentgen rays are
used. The discovery was made in Lon
don in this ways, says the Philadelphia
Press:
The London police were notified that a
Hindoo, who had stolen some $50, 900
worth of diamonds from Calcutta jew
elry store, was on his way to the Eng
ish capital. He was arrested the mo-
ment he set his foot on London soil and
then began an examination that baff1ed
the police for a long time.
The Hindoo's clothing was searched
thoroughly, but no trace of the missing
gems We're to. be found. Then the po-
lice suspected that he had swallowed the
gems, but this, too, proved the wrong
trail.
All this time the Iindoo maintained
the calmest and most smiling appearance
of disinterestedness, and the authorities
were on the point of giving UP the task
when Surgeon General Biddie suggested
that the prisoner be subjected to an ex-
animation by the Roentgen rays.
They were skeptical about the success
of the experiment, but consented to hav-
ing it tried.
The Photograph showed a foreign
body in the esophagus, just below the
larynx.
COMMON PRACTICE IN INDIA.
None of the surgeons instruments were
of any avail in dislodging the body. FL
nally, in desperation, the police threat
ened the Hindoo with the most severe
corporal punishment if he did not as
ne
flculty, he brought the substance UP and
showed to the .astonished police the dia-
monds for which they had searched so
long.
This is the first time on record that
such a method of secreting stolen goods
has come to the notice of the police OF
civilized countries. 1t is, however, a
common practice in India.
In one year recently the Calcutta jail
held twenty-five culprits who had Guilt
waited an artificial pouch in the back OF
the esophagus for the express purpose OF
hiding stolen valuables.
To the unilitiated this sounds like an
impoSsjibility. Three prominent throat
specialists in this city pronounced it a
wild inprobability until the subject was
looked up in medical books and journals,
when it was found to be authentic.
This is only one of the ways in which
TIC IiiUIdn dOSpI ndS OSliSu hISu1Cd1 Id %
The pouch is formed by long course
of training.
AS is well known, the esophagUs is sur
rounded by muscular rings, which work
independently of each other and force the
food down to the stomachs. There is a
certain diseased condition known as d.
verticulus of the esophagus, which
forms g false pouch in the membrane
but there is no control over the pouch
because it is formed of membrane and
not muscle.
HOW THE POUCH IS MADE.
The Indian adept takes a hereditary
criminal while he is young. The course
of training consists in lowering a large
bullet on a, string down the throat to g
point just below the larynx, and leaving
it there for half hour or an hour al
time. This is repeated day after day
until the bullet forces two of the muscle
rings apart and forms a false pouch be-
tween them.
BY methods known only to the adept
and his pupil, slight muscular control is
gained over this poucb-iust sufficient to
allow the thief to bring 1T forward to
catch the body he is swallowing or Keep
it back to allow the body to go down into
the stomach.
When man has such hiding place as
this, it is Impossible to find stolen jewels
without the aid of the Roentgen rays.
The presence of a foreign body in the
pouch does not interfere in any way 1ith
breathing, talking or swallowing. You
simply put the diamonds in there and they
are no more bother to you than If You
had put them in your vest pocket.
Anybody can cultivate such a pouch.
After the first few trials the difficulty of
setting the bullet below the Adams apple
grows less each time until. finally, it
becomes as easy as swallowing ice
cream. Then all that remains in the
course of training is to lower the bullet
to the same place each day and while it
is there work the muscles of the throat
until you gain control over the opening of
he T1o1Jof0