The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-07-04
sMuoe1ED JEWELS IN WATCH.
Wrought Thousands of Dollars in
Diamonds Across From Canada.

Diamonds Across From Canada.
From the. Albany Press.
IF I had not served an apprenticeship
,,itb jewelen" said a man who was once
connected with the government's Secret
service and now manages his own detec-
rive bureau" I probably would have
missed what / consider was the best
evoke Of business 1 ever did. It only
goes TO prove the old saying that there
= no such thing as useless knowledge.
81 had been in the Secret Service about
two years, grubbing around on unimport-
ant Jobs because / was only youngster,
.,hen it was discovered that large guam
titles of diamonds were being smuggled
INTO the country. The reputable diamond
dealers in New York gave the first In
formation. That was in the fall of 1879
some of the best detectives in the bust
ress had been assigned to this job and
a. was we'll understood that the man who
succeeded in running 1t down would find
his reputa ton made. In the middle of
November the chief of our department
sent for me and said:
Charlie, l think you are just the
man I want to work out my theory of the
diamond smuggling. From my investi-
cations l have reached the conclusion
country by way of Canada. I want you
10 go I'D to Rouse's Point on Lake Cham
Main and see if you can get any clue to
mis- business there. Don't let even the
Cnystoms House officers In that country
know what you are and draw on me for
expenses.
'oThat struck me as being a pretty blind
sort of a commission, but | was young
and full of confidence in myself l was
together a hunters outfit and arrived
at Houses Point after week in the
Adirondacks. 80
IN those days the through trains from
Montreal to New York all stopped for
breakfast OF dinner at Rouse's Point.
Having nothing to- do / made the station
nv lounging place. cultivated the ac-
ouaintance of the newsboys oa the train
and kept close tab on all the passen-
gers My month heightened into two, and
al the end of that time 1 had a suspicion,
and to verify it was going to Montreal
Il wanted to learn more of a certain
julius Kahn. He made regular trips be-
tween Montreal and New York ostensibly
as an agent for a fire insurance company.
He was one of those boisterous, hail-fel-
low sort of chaps who knew all of the
trainmen by name. He tipped literally.
] had made some secondhand inquiries
about his insurance business with the re-
suit that l doubted his connection With
any insurance company. I learned that
he stayed, when in Montreal, in a quiet
little third-rate hotel on Notre Dame
street. The best hotels in Canada in those
days were none too good and that a man
of Kahn's generous tastes should stay in
such a hotel was another suspicious cir
substance.
Kahn did not know me by sight, so
that I felt myself safe in going to his
hotel People who come to such places
from the States without any explanation
are at once classed with the men for
whom the law has punishment in store.
fostered this idea about myself and two
days after l was established in the hotel
It was. assumed by the other patrons of
the place that l was a fugitive from the
States l had been there nearly a. week
when Kahn arrived. He was greeted as
an old friend by the landlord and in due
course of time 1 was introduced to him
Kahn sized me up in accordance with
the landlords suspicious, and we became
very friendly. discovered that he seldom
left the hotel and that he had no definate
date for returning to New York. One
evening as we were smoking together the
landlord came over to us and told Kahn
that some friends of his We're waiting for
him in his room. Kahn left me and the
next day / learned that he had gone to
New York. 81
Acting by my instructions one of the
men in the New York office Swallowed
Kahn on his arrival and until he left
town. Kahn stayed at an old hotel that
stood near what is now the New York
end of the Brooklyn bridge None of the
men who visited him was identified with
the sellers of cheap diamonds and if my
ffrho me Lr0cs a
had a clever man to be dealt with.
Kahn came back to the Notre Dame
street MOTEL a week later. The next time
he went to New York / was on the train
with him and II wes as indignant as he
when customs officers came aboard as
we crossed the line and made a very thor
ough search of the baggage and clothes
of every passenger.
" Don't kick, said Kahn to me. 1T
won't do any good. Let them go through
you If you make a fuss they may iden-
tify you
This remark, of course, referred to his
suspicion that was a fugitive from jus.
tice l watched Kahns examination close-
ly and when it ended without the finding
CT any dutiable goods in his possession,
concluded that 1 had made mistake.
Kahn might be engaged in some sort OF
crooked business, but it was not SNUG
Cling diamonds.
After the examination we went into the
smoker. Kahn was in his good humor.
lie twitted me on my nervousness and told
me to put up a bold front and IL got into
difficulties to let him know. He advised
me to stay at his hotel1 accepted his sug-
gestion, for we were now on friendly
terms. We reached New York early in
the morning, and an hour after our ar
rival man came into the dining room
Where we were at breakfast and greeted
Kahn. as an old friend.
Well, how's business% he asked.
I'm not complaining said Kahn. My
commissions are good
1t was evident from the subsequent
conversation that Kahn's friend wanted
10 get rid of me, but 1 stuck like a
brother. Finally he said to Kahn:
Got a watch to swap?'
Yes said Kahn, an old-fashioned
bullseye with about half a pound Of silver
IN the case and no works to speak Of
Let's see it," said the friend.
Kahn pulled out a watch of pattern
mat knew from experience in a jewellery
store was very rare. II was an unusually
Dig watch. and the works within were so
loose that they ratified. The friend
brought out a neat little silver watch and