Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-08-01


the owners of having taken the rings
He seemed 10 feel it a duty 10 report
his loss. however. and after being
quietly advised TO have an eye on his
employees and unknown customers he
was dismissed with the promise tina,
the matter would be looked into. AS a
matter of fact. no assignment was
made on the case. Some fash chap
had gifted" the jewels without even
his call being remembered. and il was
no use TO hunt for a needle in a hay
stack
1t wasn't three days before another
case was reported by another Strand
jeweler This time it was a diamond
sunburst, and he was positive that he
had shown ii to only three ladies before
be missed it. He was reluctant TO give
the names, but when pressed to do so
that Of the marquis wife again headed
the list The others were almost as far
/ above suspicion. and the inspector look
ed AT the complainant in a way TO make
him feel like a culprit. This time |
was put on the case. but shall be hon
est enough to say that it was mere
matter of form. Ii was more than any
/ officials head was worth even TO hint
that one of the three ladies mentioned
might have carried the ornament away
in a moment of observation-disclosures
1t was about five days after this that
+ the third case was reported This time
a jeweler had lost a pair of valuable
diamond earrings, and be had to be
hard pressed by the inspector before
he would admit that the loss was de-
/ tected almost Immediately after the
marquis wife had left the store She
+ had greatly admired the ornaments and
/ had partly decided TO purchase them at
/ a later date. Not for one instant. not
ON his life. did the jeweler suspect the
! lady OF title OF even taking the jewel
I away 10 lit Of abstraction. but some
how be felt 1t bis duty to report the
/ case. The inspector didn't bluff this
4 third tradesman quite as heavily as be
/ bad the first and second and he looked
i grave and thoughtful when ! was Civ
i en- the case and he related particulars.
/ was told to go my own way about il.
/ but If | made blunder Scotland Yard
would see me- no more as a detective.
4 That wasn't at all encouraging. you
j see, but ] had TO 20 ahead and make
start. Much to my surprise after
+ thinking the matter over | came to the
conclusion that the marquis wife
might possibly be guilty Of shopifting.
/ The idea almost took my breath away
/ at the first go off. but when ! came 10
/ recall the many rumors about the mar
| tuis being a gambler. bard up, man
/ of miserish habits at home. and so
/ forth. there looked TO be something in
/ it from a detectives standpoint.
| The lady was well known TO me by
! sight. She was past 45. much faded,
/ and her face always carried a fret:ul.
/ worried look. | simply waited until
4 she appeared on the street in her car
riage. as if bound on a shopping tour.
and then followed her. 1t was a week
after the third case was reported thar
she came out. and she went directly TO
Bond street jewelers.. followed
her into the store. where she was
known and received with great servil-
ity and when a tray Of jewelry was
! placed before her | felt sure that the
4 next half hour would clear her of all
suspicion or cOmplicate the ease still
further Her manner was that of lofty
condescension. She slowly and Ian
+ guidiy inspected the Jewels, and now
and then the proprietor Of the store,
/ who was waiting upon her ia person.
! had his attention attracted for the mo-
ment elsewhere My lady finally de-
I cided TO call again and was bowed out.
ana she was hardly clear Of the door
when | revealed my identity to the
! jeweler and asked him to be sure that
there was nothing missing from the
tray. He was at first inclined to al
minister snub, bur when be found
the finest ring Of the lot conspicuously
absent he almost fell over in faint
| There was no room 10 doubt that the
lady had lifted" IL. but that only made
the case worse in n way. For a trades
man and detective 10 charge a lady
of quality with shopliftin- was rs bad
as treason against the crown. 4 mere
word would bring financial ruin upon
the jeweler. and he was ready Is stand
the loss ten times over rather than
speak il.
Twice moro within the next fort
night I followed the lady into iewelrv
establishments aud morally convicted
her Of shoplifting This made six cases
in ALL and. no matter hev ,a1 victims
felt. we of the Yard We're quite deter
Il mined that something ought II ne done.
l had been on the san for ten years.
ana my work had given cood >afisfac-
i ton. but was so eet,5 as a sacrifice.
| mean hy thar thar ] was ordered to
secure au Interview with tie lady in
form her 81 my discoveries ana take
tie consequences. I uust take III tie