Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-06-26

| into public notice a most picturesque char
acter in criminal history, and man
whose swindles have not been confined TO
any one section of the country, but who
has operated in everv p--rt of the United
States. ABE" Rothschild has been known
to the police of almost every city in this
4 country lat one time or another and
worked successfully one of the greatest
| diamond swindles ever worked In the
| state Of Georgia. Among his victims were
! two local diamond jewellers, both. Of whom
have since retired from business. He has
spent years in prison, has been tried and
convicted Of murder. but afterwards,
| through the use of large sums OF money
subscribed by prominent business persons
of ST. Louis, friends Of the family, he Sc
cured his liberty.
Rotschild is under arrest as a confeder-
ate Of the man who assumed the name Of
George H. Stewart, banker of Shippens-
| burg Pa, to swindle several large jewell
~ firms Of New York city. Through the
| ingenuity Of jewelers. clerk, who sus-
pected that all was not right, the swind-
| ling scheme was discovered before the
| jewelers. were victimized. The police Of
Harrisburg learned that the swindler had
an accomplice, and looked for Rothsc.ild,
who fed He was captured day before
yesterday.
Several years ago Rothschild came to
| Georgia and spent some s.me In Atlanta
| lOOklnk over ln6 HGlQ III al OPRSA
| to yictimize some of the local jewelers.. He
finally perfected scheme and went TO
| Swainsboro There is in that city
prominent business man, A, l.. Coleman,
| by name. Rothschild ascertained tnat
| Coleman was rated in the commercial
agehsies at over half million dollars
/ Rothschild assumed the name, and going
to that gentleman discussed the similari-
| ty Of their names. He said he had come
to open a jewelry store.
Rothschild then ordered from Fred ].
Stilson over 81 100 worth of diamonds,
which he ordered shipped to "A. L. Cole
man. Swainsboro, Ga" He also ordered
over 81 600 worth Of gems from A. L. Del
kin, and had them sent to the same ad-
dress.
The Jewellers looked in the commercial
rating books and found that Coleman was
worth several hundred thousand dollars.
| The jewels were immediately sent by ex-
press. In due time they reached the real
Coleman. who announced that he had ord
cred no diamonds from any firm in At
lanta The express agent started to re-
turn the gems to the Atlanta jewelers.,
when Coleman remembered that the other
| "a L. Coleman" who was Rothschild,
had remarked that he was going to open
jewelry store in Swainsboro, and ne
sent the express agent to Rothschild. who
said he was the proper person. secured
the gems and fed The jewelry firms
robbed entered suit against the express
companies for the amount Of the diamonds
stolen. After these two successful
swfndles In Georgia, Rothschild went to
Tennessee, where he worked the same
swindle several times.
Rothschild has had a wonderful career.
He was born in st. Louis, where his fath-
er was one of the most prominent bank
ers in the city, and several members OF
his family were counted as merchant
princes of the west. He was always wild
| and profiigate, and at an early age ne
married a well known woman in, st.
| Louis, Diamond Bessie Moore. She
was famous all over that section Of the
state for the magnificent diamonds she
| possessed. Whether 1t Was Rothschild's
purpose to secure these gems or not was
never developed, but within short time
| after his marriage, ne took his bride to
Jefferson, Texas, and registered at the
| best hotel there. Two days after he
| reached Jefferson, he and his wife went
out for a walk. About dusk Rothschild
returned alone. He told a story about
his wife meeting friends and going of
to visit them. The next day he packed
up their effects and left. Two days later
the body of his wife was found in a clump
| of bushes. She had been shot through
| the heart, and every one Of her magnii-
| cent diamonds had been torn from her
clothing Word of the murder was tele-
graphed all over the country. Roths-
child was found few days later, sit
ting on the porch Of gambling house in
| Cincinnati. He had shot himself. He was
taken to a hospital, where he was pulled
| through, but the attempt at suicide cost
| him an eye. Rothschild, as SOON as he
| recovered, was taken back to Texas, and
after a trial which interested the whole
country, he was found guilty Of the muir
der of Diamond Bessie" and was SEN
4 - 10 10 - Co a.,
| ST. Louis took up a subscription for his
defense, and a large sum was raised. APP
plication for q change Of venue was
made on the ground that there was too
much feeling against him in Texas, and
| a change was secured. He was soon a
free man. He was not heard from again
until March, 1892, when he became en-
gagged in a row with John H. Springer.
| of the Springer Lithographing company
1916 Broadway, in a gambling house in
Twenty-third street, New York city. The
men fought over O game Of poker, but
were separated. Later, when Springer
/ left the gambling house, Rothschild was
waiting for him on the sidewalk.
Springer was knocked down, and Roth
schild fired shot at him, but missed his
aim. The men were again separated and
1t was alleged that they were arrested.
but at the Thirtieth street station 1t was
denied that anything was known of such
q case. ROtnScnild, leIL new 1Orh the. IOl-
lowing day, and the next heard Of him
he was in prison in Jefferson City. Mo-,
for swindling.
While in the Jefferson City prison
Rothschild wrote a history of his life
which he sent to New York. 1t is a re-
markahle document, much of which can
not be printed. owing to the charges
which he makes against former police
officials who he alleges protected him
when he was running a swindling COM
mission house in Sixth avenue, and
another equally peculiar business in lower
Broadway
Rothschild's ingenuity in concocting
successful swindling schemes was re-
markable. The modus operandi of his
| latest scheme, which but for the sagacity
of the jewelers. clerk which brought him
| and his confederates to book in Shippens-
burg. was figured out by him years ago.
He would at that time as he told the
history of his life, learn the name OF
one of the most respected business men
in town. He would then write to various
jewelers. In the east, ordering goods ship
| ped to the town he had selected, using
the mama of the urOseDrOuS business