The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-13
FEW JEWELLERS ROBBED.

Philadelphia Telegraph.

Strong Protective Union Guards Trav-
cling Statesmen.
Philadelphia Telegraph.
The recent robbery and murder OF an
East Side jewelry salesman in New York
recalls the risks run by travelling sales
men of the great jewelry houses, who
carry with them stocks worth many thou
sands of dollars. The risks were so great
and robberies were of such frequent oc-
currence as to lead to the formation, sew
eral years ago, of a powerful alliance
whose aim is to prevent robberies, or TO run
down and punish the robbers where all
precautions have failed. AS consequence
1t is a long time since the robbery Of =
jewelry salesman. The organization which
has brought about this change is the Jew
elers' Protective Union. Although it has
been a power in fits own field, very little or
its workings are generally known.
The union was organized In 1875, largely
through the influence OF w. j. Alling, then.
as now, a New York jeweler. Two years
previous one of Mr.. Alling's statesmen was
travelling through New England with
trunk containing $4,000 worth of diamonds.
One night he went from Boston to Spring
field, checking his trunk. When he reached
Springfield he presented his check at the
baggage room and received an old Valise'
which, when opened, was found TO contain
waste paper and decayed fruit. Mr.. Alling
was notified and went TO William Murry,
then an inspector OF the New York police
department.
hurry found that the check of the trunk
had been changed in transit. and that tho
trunk had been taken TO Hartford. Conn.,.
tents had been rified. After a long chase
hurry fastened the crime on LONDON w.
Moore, "Gusse' Raymond and George
Briggs, well-known thieves, and they were
sent to prison.
After this robbery Mr.. Allng made up
his mind that il AL the men who sold jew
elry were united they would stand a bet
ter chance of fighting thieves. Robberies
were occurring at the rate or about ten a
year, and II was getting to be a serious
matter. They entered INTO his Plan
elected Mr. Alling president and Ira God
dard secretary. Since then the union has
grown steadily until at present loo MEM
bers are protected with system that acts
not only as a check on thieves, but equaily
as well as careless statesmen. who never
know when agents of the union may be
watching them. A great deal of money
ing and prosecution OF robbers and de-
tective agency is retained TO work up all
cases with orders TO get after every rob-
berry and never let up on the guilty men,
In the old days the usual plan OF thieves
was to follow a salesman until a good OPP
portunity came. Often they would keep
on the trail of trunk for weeks, going
from place TO place with the salesman
The trick of exchanging trunk checks was
most frequently worked. This was usually
done while a trunk was In transit, OF
while IL was piled with lot OF otner
trunks i'm some baggage room.
The first thing done after organization
was to instruct all drummers 10 keep
close watch on their trunks. statesmen
holding certificates from the union are re-
uuired to compare the check received with
the one on their trunk and see that the
trunks are put on the train, and always
travel on the same line with their trunks.
Arriving at the destination the salesman
must claim his trunks at once and take
personal charge OF the baggage. Ihey
must not allow their stock TO remain In
the depot over night or lose sight OF IL Tor
more than twelve hours at time, anu
then only when the trunks are in cnaI sc
of a transportation company, IN transit ~
checked or in the charge OF MOTEL IN
brief they must take the same care OF
their stock as IL they were their own ana
not insured.
THE first case the union tackled was sue
cessful This was in 1873, when IL got AFTER
crook who robbed a salesman in chicago
The victim Travelled Tor New ioIk t hVus y.
He watched his trunk until IL was safely In
his room at the hotel with Its precious bur-
den of $4,000 worth of samples, and went
down to dinner, after LOCKING DOM nis
an hour he found the lock or the door
forced and discovered that $4,000 worth or
his samples were gone lie ooeyed bis IN
structions. and, after two months Work,
Thomas II. Berry, noted bank sneak, was
arrested. convicted and the missing jewels
recovered.
men the organization ever put behind the
bars was the notorious Fritz Diehm- or
Cincinnati, o. In November, 1881. sales
man for Cincinnati house went TO Dayton
with a satchel containing $4,000 worth or
diamonds. At Dayton he stepped out
of the train TO get sandwich,
leaving the bag under the seat OF
the train When he returned IL was gone.
After a months work the police arrested
Diehm and an accomplish, William Hurless,
at jefferson, Ind. Hurless was arrested
first, and two days later Diehm was taken.
as he was about TO bury four glass walls
with the dimonds. AS the detectives were
taking him 10 the station his friends set
on them and he escaped to Europe. He
was lost for two years, but In 1893 he came
back TO Hot Springs, Ark, was captured
and received seven-year sentence.
Another desperate man run down was
James Burke, with many aliases and a
most unsavory record. In November, lSz.
w. l.. Pollock, of the firm OF Pollock *
Co, was riding from Omaha TO Sioux
City, la. Just before the train pulled into
Sioux City IL stopped for a moment and
a man appeared at the door OF the coach
in which Pollock was passenger ne
went straight up TO the latter. and said:
1 81 want your diamonds" Pollock had a
wallet in his inside coat pocket With $1,000
worth OF diamonds. and was so surprised
/ that ne made no answer or move, and the
robber shot him in the shoulder. As Pol
! lock sank down the robber struck him with
/ a slung shot, fired another bullet into ms
/ arm. grabbed the wallet and jumped of
/ the train. Harry Burke was arrested at
\ Leadyille. Col, and when brought back TO
/ Iowa for trial received seventeen-year
sentence.
! The fear i'm which the association came
/ TO be held by thieves was illustrated after
\ the robbery OF Edward Carroll In Coving-
\ ton XIV Carroll went into a drug store
| with satchel containing several thousand
/ dollars worth OF diamonds and placed II on
the floor beside him 10 give the clerk a
prescription. When he went TO pick the
/ satchel up IL was gone. Lawyers wanted
| 10 make restitution of the stolen property.
/ Their offer was refused. but the diamonds
were restored anyway. The hunt con-
tinued for the thieves. and IL was found
/ that they were John Meany and Pat Cur
new. who were picked up" on the street
/ in New York. Quincy Jerked away and
| ned TO Europe. Meany was placed under q
81 600 bond, but fed 10 Europe. He came
back two years later only 10 be arrested
| and sent TO prison.