The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-11
Woman Diamond Thief Failed
to Reap Harvest.
Only One JeweIer Reports the
Loss of a Gem.
TRIED EXCHANGE PLAN
Made Efforts to Exchange Bogus
For Real Stones.
Mr.. SWearingen Missed $50 .Dia-
mond After Visit.

A clever woman diamond thief vis-
tied Topeka during the latter part OF
last week, and while her excursion to
this city was not as profitable as she
probably hoped that it would be, she
is ahead on the expenses of the trip.
Friday afternoon a young woman
we'll dressed and rather attractive in
appearance came into the jewelry
store of Charles Wolf and asked to be
shown some diamonds of about a
carat and an eighth in weight. Mr..
Wolf went to the safe and brought out
a wallet which contained a number
of unmounted stones of about the
weight designated and showed them to
her. She insisted that she wanted a
stone of this weight but that it must
be Tiffany mounting.
Mr.. Wolf not having any rings Of
the description wanted, she left the
store and went next door to the ]. B.
Hayden store and made the same
statement. Mr.. Ralph Peterson, un-
Outstanding that she wished to look
at unmounted stones, brought out
wallet of unmounted jems, when she
/ informed him that she did not care to
| look at a diamond unless it weighed
about carat and an eighth and was
mounted
Peterson asked her to the rear of the
sales room which is generally used
when customer desires to inspect
diamonds, while a clerk brought back
tray containing just such rings as
she said that she wished to purchase.
She took a number of them from
the tray, presumably for closer in
spection, and when she thought that
Mr.. Peterson was not looking changed
ring which she had With her for
I.
hand and attempted to replace the
three which she had been looking at
/ in the tray. Mr.. Peterson offered to
assist her, and removing the tray in
spected the rings which she was at
tempting to replace, as he had be-
come suspicious. One of the rings
which she handed back and was at
tempting to place in the tray was
fair imitation of the ring which she
had substituted for it. with the ex-
ception that the setting was of com"
position and almost worthless.
When Mr.. Peterson discovered the
trick he erasped the woman by the
wrist and she was compelled to open
her left hand, in which she held the
diamond ring which she had taken
from the tray belonging to Mr.. Hay
den 'sShe was cool and collected.
and never for a moment weakened
said Mr.. Peterson. Hmerely remarking,
L guess I must have made mistake
The woman was detained in the
store and the loose stones to which
she had access were weighed and the
ring trays inspected. after which she
was allowed to leave the store
The day following the attempted ex-
change of rings at Mr. Hayden's
store a woman answering the descriD-
ton of the one who had been in at
Mr.. VOLTS as we'll as the Hayden store
appeared at the store of Z. ". Swear
fngen. $40 Kansas avenue, and told
exactly the same story that she had
told at the other places and asked to
be shown diamonds in Tiffany mount
ings about a carat and an eighth in
weight.
A tray containing a number of rings
was shown her and while Mr. Swearin-
gen is sure that he does not know how
it happened, he is also sure that he is
short small diamond ring valued at
about $50. In this case the woman did
not attempt to exchange rings and did
not leave the imitation diamond which
she had attempted to exchange at the
Hayden store the day before The net
results of the woman's work in the city
as far as reported is the one small dia-
mond ring. The matter has been in
the hands of the city detective since
the occurrence but the woman has dis
appeared as has a man who was sus-
pected of being her confederate.
Mr.. Swearingen is very deficient about
discussing the affair which cost him an
20 he is not even ahead the experience
He has been the victim of two or three
diamond losses during the time that he
has been in business in the city.
Referring to the loss of the ring Mr..
Swearingen said: Il guess that I am
an easv mark for these people, at any
rate they seem to have a weakness for
my place I handle & large number of
diamonds and try to take every pre-
caution to protect myself, and just
about the time that I come to the
conclusion that / am all right as a
diamond merchant and a success, some
thing like this happens and I conclude
that am about the easiest thing in the
I don't mind the loss of the stone
so much, for it was not of great value
but I do not like the idea of being
looked upon as an easy victim by every
CRATER who comes to the city. The
woman who made the professional call
on me last Friday and relieved me of
the stone promised to be back this
week to buy a watch for her husband.
however am not counting much on
making the sale"