The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-11-16
"Phony" Diamonds Set in
the Mountings.
CLEVER TRICK IS DISCOVERED
The Real Gems Were Later
Produced.
Mrs. Sarah W. Meredith Claims Her
Former Husband Tried to Deceive
Her In Carrying Out the Order OF
the Court.

Dramatic IN many ways was the at
tempt of Mrs. Leah w. Meredith (
procure from her former husband
u. a, Meredith. the diamonds val.
ued at $500, which he had given hei
on their wedding day and then hao
taken away from her. In judge
Daniel Babst's decree, granting Mrs
Meredith an absolute divorce, IL wa
ordered that Meredith return the dia.
monds TO the plaintiff.
1t was arranged between counsel
for the parties that the diamonds
should be sent to Mrs. Meredith at the
offices of Copeland and Bartram
her attorneys, on Monday afternoon
at two o'clock. Mrs" Meredith was
present ut the appointed time. - a
messenger from the Office of John IL
Clark. attorney for Meredith. brought
in a Jewel case and stated that Mr..
Meredith wished Mrs. Meredith to
sign receipt for the gems.
Mrs. Meredith preferred to exam
Inc them first. After looking into the
jewel case she exclaimed, These arc
rot my diamonds. never saw this
setting before and I do not thint
that the stone Is rcal"-referring TO
solitaire. l know that the stones
in this diamond pendant are not
genuine. / will not accept these and
neither will / sign receipt"
A careful examination convinced
Mrs. Meredith that every stone was
what is known in the parlance of the
street as "phony." After consult
ing her attorneys she called in Mcr-
rill A. Turney, George w. Bowers
and William Nelson. three local jew
clers. and asked their opinions con-
cerning the genuineness of the stones.
Each of the experts pronounced them
nothing but ordinary glass with
combined valuation of twenty-five
cents.
The messenger was then sent back
to Attorney Clark's Office with the
Jewel case and the Jewels.
Mr.. Clark appeared in person
few minutes later, saying that he hao
talked with Meredith and the latter
had admitted that imitation stones
had been placed in the ring and the
pendant. Mr.. Clark further IN
formed Mrs. Meredith that the stones
were placed in "a small piece OF us
sue paper in the bottom of the 1ewel
case. Investigation proved that the
paper was there but the stones were
not. This time Attorney Clark was
i,nplused He left Tor u talk with
Meredith and returned short time
later with the real diamonds.
Mrs. Meredith admitted that these
a.
submitted them to the three eA-
rcrts who pronounced them genu-
inc. one of the jewelers. was given
the work of removing the bogus
stones and replacing them with the
others.
When interviewed today Mrs. Mer-
edith said that she was not sur
prised at the trick her former nus
band attempted to play upon her'
She said:
"Whcn he refused to let me hay,
the diamonds all long l thought thai
he had sold them. do not THINK
that he Intended to tell about having
the diamonds at the trial but 1t Jusl
slipped out and the court made him
give them back to me.
MtIcuitn uStu W w {" J'"N'S' "''
.hat was the reason l expected "a
trick In restoring the jewels. Had !
signed the receipt he would have
claimed that had removed the stones
and was attempting to practice q
fraud on him lie had the diamonds
siored away and had to go and ge
them after he learned that had dis
covered his plan. i"
Mrs. Meredith today Is wearing tho
jewels which her usband gave her oil
the day they were married and ther
refused to permit her TO wear or u
see. The solitaire Is magnificent
stone and worth at least $3.50 Will,
the pendant Is worth between $50(
and 5000.
Mrs. Meredith left this afternoon
for her home in the South.
NIercdith's Statement.
When Meredith was shown the ac
count of the turning over of the dia
monds he grew very indignant ant
declared that 1t was but another at
tempt TO injure him in the eyes o.
his friends.
Mr.. Meredith said that severa
years ago he had taken the diamond!
away from his wife, because she hat
been very careless about them, leav'
ing them any place about the house
and he feared they would be stolen
At that time he had the imitation
N n" 60. H..