Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-10-29
A DEAL IN DIAMONDS
The True Story of an ingenious
Swindle In London.
A cLEvERLY WORKED GAME
1t Melted an imPeeunious Russian No.
bleman a Thousand Pounds Sterling.
The Easy Manner In Which Count
Sacha Got Something For Nothing.

bleman Thousand Pounds Sterlino.
The Easy Manner In Which Count
Saeha Got Something For Nothing.
Count Sacha Roubletsky was ON his
beam ends I'm London. To the world
he was still dashing young noble
man. son of an immensely wealthy
Russian prince, but In point OF fact
he Was financially at his last gasp.
He wanted a thousand or so for
nothing. That was the problem he de-
bated as he sat in his lodging smoking
cigarette after cigarette. At last he
rose with a satisfied smile. Next morn
ing Count Sacha called on Messrs-
Sparkle & Shine, the well known Bond
street jewelers.. he explained who he
was and that he had come to select
some jewelry for his sweetheart.
From the glittering tray he selected
beautiful stone, price $500. He then
explained that. his remittances being
delayed, he was not in a position to
complete the purchase ut the moment,
and, In any case. he wished first to
submit the stone to his sweetheart's
approval
He added suavely that as he was an
known to hessrs. Sparkle 81 Shine he
could not expect them to part with the
gem without making Inquiries. but
| they were at liberty to apply to the
Russian embassy for any information
they desired concerning him. He
would return the following day and,
everything being satisfactory, take the
iamond
To this the jewellers agreed and. In
quiring at the Russian embassy, were
informed that Count Sacha was un-
questonably the son OF wealthy
prince and that they would probably
be safe in giving him credit for even
more than the amount mentioned.
They did not know at the embassy
that Sacha had been disowned by his
father, and they were agreeable to the
counts own suggestion that a member
OF the embassy should attend at the
jewelers. next day to identify him.
This was done. and Count Sacha re-
ceived the diamond. The same day
he called at a big pawnbroker's and.
mentioning airily that he was In tenn
porary difficulties. pledged the diamond
for, the small sum of ESQ.
The next day found Count Sacha
again at Messrs. Sparkle & Shines.
His sweetheart, he said, was enchant-
ed with the diamond, but nothing
would satisfy her now but that she
should have another diamond abso-
lutely matching the first.
The jewelers. explained that to match
such stone would be a matter of
great difficulty and the price Of the
second gem would be enormously In
creased-in short. for such q pair of
twin diamonds they would have to
charge $1,000. Count Sacha shrugged
his shoulders. The price was stifr, but
he could deny his sweetheart nothing.
Would Messrs. Sparkle & Shine please
at once set about procuring the second
diamond?
The jewelers., being unable to match
the diamond themselves. wrote to the
leading dealers and pawnbrokers de-
scribing the stone they wanted and
intimating that they were prepared to
go as far as f2.OO0 for . perfect speci-
men. Among those they wrote to was
the pawnbroker with whom Count Sa-
cha had pledged the. original diamond.
| which was just what that ingenious
rascal expected.
A few days later Count Saeha called
'at the pawnbroker's to redeem his dia-
mond. The pawnbroker had had
Messrs. Sparkle & Shines letter, and,
remembering the beautiful diamond
pledged with him day or two before,
he had examined 1t and found that IL
met all Of Sparkle & Shines require
ments
The count redeemed the stone, and
then the pawnbroker inquired whether
! by any chance he would care to sell It.
] Oh. no. 1t was a family heirloom.
His customer would not dream of part
ing with 1t.
That was a pity, said the pawnbro-
ker. He had CHANGED to show the dia-
= mond to his wife, and she had taken a
! violent fancy to it-so much SO that
he was prepared to give a fancy price.
He offered $500.
| Count Sacha laughed and shook his
head. One thousand pounds? Oh. mol
He really did not want to sell It. An
offer Of I'll 300. however, made him hes
itate. At last. after prolonged chatter
ing Counf Sacha no Ssad hock tho 1ia