New-York tribune., 1911-04-22
RAINS DIAMONDS A WHILE
Kicking Horse SCatters $780,
600 Worth in Lower Broadway.
WRECKS JEWELRY WINDOW
About $4,000 in Gems Vanish
Before "Sparklers' Can Be
Gathered Together.

A "ocoed" horse landed. kicking ard
snortng in the middle Of $500 90 worth II
diamonds Yesterday, and in about three
minutes the dust in the immediate vicinity
OF Broadway and Maiden Lane was worth
anywhere from nothing TO $50 a carat a
rush such as the oldest timers in the KIM
herley diamond field tell about was just
getting under way. recruited by the Broad
way crowds. when a Gordon Of policemen.
under the leadership Of Patrolman "Dick'
DAILY. was thrown about the pay streaks"
and nipped few sudden fortunes in the
bud
II all started when a horse attached 10
a sausage wagon and driven by George
Heizman. ir. fifteen years old bolted when
crossing Broadway. jerked the reins out Of
the youthful drivers hands and plunged
through the big plate glass window OF
William Barthman's diamond store. on the
northeast corner Of Maiden Lane and
Broadway. and began TO splash precious
stones over himself. passersby and things
in general The most graphic account of
Just what happened is told by the book
keeper. Mrs. G. F. Moulton. whose pres
cnce Of mind saved her employer from los
ing several thousand dollars more than
he did.
Il was standing in the window. talking
tn one of the watchmakers" Mrs. Moul-
ton said when ! saw the horse starting
TO cross Broadway He seemed 10 he put
out because the traffic officer there threw
up his arm to stop him until an automo-
bile got past He braced his front legs.
and YOU know when a horse does that
something is going to happen His ears
went back. and then he began to prance
straight toward our window
Just a moment before Nick the por-
ter. had come down from a ladder on
which he had been cleaning the window
The next minute the horse hit that lad
der. and horse. ladder. and AT first !
thought the wagon. too. came crashing
through the window right into the middle
Of the Jewel trays He did not stop kick
would be anything left.
But you know IL Is second nature for us
all here to grab the diamond trays when
anything happens. and so. If course the
horse had hardly touched the window be-
fore ! began to grab the trays out Of the
window There are about ten Of us here
in the store counting Mr. Barthman. and
every one was on the spot IN a second.
That is the only thing that saved TN" whole
contents of the window from getting
kicked out into the street. That was
good. young. lively horse. ] have been
around horses whole lot. but ! never
saw one who could make his hoofs fy the
way he could
Mr.. Barthman said that the only thing
that saved his stock from the nimble fin
gers Of Souvenir hunters" was the quick
work of the policemen on nearby posts.
As soon as he was there himself. he said.
there were FIVE policemen surrounding the
window, keeping the crowds back. II was
some minutes before the horse was sub
dued and led away and the work Of gath
ering up the scattered wealth could he ne
gun.
on the Sidewalk were lying a chain ~
sixty or more diamonds. worth 5000,
81 90 brooch and a dozen rings worth sew
eral hundred dollars each from many Of
which the rough treatment had dislodged
the stones from their settings The horse 5
hoofs had reduced the heavy plate glass TO
fragments, and they were all swept mp to-
eether and taken into the store. 10 be
carefully gone through for missing dia-
monds
We can't tell lust yet What our loss
will be" Mr. Barthman said. but II will
run into thousands OF dollars possibly
5000 We shall have TO make a complete
inventory cf our stock before We can tell
what is missing Most Of the iewelry IS
ruined from being mashed. and good
many stones are missing probably some OF
them are still lying in the street
The aviation neck has been replaced
by the diamond hunters stoop." and all
Yesterday afternoon there We're crowds lin
gering about Maiden Lane and Broadway
intentlv watching the ground fof stray
solitaires