The Washington herald., 1911-04-06
BANE
OF LONDON SOCIETY


gance which Mrs. Asquith. the wife OF
the British premier, says II q passport
into society.
A thoroughly fashionable Parisienne
represents In her walking dress and ap-
pointments an outlay of 100000 1t has
been freely stated that fully $4,000 Is
spent annually by wealthy American
parents ION each of their daughters Fifty
thousand dollars scarcely covered the
cost OF the trousseau of Lord Decies'
bride. Mrs. Howard Gould, when in
London recently, stated that 1t is
necessary for her to spend from $40, 900 to
$4,000 a year on clothes. These are items
from the fashionable intelligence of the
day.
At first glance it seems impossible
for a woman to walk about in apparel
valued at 500, 900, but this amazing sum
is easily accounted for. The hat, for in
stance. with its triple aigrette, costs $500:
the carefully-matched hair. 500; the cos
tune Of velvet embroidered with large
flowers represents a bagatelle of $500;
under bodice, silk ,petticoat, stockings,
and shoes another $3.50. But we get into
big figures when we talk Of the zibeline
MANTLE This precious piece of human
upholstery runs away with $4,000 As
to the jewels, the modest pearl necklace,
the little chain bracelet, and gold purse
will account for another $50. o.0O0
The smart society woman wants a new
gown almost every week. and frequently
$50 to SIS a yard is paid for a dress
which may not be worn more than once
or twice. A certain society matron wears
a dress once, or-if 1t be of extremely
great value-twice, but al the trimmings.
and decorations must be entirely changed
before she wears it a second time. A
few years ago she INDUCED in a length
of Lyons silk, snow white and adorned
with flowers, birds. and foliage in relief.
She intended 1t for a dress, but changed
her mind and used it for a curtain. The
price paid for this costly fabric actually
was SIS per yard. The same lady wears
occasionally. in the winter. mantle Of
the fur Of the silver fox, the necklet
alone costing 600 guineas
Ten to twenty pounds for pair Of gar
ters Cor jeweled designs as much as E500
has been paid, $3.50 for pair of corsets,
and even moro for a merry Widow
hat: anything from $50 to $1,000 for a
gown and 5000 a year for lingerie; these
are some of the items in the dress bill
OF the fashionable woman of to-day. 1t
is contended that no one spends more on
dress than the American society woman.
One authority has stated that there are
one hundred women in New York, each
of whom spends $4,000 every year on
dress. while one thousand others lay out
$4,000 on their toilet. And this is how
these ladies with the dollars when in
London or Paris enrich modistes and
shopkeepers to the extent Of over $1,000
Pail dresses. $4,000; reception dresses,
$500; cloaks, $1,000: lingerie. $1,000;
shoes. 5000: gloves, 5000, and hats.
S7,od0. The American woman of fashion
thinks nothing of ordering twelve dozen
haadkerchiefs at SO a dozen. and stock
ings at $3.50 a pair, while she considers
it essential that she should have separate
sets of jewels for each season Of the year.
But why does she buy them in Europe?
The statement made by London West
End jeweler that a diamond tiara is
thing of necessity to a woman of fashion
and that his own firm alone has always
over $50 in stock, at prices vary
ing from the modest 600 or
$3.50 to the rather expensive class
valued at $4,000. may be news to
the average man. but clever crooks knew
all this long ago. They read the news
paper accounts of society weddings, the
character and costliness of the jewels and
gems given as presents, and make care
full note of their future abiding places
But the higher grade expert is content to
leave this retail robbery to his less ac
complished confreres. His plundering is
in the wholesale way. He goes to what
may be termed the fountain head
AS long as Hatton Garden has been
the headquarters of the diamond business
in England, the wealthy diamond mer-
chants have invented all sorts of con-
traptions to defy thieves. But how often
has a breach been made in these scientific
earthworks and intrenchments. and how
frequently has the gate of the coveted
Golconda been opened by clever crooks.
The Houndsditch affair was on the scale
OF big jobs" and the pavements of Hat
ton Garden could tell of many such. One
of the biggest of these hauls was in 1876,
when diamonds and other jewels to a
value of s125.0OO were stolen from WILL
Jams &; Sons. This was a case of a Sat-
rday-to-Monday robbery, when thieves
work at their leisure The thieves man.
which opened all the safes. Another
very successful enterprise was in 1881.
when Hatton Garden post-office was the
scene OF a mail robbery of an unexam-
pied character.
One November day, shortly after dusk
when the work of making up the mail
bags was just completed. some one turn
ed the gas off at the meter, and in the
confusion the thieves. who evidently knew
their way about. entered by a side door
behind the counter and made straight for
the registered letter bags, which were
hanging on hooks ready for dispatch. A
vehicle was waiting at the door, and into
this the robbers threw their booty and
quickly drove away. The bags contained
diamonds, cut and uncut, of a value Of
s150.O00. The oldest thing of all was that
nobody saw the carrying OF of the bags.
which were too bulky for one man, and
that nobody observed a cart at the door.
Some arrests were made by the continen-
tai police, but the real criminals were
never discovered.
Sometimes these robbcries are accom-
panied by violence. Thus, in 1888 Mr. J.
a diamond merchant in Hat
ton Garden, complained to the London
police that he had been shot through
the right hand by a thief who had en-
tered his Office and stolen a purse of
diamonds valued at some thousands of
pounds. The miscreant, 1t was added,
rushed out of the building, jumped into
a hanson, and escaped before an alarm
could be given.
A year later two foreigners were IN