The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1914-03-06

! Remarkable Ending or mysterious
Theft That Had Puzzled the Police
of Two Countries-Facts Seem to
Be That Robbery Had Been Most
CIeverIy Contrived by Astute Band
of Thieves Who Spent a Fortune
in Endeavoring to Perfect Their
Plans.
z ONION, ENGLAND.-On July IS
necklace of 81 graduated pearls
and three separate large pearls,
the whole valued at 100000, were
stolen from the mails between Paris
and London Six weeks later four
obscure jewel dealers had been arrest
ed on suspicion, and reward of $780,
600 offered But for two months the
whereabouts of the stolen necklace
remained a mystery.
At nine o'clock on the morning of
September 16 Augustus Horne, a work
ingman, proceeding along London
street with his lunch basket and kit
of tools toward the scene OF his daily
labors, noticed a soiled and battered
match box on the curb near a lamp
post. With a flick Of his toe he
brushed it into the gutter. Then, with
an impulse of mild curiosity, he fished
the box out of the gutter and opened
It. A man who had been standing
near the lamppost turned and walked
away.
What Horne saw in the box, SO he
! thought, was string Of beads and
three small marbles. He stuck the
package carelessly in his pocket and
walked on. Coming to the Swan pub
lie house, he stepped inside for a
morning dram. Finishing his drink,
he produced the dirty match box and
showed its contents to the bartender,
explaining:
81 picked 'em out Of the gutter a
little way back"
"A string of beads and few mar
bles," said the bartender. Il wouldn't
give a. ,shilling for the lot"
y Take EN- for beer" said Horne.
"Nor a beer, either" said the bar.
tender
Maybe they're no good" remarked
Horne, but I'll turn 'em in at the
police station, anyway"
Leaving the disreputable little pack
age with the desk sergeant, also his
name and address as the finder, Horne
went about his usual business.
Earns $4,000 Reward.
Next day this poor London working
man learned that what he had been
unable to exchange for glass Of beer
had earned for him a fortune of $780,
600. for he was the finder of the $780,.
600 worth Of stolen pearls about
which two continents were wondering.
Much mystery still surrounds this
astonishing Paris-London mail rob-
berry of one of the finest and costliest
necklaces Of pearls ever strung to-
gether. They are perfectly graduated
pearls. weighing total of 1880
grains, the great central pearl of the
made.up necklace alone weighing
nearly so grains.
How did the thieves get their hands
on that sealed and registered mail
package? How were they able to
break the seals, open the wooden box
and the jewel case within it, remove
the pearls, deliberately substitute cut
loaf sugar Of exactly the same weight,
and close and reseal the package with.
out detection?
Carried $75o,0o0 Insurance.
The necklace was made last Octo.
Der, year ago, for Max Mayer, whose
wholesale jewelry establishment is at
So Hatton Garden, London. Mr. Mayer
had no particular customer in view
at that time. Safely and uneventfully
1t passed in the mails three times be.
tween London and Paris during the
winter, as prospective buyers were
located in one city or the other.
For this purpose the registered mai
package is regarded as safer than the
travelling agent of the jewelry house
and Mr.. Mayer was satisfied, for 8
specified period to carry a blanket in
surance policy of $750,00O to cover
any losses or jewels thus transported
Early in July the famous necklace
was again in the keeping of Henri
Solomons, Mr.. Mayors Paris agent
AS the Paris agent was about to e
away on his vacation, Mr.. Mayer in
structed him to mail the necklace II
the London house. Accordingly, OF
the morning of July Is, Mr.. Solomon,
personally took the necklace from tn,
bank, where It was kept, carried it tt
his home, and there packed and sealed
1t as above described. The QUITE
wrapping was of blue paper backe,
with linen. This he sealed with wa,
in half dozen places, stamping eacl
seal with the Mayer initials, IN. M.
He carried the package to the Pari
postoffice In the Rue de Provence, say
1t weighed by a clerk named Louron
who registered it at a cost of $1.41 t
Mr.. Solomons, and threw it into
basket with other registered matte,
At TAO o'clock that evening tn
registered bag bound for London wa