The Washington times., 1920-10-31
All Over the
Country Are Watching Social
Affairs and Following
Their Victims Until the
Opportunity
Arrives

fashions and customs in crime
r. change. as in everything else. in &C
= cordance with changing conditions
and circumstances.
The old-fashioned bank burglar has gone
out Of business because the vaults of the
modern big banks are too skilfully guarded.
The old-time big jewelry store robberies
have practically ceased because the valu-
ables are too carefully protected to afford
opportunity for Wholesale thefts.
The epidemic Of bond robberies in the
financial sections which startled the coun-
try last Winter have been pretty well
ended because brokers. banks. and the
bonding insurance companies have learned
q lesson and are safeguarding securities
more carefully.
At the present moment American thieves
have centred their attention on the Jewels
of wealthy and fashionable American
women, because this is found to be the
easiest field Of operations. For the last
six months there has been a more or less
important jewelry robbery almost every
night In some fashionable section of the
country, and very few Of the burglars
have been caught. Everybody remembers
the Caruso robbery Of nearly half a mill.
ion dollars worth Of Jewels early last
June. This case was given wide publicity
in the newspapers. but Of the multitude
Of other Jewel robberies here and there
throughout the country very few details
reached the ears Of the newspapers.
Why have professional thieves turned
their attention industriously to women's
jewels? The reasons are not hard to seek.
In the first place the jewelry possessions
of wealthy American women run into
countless millions. Where is there multi
millionaire Americans wife who has not
from hundred thousand dollars worth to
q million dollars worth or more Of Jewels?
It has been estimated that within the walls
of one public building, the Metropolitan
Opera House, on many an occasion there
are jewels to the value Of ten millions in
the hair, the ears, around the Threats, on
the fingers and on the clothes of the
women present.
Indeed, at some social functions or fancy
dress occasions, one individual woman of
social prominence sometimes wears not
only all her own wealth of Jewels but
loads down her headdress and costume
with many added jewels, borrowed for
the occasion from wealthy friends. The
picture printed elsewhere on this page OF
Mrs. Benjamin Guinness shows the noted
bankers wife costumed as Semirs mis-,
Queen of Nineveh. She wore with this cos
tune a splendid jeweled crown lent by her
friend Mrs. John Aston, worth $100, 000
and other jewels belonging to other
friends, the whole collection being worth
not less than 100000.
II a wealthy man owns securities run
ming into the hundreds of thousands he,
does not keep them in his house or on his
person or in his Office. They are securely
locked up in the vaults Of a bank or safe
deposit company. But II his wife owns a
two hundred thousand dollar necklace Of
matched pearls and another half million
dollars worth OF miscellaneous rings,
brooches and jewels, they cannot be given
the security Of safe deposit vault II the
owner Is to wear them and get any satis-
faction out of them. Here lies the secret Of
the repeated and successful raids upon the
private jewel collections Of fashionable and
wealthy women. Il Is easy for q thief TO
make list OF millionaires' wives who own
valuable jewelry. The next step is to watch
the movements Of the owner of the gems.
Sooner or later the opportunity will come
for the thief to find the jewels removed
from their customary hiding place or place
Of partial security.
II the cautious husband Of the owner Of
the jewels has a fairly secure receptacle
In his town residence then the thief may
have to patiently watch him until the fam
lily moves to the country, and the robbery
is pulled OF in the Summer home, as the
Caruso burglary was.
But II both the town house and the coun-
try house are provided with quite secure
receptacles for the jewels, then the thief
may find his opportunity while the jewels
are In transit on q train. Mrs. Arthur
Whitney was robbed Of thirty thousand
dollars worth Of trinkets on an east-bound
Pennsylvania train.
IL neither the town house nor the coun-
try house nor the railroad train gives sp-
portunity. perhaps the intended victim can
be reached while stopping at some hotel.
Thus Elsie Janis, the actress, lost fifty
eight thousand dollars worth OF jewels at
the Hotel Seelbach, in Louisville, Ken
lucky, last April.
And SO the ocean steamer, the automo-
bile and other times and places give the
opportunity to the thief who has marked
his victim, patiently watched her perhaps
for weeks and finds his chance unexpected
ly and seizes the opportunity.
SOphia LYONS the uoat axnerf Aoorican