The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-07-09

Wsshinston, D. C.. July THE
CAruao ssm robbery, uhich has
bosn - widely and e1cieutly ad-
verified, has attracted attention 10
the fAct that thefts OF jewels are
greatly on the increase. In New
York. whore Systematic campaign
Of robberies seems to bs well under
way It u believed that IN unus-
ually clever band Of crooks ID at
work, with . master mind disposing
Of the stolen goods. In other cities.
on trains, 1t country houses, the
story Of disappearing valuables ID
the same.
There are two types Of Jewel
thieves operating now. One II the
professional yegg who works in .
gang and uses the latest methods.
He u only . distant relative Of the
old-fashioned afe-cracking burglar
who didn't mind waking up the
neighborhood and counted on luck
and speed to get him away. Nova
days, II he must crack safes, the
professional crook makes study Of
combinations, or carries an acety-
lene drill which will noiselessly put
. hole In the side. But on the
whole, cracking safes and jimmying
windows ID frowned upon by burg
lars who deal in precious stones
and objects OF art.
Each crime Is planned down to
the last detail, even though 1t takes
several weeks or months. Most
often the yegg obtains position as
butler or chauffeur at the house to
be robbed. Recommendation care
fully forged are accepted by the
household, and the new servants,
who are by the way usually model
domestics. take as much time as Is
needed to study the plan Of the
house, habits Of the people. and the
vulnerable spot In the protection Of
valuables.
The Servant Trick.
Then some day when the owner
Of the jewels is out, paste duplicates
are quietly substituted in the
process Of busting the boudoir, or
as the employee is ON his way
through the house on an errand.
The pseudo-servant slips of before
the cry is raised. or stays ON long
enough to prove an abb by q fel-
low servant" when detectives are
called in.
The other type Of jewel thief Is
one that is becoming even more
prevalent than the common yegg.
This is the hard-up and unscrupul-
Gus member of high society who Is
living beyond his or her means. He
Is far more desperate than the reg
ular burglar, for il his true finan-
cial condition should become known
he would have to drop out Of that
particular circle where life seems
to him SO desirable.
The gentleman burglar, and his
counterpart, the lady jewel thief, are
the result of a disregard for hon
esty as a cardinal virtue, combined
with unbelievable carelessness on
the part Of owners OF precious
stones.
Most men who own valuable gems
keep them locked up SO that they
are at least safe from social pirates,
but women who wear jewels get
used to hiding them in peculiar
places or even to dropping them
into a drawer. From the bride
with her 5000 solitaire to the dow.
ager whose jewels are valued a,
100000 there is q tendency tc
trust too much to providence and
the police department to keep the
treasure safe.
And then when a detective II
called in to get back the stoler
goods, the accusation is again made
that the public is at fault because
it will not cooperate with the
sleuths. People still seem to thini
that detective, as a supernatural
being, should pick out the crimina
unerringly without Fostering theil
friends who were on the ground
when the theft occurred, because OBJ
viously their friends could know
nothing Of the burglars tricks.
The Guest Thief.
Mr.. Morgan Bradford. head Of ;