Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-07-09
Gem Thieves
By Frederic J. Haskin.


are greatly on the increase. In New
York where systematic campaign oil
robberies seems to be well under way, IT
is believed that an unusually clever band
Of crooks IL at work, with master mind
disposing of the stolen goods. In other
cities, on trains at country houses, the
| story Of disappearing valuables - the
same.
There are two types Of jewel thieves
operating now. One is the professional
yegg who works in gang and uses the
latest methods. He is only distant
, relative of the old-fashioned safe-crackiDg
burglar who didn't mind waking up the
neighborhood and counted on luck and
speed to get him away. Nowadays, if he
must crack safes, the professional crook
makes a study Of combinations, or carries
an acetylcne drill which will noisclessly
put hole in the side. But ON the whole,
cracking safes and jimmying windows Is
| frowned upon by burglars who deal IN
precious stones and objects OF art.
Each crime is planned down to the last
| detail. even though it takes several weeks
or months. Most often the yegg obtains
| position as butler or chauffeur at the
| house to be robbed. Recommendations
! carefully forged are accepted by the house
hold, and the new servants, who are by
| the way usually model donestics, take
| as much time as is reeded TO study the
| plan of the house, habits of the people,
| and the vulnerable spot IN the protection
| of xaluables.
THE SERVANT TRICK.
Then some day when the owner Of the
| jewels is out, paste duplicates are quletiy
| substituted in the process of dusting the
boudoir, or as the employe is on hls way
/ through the house on an errand. The
| pscudo-servant slips off before the cry
| is raised or stays on long enough 10 prove
| an alib by fellow servant when de-
| tectiyes are called in
The other type Of jewel thief is one that
| is becoming even more prevalent than
| the common yegg. This II the hard-up
and unscrupulous member OF high society
| who is living beyond has or her means.
| He is far more desperate than the regular
| burglar, for if his true financial 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 counter
part, the lady jewel thief, are the result
| Of a disregard for honesty as q cardinal
| virtue, combined with unbelievable care
lensness 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 70 hiding them IN
| peculiar places or even to dropping them
into drawer From the bride with her
| 500 solitaire to the dowager whose jewels
| are valued st $500, 900, there is tendency
| To trust too much TO providence and the
| police department to keep the treasure
| safe.
And then when a detective is called
| in to get back the stolen goods, the
accusation is again made that the publIc
| is at fault because it will not cooperate
| with the sleuths. People still seem to
| think that detective, as supernatural
being, should pick out the criminal un-
| erringly without pestering their trends
| who were on the ground when the theft
occurred. because obviously their friends
could know nothing of the burglars
tricks.
THE GUEST THIEF.
Morgan Bradford, head Of we'll
| known detective agency, says that the
prevalence Of jewel rohberies by guests IS
| not even dirnly realized, and that the VIC
| tins are the last people 70 be convinced.
| This, he says, is what makes life hardest
for detectives.
| A society woman employs a sleuth 20
| recover her l0,000 breastpin, stolen out
| of dresser drawer during dinner party.
He comes and qllizzes the servants and
questions her as 10 how many people saw
her drop il in the drawer. Only two oil
her friends she tells him, and she Is IN
dignant when he insists on their names
| He looks them up and finds that one 0l
| the Young women has only a small IN
| come. as money goes IN that strata ol
| society. that she IS In debt, and that she
| made a short trip to New York the day
| after the party Yet when he reports
this TO the woman who employs him, she
as likely as not, refuses TO allow him K
question her friends, as It would be ar
insult. So the detective, having followed
other clues to no purpose, has 10 give "
the job and the amateur burglar continues
her social career with her honesty unQues-
tioned-as she had foreS cen.
This sort of thing, Mr.. Bradford says
happens all the time. 1t accounts largesy
for the estimate that of all the jewel:
reported as missing only about one
fourth are recovered.
These amateurs rarely If ever resort tC
burglars methods There is no business
of entering windows at night with flash.
light and black cambria mask. Theft
for them is made ridiculously easy. Time
and again they have heard their host
mention carelessly the fabulous cost. oi
this bit of bric-a-brac, or of that necklace
and so when chance sooner or later leaves
the guest alone and face 70 face with thC
object of value, 1t Is unobtuSlvely
stored away and the Incident Is closed
CURIOUS CASE.
An interesting case of this sort happened
in Washington during a reception
by wealthy man, well known IN society
One of the guests was a popular you'll
whose chief drawback to happiness was
his small income. This young mar
was alone in a parlor when he was seer
by detective present TO finger tiny
Japanese carving. Presently he sllppeC
it in the coat-tail pocket of his dress suit
The detective informed the host, wh'
begged that nothing be done.
But a few days later curlo dealer
telephoned the owner of the carving
You remember" he said, II sold yol
bit of Japanese carving for s400. Well
you know the Japs rarely duplicate, ant
anyway l know mark on your piece
1t was brought here just now by youn
man who wants 500 for it, | told hin
TO come back for the money
This time there could be no question
OF the young mans guilt, so the owne
sent the detective to the shop Whel
the young man came in the detective hel,
Al u