Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 198, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 August 1911 — Thief Talks Clerk Out of Rare Gems [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Thief Talks Clerk Out of Rare Gems

CHICAGO. —Chicago talk, the limpid flow of words, netted a smooth diamond swindler more than SI,OOO a minute for four minutes the other day. The victims are a Michigan avenue jewelry store, and an affable clerk is trying to explain to his employers how he has lived in Chicago for fifteen years and can not recognise a real conversationalist when he jumps up before the jewel case. The missing diamond is valued at $4,250. The customer alighted from a big six-passenger touring car and rushed into the store. “I am just leaving town and I must have a twin for this little stone,” he exclaimed. The purchaser was dressed in the height of fashion. He had every appearance of affuence and spoke with a decidedly English accent His hair was gray, his eyes blue, his face

pmoothly shaven and his figure erect The clerk yas all attention at once. “Certainly,” said the clerk, “ws have a duplicate of this diamond.” “Oh, no, no, that is not exactly it” said the stranger. “By the way, I have to be at the board of trade early. Big deal on.” “Well,” responded the clerk, “here is another stone. Diamonds have advance in price, you know, and. I Will have to charge you more for this than you paid for that one, I presume.” “Oh, really, you know the cost does not matter.” Theft he admitted it was exactly what he wanted. “Just lay that aside for me until noon,” he continued, “and I will arrange for payment And what will the bill be?" * The last remark came with a rare nonchalance that took the clerk completely off his feet “This stone will coot you $4,250,” stammered the clerk. “Oh, very well,” remarked the visitor. And he rushed to his waiting machine and vas whirled away into the great unknown. A few minutes later the clerk awakened to the fact that an imitation stone had been substituted.