Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1890 — DIAMOND THIEVES. [ARTICLE]

DIAMOND THIEVES.

New and Ingenious Scheme That is Now Extensively Used by Professionals. Chicago Post. The diamond theif is abroad in the land at the present time in considerable numbers. He perplexes the jeweler and makes him question the honesty of mankind. He also makes the diamond merchant redouble his vigilance, and spurs on his clerks to do likewise. This particular kind of thief is an intellectual criminal. He does not resort to audacious measures. If he does you may be sure that he is not an artist i'n his line, and his boldness generally interferes with his plans no matter how well laid they may be. Here is where cunning is profitable. The man who writes an urgent letter to g jeweler asking him to send a clerk to his room where he is confined by an accident, and then when the clerk comes with the jewels attempts to knock the clerk down and rob him—this thief is a bungler. It is the fellow of an ingenious turn of mind who runs the least chance of being detected and caught. ’the diamond thief sometimes comes alone. Sometimes there are two of them. They are close observers ot the human physiognomy, especially the eyes of the person waiting upon them. The plan of these gentlemen with the dextrous fingers is this: They come in and carefully inspect the tray of pins or rings that is set before them for examination. Some special design is mentally seized upon, and the men take their departure. The next step is to have a clever imitation made of this design. With this in their possession they call again and ask to look at the samp tray. The paste pin that is to be substituted for the genuine is held tightly in the hand that is engaged in handling the genuine diamonds. When a convenient opportunity is presented the attention of the clerk is called to another pin in the case that pleases the supposed prospective buyer’s fancy. While the clerk’s eyes and fingers are engaged in getting the new object, the change is made as quick as a flash; the thief fishes among the tray that he was first examining, with the remark that there is nothing in it that he wants, and by-and-by he takes his departure. In each tray there are a certain number of pins or rings, and the clerk usually , casts his eye over them to see that each place has an article in it. If these places are all full it is not likely that he will carefully examine each article to See that no substitution has been made. It is not an easy matter to catch a theif who has robbed a store in this way, as some time usually elapses between the theft and the discovery. There are a number of these light-fingered gentry in this city at present, and they are making the life of the jeweler very uncomfortable. The great water power at Niagara Falls has been at last turned to use, in the manufaoture ot fro if Philadelphia ReoanL