A DIAMOND TRICK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 90, 26 January 1928, Page 2

A DIAMOND TRICK.

SLEIGHT-OF-HAND DODGE. J £9OOO OBTAINED BY | Detectives in many European counjtries and the-United! States were lately combining with. Scotland Yard in A search for a jewel trickster. j Some time ago a group of prosperous London business men were introduced to an apparently well-to-do and resjpectabV man about 50 years of who approached them on the subject oJ a business enterprise. The venture, he explained, required capital, but he Jiad only diamonds to the value of fyOOO, which he did not wish to sell. Would they care to advance him money on. such a security? ;'' , '"'ii i A diamond expert agreed that. the .stones were worth £9OOO, and a trans., action took place. The jewels were carefully packed and sealed under th 6 eyes of'the assembled company, and.iri accordance with an agreement were.deo«sited in a bank for safe custody tor six months. .The business men thought as time went on that they would have their security'revalued', llie new: valuation proved it to be worth no more than its value as' a packet of paste stones. f'iiJ '}'(.. , , ~ I Hie expert who originally valued the stones and the duped business men are convinced that they handled genuine diamonds. They are trying now to imagine by what sleight-of-hand the trickster substituted the false stones for the real ones. ■ : ';