CHANTILLY JEWELS

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 75, 22 December 1926, Page 11

CHANTILLY JEWELS

ROMANTIC RECOVERY

DUE TO A CHAMBERMAID EATING AN APPLE

FIVE ARRESTS MADE

The famous Grand Conde diamond and other jewels stolen from the gem room of the Chateau de Chantilly, have been recovered, and five persons have been arrested. BY TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION. Copyright. (Rec. December 21, 5.5 p.m.) Paris, December 20. Th e “Matin” says that the Conde diamond and other jewels stolen from the Chantilly in October have been recovered, and four persons have been arrested. Those arrested are Leon Kauffer and Emile Souter, both. Alsatians; Jacob Goldenrat, a Polish-Jew antiquary; and Maria Schell, a jeweller. They were the receivers.

Kauffer and Souter were staying at a small hotel. The police got on their track owing to an indiscreet remark by Kauffer, and they found a diamond wrapped in cottonwool among his luggage. ' , , , , The thieves confessed that they stole a and on it crossed the moat and climbed the wall of the chateau. They wore gloves in order that they might leave no finger-prints. . They wrenched the stones from their settings, and threw the settings into the Seine. They sold the jewels, except the Conde diamond, to Schell, through Goldenrat, and they have since- been re-sold twice. Schell took the. lion’s share of the proceeds, and paid the thieves 30,000, francs, which amount is in the possession of Kauffer’s mistress in Strasburg. Later. The real romance of the arrest of the Chantilly thieves was the recovery of the Grand Coude diamond. A chambermaid, dusting the bedroom in Kauffer’s lodgings, ate an apple which was on the mantelpiece. Her teeth came into contact - with a hard substance, which proved to be the diamond. It seems that Kauffer was absent from his rooms all night, and his landlady became suspicious and searched his valise. As his belongings were turned out, the apple was placed on the mantelpiece. When Kauffer returned he walked into the arms of a detective, and immediately made a full confession. (Rec. December 21, 7.15 p.m.) Paris, December 21. Madame de Courty, a friend of. one of those arrested in connection with the Conde diamond theft, has also been arrested. She was wearing valuable furs and had about £l5O in her possession. [Thieves bioke into the gem room of’ the Chateau de Chantilly at Versailles last October and carried off the famous Grand Conde Rose diamond, valued at ten million francs, as well as other valuables.]