JEWEL ROBBERIES

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 32, 9 February 1929, Page 17

JEWEL ROBBERIES

BIG THEFTS LAST YEAR

SOME AMAZING DEEDS

AUDACIOUS -IfAIDS

Jlattrosses of pearls and gold,', we hoai-, £10,000,000 worth t of- incomparable jewels, have been, looted from the Imperial tombs, of the ..most, illustrious Manehu rulers of China, writes Eve Arden.in the "Cape Times:'' Looking back on 1928. one is. struck ljy the number, variety and originality .' ' of the jewel-thefts which have taken place all over the world. Not long ago Eeuter stated that General Chu Yu-pu's troops had rifled thirteen coffins at Chiksien, including that of the Empress Chienlung, to the amount' „ of . £5,000,000. Among these gems wore four melons made of emeralds and a huge crown of diamonds which possibly once belonged to the Empress -Dowager of China. Of course, these thefts probably took place' at night in a place- unfrequented by the general public; but one cannot help noticing what amazing deeds have been perpetrated in crowded city streets.

Last May, £12,000 worth of diamonds were stolen from an' Antwerp diamond merchant .amid.'hundreds Of-pcople at Liverpool street' Station, London. The diamond merchant had chained the wallet to his braces; then placed it hi an inside pocket of'his jacket, buttoned the jacket, and buttoned a heavy overcoat above that.. /As tbctrain steamed into the station he felt-the lump, formed 'by the wallet and'assured hinisolf' that it was safe. Three minutes later, as his friend turned' /to,call; a/taxi,' ho pressed his,hand to the place: again. l The.diamonds were gone. ' The chain had.been cut and the:.wallet extracted, 'although j both, coats .''wore still * buttoned.- The merchant fainted"ftom-.shock, .anil' did not recover for half' an hour. , Was it a continental gang?'. ■'' ■■» ; CLEVER CONFIDENCE TRICIv 'About tlie p same ■.time, a clever confidence trick was accomplished. It was rumoured that several cases of precious stones intended^ for financing Bolshevist propaganda were 'captured by two officers of the late General Wrangel's army and hidden in-Bulgaria. Shortly after, a man stated' that-' he aiid a brother officer'/fbund- a Soviet on the Bulgarian, coast -ofthe Black Sea | guarded by soldiers of the Bed Army. Nevertheless, they captured^ the trea- ! sures and fled- ariland, and hid it. A few days later His companion was killed attempting .'to 'cross ; the' Bulgarian frontier. The'remaining man was the only person aware-of,/the.' ■treasure's hiding, place; but he' had no-money to' bring it away. People became interest eel, and. funds';'were raised, no- doubt on a share basis'; am not'sure, but'!, rather fancy, orj'e.' Russian .lawyer alone subscribed ;£22o:!' 'The. gay adventurer pocketed the £220—and; evaporated, into thin air! r"_ '"" '■'.'"' " '."'' Ou another occasion,.when''the police raided the 'Bourse at Warsaw, dealers hastily swallowed/diamonds or flung them, with other geinsj-out of the windows. These jewels''were' alleged to have been smuggled into' the country without Customs:.duty being paid. The polico seized approximately £200,000 worth; or so the .-papers said. Four of the. dealers wei'e arrested; whether they were operated otffor the 'recovery of the jewels we are.'not !'told. ■ •'• A POSTAI. THEFT. •'-•'' . A post office'cmploy'ecr in Paris, it is stated,, confessed-:to. -the', theft of a £00,000- pearl necklace.--/' While stamping parcels, be noticed a broken box with, the jewels,'showing. .Overcome by temptation, ho affixed the box's seals to another package a-iid took the pearls. When .'.-ho read /the.: newspapers and discovered .the value of ..the- pearls, lie was stunned. He is "alleged to have con-fessed-.to the police of Paris who recovered the necklace:intac.t;. . ■ .'./ While we .are talkingabout Paris, I think I recollfect that a- Parisian ■jeweller.was.tricked of a diamond neck-, lace valued ."at £24,000. .last .. March, or /thereabouts 1.:: : A .distinguished looking man; called' at the jeweller's and. bought .a; necklaco for £80,000 casli. Later ho returned,'-selected a necklace three'times'as valuable, and ordered it /to be sent to':-his luxurious sußo at, a fashionable hotel. When the salesman was-shown'in.' the customer- was in his shirt-sleeves, shaving. He looked at the necklace, laid it carelessly in a' box on the washstand, and told/the salesman ; hc' would feteh v the .money-from the next'room. Twenty minutes later'the'salesman, tired of. waiting,' opened, the communicating door. • The room, was empty. Unfortunately, the necklace vhad also disappeared' through' a y hole in the wall cor-: responding to a^liole in'the/back of the 'box.' '■ ■"■•'■" .•'■' '-"•■''' ■■;. '■// . '■'■'/•' . ; :

On another occasion'a strange'man attacked a jeweller V clerk ' on ' the

stairs in Poland 'Street; London, whipped a bag over his head, and stole a bag, of jewels, which he was carrying. A HOLD-TJP. In October. last, a customer in , New; I York was examining diamonds in „-a twelflli-JJooi- jewellery shop .in a -Fifth Avenue skyscraper. Suddenly four masked men appeared,, held thi?m'. up, and scooped off Lhc £40,000 worth of stones at which the genuine customer was ' looking. At revolver point, the merchant was forced to. open his safe, whence they reaped another £40,000 worth of jewels. The four intruders' then backed out, flourishing.their weapons, and threatening to-kill the people they had held up. ' :-...■■

In May, what was' regarded .as a burglar-proof shop was forced. There had been three previous attempts, and ;ill burglar alarms were stro.ngthend. Steel grids, folding' iron gates,, and shutters'guarding- the windows were believed impregnable-from outside; but the thieves climbed on to the roof of the building by means of a ladder from a nearby building under repair. • They forced, a fanlight and/ its protecting steel grid. ' (Once inside the roof of the building, they lowered themselves by ropes to the top of the staircase. They then forced a heavy mahogany door and cntered'the shop. They failed to' open the safe,, but broke the protecting grid behind the. windows and made a clean sweep of the jewels displayed—watches, bracelets, cigarette cases, etc. Leaving a complete set of burglars' tools behind, with the greatest coolness they escaped in-the same way as they had entered. But. they left a clue. On the.Friday,a car was.put in a certain garage; on Saturday the car was gone. One of the missing rings was found on' the floor of the garage. . . ■ , . .. \ Another London shop was looted by wire-fishing after ■ breaking the platuglass window, "wJioji the burglar evidently cut his hand, as ; the pane'was .smeared with blood. . He then dragged out the displayed, goods, with a. piece of wire.. London shops are at their wits' end to overcome this night;burg.ling, epidemic./ It .is ;.said-, that:'Har.rods are installing.-invisible -rays, to control, alarms to safeguard-their stock of :£ 1,500,000. Should, an intruder place any part of his body in the path of the' ray, an electric-current is broken, causing alarm bells;-to'-.ring. At Eastbourne,the general manager of the corporation buses lost: a number of jewels., While they were out, the telephone rang. --, The-parlourmaid wai told her mistress .was: taken ill, at the other end of the''town,: and-the servants must go- to, her immediately. The housemaid and parlourmaid:'at once set out for the address given./-.Ten minutes later (evidently, to see if the coast was clear), a. safety-.call; was.put through. The cook answered. A-surprised voice said that '' Dr. Jackson", was speaking, and he was extremely annoyed that she hadiu't, gone with the other maids. Much perturbed, 1 cook hurried after. The servants,, -finding; the address/was a fictitious one,-rushed home —too late. .'.•'■'.'.

Nearer home was a .Port Elizabeth loss about'iiine months;ag'o, ;if I am not mistaken. A lady ■ travelling from Port Elizabeth to Capetown,- en route to -Australia, .placed a' diamonds bangle, worth £150 y a gold lizard set with diamonds, worth £100,; a diamond pendaut, valued, at. £150, and- other . jewels, in her handbag; which ■ she concealed under tlie -seat-. - in the coupe which she alone occupied. She dined in the dining-car; .: and ' breakfasted there again liext morning. After breakfast the. unfortunate owner learnt that her precious bag was gone.

But in spiteof thesedaring exploits, people will continue, to wear'or keep jewels. It seems to" bP a. human inBtinct to do so. Of course, all royalties really,set this fashion;/ our own Crown jewels are: fabulous,; and royal ladies, have many private, gems as well as those for State occasions.- "' / ;