EXPERT SWINDLERS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXI, Issue LXII, 15 July 1911, Page 11

EXPERT SWINDLERS.

AN AMERICAN MILIONAIRE IMPERSONATED.

£1500 WORTH OF JEWELS

LONDON, May 25. Messrs Halford and Sons, the Pall Mall jewellers, have been robbed of £1500 worth of jewellery by a little group of American "crooks" who conceived and carried out their plan with a great deal of ingenuity and daring. They began by taking a suite at one of the best and most exclusive hotels in the West End of London, where there is also staying one of the best' known American millionaires. In the hotel they appeared as ordinary, well-dressed American guests; who had paid a heavy deposit for their rooms and spent money freely, ' . , '

They went together to Messrs Halford s shop, and one, after introducing himself as the secretary to the American millionaire, said he had en lied to select some jewellery which his employer wished to purchase for his wife to wear at the Coronation, They were shown a number of jewels in various settings, and after choosing several they asked that they should be sent to the hotel for the inspection of the millionaire and his wife. * v

After tne men left Messrs Halford telephoned to the hotel to ask if the millionaire, whose name they had been given, was staying there, and on being assurred that he was they sent the fewellery in charge of an assistant. He was met in the haH. of the hotel by the person who had represented, himself as the milionaire' s secretary. After complaining • about the assistant being late, the "secretary" took the messenger upstairs, where he said the millionaire was waiting.

In the sitting-room was the alleged millionaire, who, after he had examined the stones, remarked in" a strong Am* erican accent, that he must show them to his wife. He walked down the corridor, leaving the "secretary" with fhe jeweller's assistant. A few moments later he came baqk ; and asked the-assist-ant to follow' him into another room. When they reached the door the assistant was seized by the .neck and hurled into a dark room. The door was locked behind him, and he was left prisoner. By the aid of matches lie found that all the wires had been cut, so that he could not ring for assistance. He kicked the door, and at last attracted the attention of the hotel servants, but when he was released the thieves "had escaped. From the descriptions the police believe the men to be a clever gang of Am«ric?n crooks who have come to exploit London during the Coronation season.