AMAZING PEARL FRAUD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17151, 3 May 1919, Page 2 (Supplement)

AMAZING PEARL FRAUD.

MALIN JEWELLER DUPED.

A LETTER AND ITS RESULT.

Consummate cleverness characterised a £2000 fraud perpetrated the other day upon a prominent jeweller of Milan. ! A smart private carriage drew up before the jwel shop, and there alighted a jollyfaced individual in officer's uniform, carrying his right hand, heavily bandaged, in a silken sling. Having looked over the stock of gems, he leisurely selected several articles to the value of £60, chatting affably in the meantime with the proprietor.

When the moment came to pay, the disabled customer requested the jeweller's kind aid to remove his parse from an inside pocket. Some twenty thousand lire (nearly a thousand pounds) were thus displayed on the counter, out of which the purchase amount was paid.

The gem merchant accompanied hie visitor to the entrance, where the officer suddenly pointed to a pearl necklace displayed in the window, and asked the price.

" Two thousand pounds." answered the jeweller, " and a real bargin at that."

After a close inspection, the officer exclaimed, " It is just the very thing I want 0 gift for the wife as a souvenir of my safe home-coming. But, unfortunately, I have not .sufficient ready cash now, and yet I would like to have such a present in

♦ hand for our commemorative family dinner this evening. We can manage the matter if you would kindly assist mo further by penning a little note to my wife; and I will then wait while my coachman drives back to procure the necessary sum." The jeweller consented gladly; and, taking the customer into his sanctum, he produced notepaper and envelopes with the firm's name printed on them, and wrote at the officer's dictation: —

" Dear wifo, please send me round at once, by bearer, two thousand pounds, which is urgently needed for concluding an important transaction. — (Signed) Ilario." "Why, what a fanny thing. My Christian name also is Hilary," said the jeweller in appending the signature. This coincidence only tended to make the meeting of the two Hilarys more hilarious; and while the officer stepped outside to hand the note with instructions to the coachman, the jeweller—now in high spirits— busily preparing to uncork a bottle of choice port. The officer began to entertain his host with some thrilling battle yams about the Italian campaign in Albania, and bow he came to have his arm smashed. Presently the coachman re-appeared with the requisite funds. The seller received his two thousand pounds, the buyer pocketed the splendid necklace, and the meeting ended with hearty handshakes. At nightfall the jeweller Hilary went home and greeted his wife with a visage wreathed wilth smiles.

"So you've had a reall lucky day," remarked his better half.

" Indeed I have; but how on earth have you guessed it?" "Well, the amount yon sent for was sorawhat larger than you've happened to want of late, said the wife. " Dominiddo!" cried the jeweller on being confronted with his autograph note. " Instead of sending ft to his own wife he's ohanged the envelope and sent on to mine!"

Of the trickster and his coachman accomplice there is not the slightest trace.