THE STOLEN NECKLACE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1853, 12 September 1913, Page 7

THE STOLEN NECKLACE.

ACCUSED IN THE DOCK. . | HOW THE NET WAS SPREAD. By Tclcgraph-Presa Astaclation-OopyTight London, September 10. Joserjli Grizgard. Simon Silverman, and Loisir Gutwirth (Austrian diamond dealers), .Tolm Lockett (jeweller), nnff James M'Carthy (aged eighty-two years) wero chargcd at the Dow Street Police Court, on remand, with being concerned in the theft of tlio pearl necklace, which disappeared while 111 transit from Paris' to London, in July 15 last, consigned to Mr. Max Mayer, a leading merchant of Ilatton Garden. Mr. Muir, in opening tho case for tho prosecution, said that Gutwirth on August I was in London and asked a .. relative named Brandstatter. if ho know of. a purchaser for all article worth . £60,000. Brandstatter guessed that ho meant the necklace, and, remembering the £10,000 reward, appeared to acquiesce. Ho consulted a cousin, Quadranstoin, in Paris, as a suitable assistant in the negotiations. They then wrote ' to Gutwirth expressing a doubt as to whether tho pearls wero genuinely those belonging to Mr. Mayer and requesting proofs. Gutivith telegraphed: "Como to London at once." v Brandstatter and ' ' Quadraiisteiii met Gutwirth and Silverman, and inspected three pearls, Brand;, statter explaining that Quadranstein ro-' presented his (Brandstatter's) principal. Silverman demanded £40,000. Later, Grizgard and Lockett attended tho negotiations. , ■ Brandstatter and Quadranstein pretended to return to Paris wliilo Mr. Price (acting for Lloyd's) in- : ' duced Spanicr, a roputablo'jeweller, to play the part of purchaser. Silverman and Grizgard met Spanicr at an hotel, as the newspaper "Le Matin" lind narrated, and proauccd the pearls. Spanicr bought two._ and,arranged'a mooting at a'tubo station oil tho pretext that his principal, an Indian.rajah, had demanded an immediate bargain for tho remainder, otherwise bo would break off negotiations. After tho arrest 6omo ; nf Spanior's bank notes wero found, on / Silverman. '» Mr. Muir addcdtyliat McCarthy's parti in the affair was obscure. He complimented Quadranstein on conducting tho * . . 'negotiations with admirable nervo am' discretion. (Rec. Septembor 11. 11.25 p.m.) ■ London, September 11. . . In his evidence, Quadranteinconfirmed Mr. Muir's statement with re-" "' gard to tho negotiations at the liotcL . . These woro carried out 111 melodra- . matic style. Grizgard produced a cigarette case and spoko to Lockett as if ■ ho wero a stranger, asking for a light. Lockett threw a matchbox to Grizgard, wlio opened it, extracting .therefrom threo pearls, exclaiming: "A fino bitf of work, cliP" , , Tho prisoners took precautions at' various rendezvous with a view to dis-. covering if dctectivcs woro watching, , The facts of the robbery, as far as tlieyj are known, aro as follow:—A blue paper package, measuring 12in. by Sin. by 3m„ tied toy string, and duly sealed, and containing a necklace consisting of G1 magni> ficent pearis, was registered in Paris oni the afternoon of July 15 for transmission . to London. It is assumed that tlio par- J eel was sent,forward by tlio 9.30 p.m., mail ' from Paris, reaching Calais at about halfpast ono and Charing Cross at a quarter to six on M r ednesday morning. The package. was addressed •to Mr. Max Mayer, a leading merchant, who is recognised especially as an- authority on Australian, pearls, a t 88 Ha Won. Garden. On delivery tho package was; received and signed _ for and' placed in a, safe to await the arrival of Mr. Mayer. When Mr. Mayer arrived the package was taken from the safe and opened. . It was then found that the brown leather case in which, tho necklace should have been was empty, and round it wero a number of lumps of beet siigar. These had evidently been; placed inside tha; package to make up the proper weight. It is assumed that as tho sugar was French the robbery took placo on the other side of tho Channel.