A CLEVER DIAMOND SWINDLE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 90, 15 April 1880, Page 1

A CLEVER DIAMOND SWINDLE.

■ One of the, cleverest diamond robberies of modern times is reported by the leading journals at St; Petersburg : — v About a fortnight ago a handsome equipage drew! up at the door of tha first jeweller , in the Russian ,• capital. Alighting : frqm the . carriage,, rail elegantly dressed and remarkably »» pretty young lady entered the shop, and requested that some, parurqs of brilliants might ba shown to her, Several coitly sets were forthwith submitted ior inspection, and after sqmq hesitation sho - selected a riviere .and : ; pendantß, rained at 10,000 rubles, and stating that aha was the, wife of, an eminent mad doctor c whose; name is a household word in St. Petersburg, requested the proprietor of the establishment to accompany her home with, the jewels in. order to settle finally with her husband about thq prioe. The jeweller; packed : up ; ; his (-diamonds and got, into , the, carriage .with his fair customer., presently .they arrived at a large house,; and, were received. 3 at the porte pochere by a Suisse in splendid livery, who conducted them v up a brilliantly lighted staircase, ipto a richlyfurnished drawing-room, ; in w hich the lady begged her companion to take a seat, and, jewel case in hand, proceeded tq summon 'her husband/ Entering the doctor's consulting room; in an apparent state of uncontrollable agitation, she informed , the latter .that, -. she had brought her unfortunate spouse to visit him in the hope that W would undertake to cure him. of the strange ; monomania under which he had labored for some time rpast. , ' My ; afflicted husband,' she said ' isa landed proprietor from „ A— -— , in T jthq Gj^qvernment of Minsk ; he is. quiet ; and harmless, but has diamonds on his brain ; he, ; will talk of nothing else,pqqrr fellow!,,! Will you see him ?. I have left him in the drawing-room, and am much; : too nervous to be present while, you diagnose his jcas.e. Might I therefore, ask y oa to accompany me tq my carriage before you go to him ! It will be sach a relief to me to leave him in your care.*? Her ingenious device was crowned* with complete success.. She. drove off with the diamonds ; an lintqiyiew between the doctor and the jeweller .fully confirmed her statement with respect to the latter* alleged monomania, an i resulted in his being placed^ under bodily restraint, from which he iwaa onljjr rescued three .day a. later, by one of hia partners,, who succeeded, with the assistance of tbejpolice, in tracing him to Dr V\ fs renowned private lunatic Asylum.; : No trace has yet been discovered of the gifted lady who accom* pliuhed thia in every sens j of the word, ' brilliant'] coup.'* i, ; ; --i