DIAMOND ROBBERY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 401, 28 February 1880, Page 2

DIAMOND ROBBERY.

A peculiar diamond robbery is thus related in the Cincinnati Commercial : AMr Hawborne, who came from New York on a visit, has had an experience on Broadway which is simply unparalleled. Setting off his handsome dress was a 600 dol. diamond pin, the diameter of which was about half-an-inch. Whilst sauntering up Broadway he stopped in front of Haggerty's' produce establishment, and bent over a pile of coops to watch the antics of some of the chickens which were feeding, The diamond caught the eye of some silly fowl—a hen, of course—and darting its head between the laths, it seized the gem. Unfortunately the fastening was loose. The hen swallowed the diamond, and Mr Hawbome's attempt to catch it, gave it such a fright, it rushed among the other chickens and lost its identity so far as he .was concerned.. He went into the store to complain and was delayed somewhat. When he came out again the coops had all been moved, and' Hawborne could not even recognise the 600dol. one. A conference was held with Mr Haggerty, and it was agreed that the only way to make sure of the jewel was to kill all the chickens in all the coops. This was not a great undertaking, for the house supplies hotels with dressed chickens, and would not have munh trouble in disposing of the lot. So Haggerty agreed that if ha was allowed 25 cents a dozen for killing immediately he would find the diamond. The coops were carried to the dressingroom, and the sevonty-two dozen chickens were killed, The 858 th chicken had the diamond carefully stowed away inside, and Mr Hawborne gladly paid lOdol. to the woman who found the diamond,