Readers of "The Amateur Cracksman" will remember how Raffles posing as an American millionaire sends for a jeweller to bring some rings on. approval to a hotel, and palms off on him a box like that containing the rings while the real box disappears into his pocket.
On similar, but much cruder lines, is.a jewel robbery which is now the excitement of London. On Monday afternoon a tall, military-looking man booked a suite of rooms at the Hyde Park Hotel, gave the name of "Major Hambro" (evidently to suggest connection with the well-known bank) and under the same name telephoned to Cartier's, the great jewellers of Bond Street, to send round some rings as he wished to buy a Christmas present. He mentioned £4,000 as about the sum he would spend.
Cartier's principal salesman, M. Etienne Bellenger, went round with a casher containing rings worth £20,000. While he was displaying them to the military gent, two other gents, military or otherwise entered unseen and slugged him on the head. Bellenger, however, managed to make a good fight, as the furniture was found afterwards thrown about all over the place. One ring also was picked up under a sofa. But the thieves got away with £16,000 worth, leaving the hotel in a casual manner, without attracting attention.
Raffles, if I remember, was never identified with the particular theft mentioned, though in the end they pinned several of his exploits to him. But is by no means sure that the three military gents will escape. Scotland Yard evidently had its surpicious and took a number of photographs from its rogues' gallery to M. Bellenger, who is said to have identified one of them. Since then this man and two others have been "pulled in"—with what result we shall know when the unfortunate M. Bellenger is well enough to see them.
Raffles' methods certainly seem best besides being more humane. But Raffles hated violence and even repented having to knock out the policeman at the British Museum when he pinched the gold cup.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.