The organ grinder outside the jeweler’s shop seemed like nothing more than an annoyance.
A well-dressed woman had entered a Paris jewelry store and asked to examine several valuable pins. Just as she studied them at the counter, a barrel organ began playing at the door. Irritated by the music, she stepped outside, tossed the man a coin, and ordered him to move along.
It looked like a small moment of impatience.
But when a diamond pin disappeared from the tray, the jeweler began to suspect the music had been more than a distraction. Before long, the woman and the organ grinder were being watched, and their clever little arrangement was about to be exposed.
A New Use For Organ Grinders
PARIS, France. — A well dressed woman lately entered a Paris jeweler’s shop and asked to see some valuable pins. While she was examining them a man began playing a barrel organ before the door. The music seemed to annoy the lady, and, stepping to the door, she threw a piece of money to the man and told him to go away, which he did at once.
On returning to the counter she said that none of the pins suited her, but that as some compensation for the trouble she had given she would buy a brooch.
She chose one, paid 10 francs for it and was leaving the shop when the jeweler noticed a missing diamond pin of great value from among those she had been examining.
He stopped the customer, who seemed highly indignant and insisted on the proprietor’s wife searching her, which was done, but no pin was found.
The jeweler then set his sister to watch the woman, who was seen to enter another jeweler’s shop, and was pretending to make a purchase when the organ grinder made his appearance. As soon as he began playing she again threw some money and ordered him to move on, but the person who was watching her perceived that with the money, she had given the man a piece of jewelry.
This was at once made known to the police, who arrested both, and on searching the man they found several articles of stolen property.
Source: The Copper Country Evening News. Calumet, Mich. November 22, 1897.
