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The Jewel Thief Who Was Freed After The Stolen Diamond He Swallowed Was Surgically Removed

A thief was caught dead to rights after stealing a valuable piece of jewelry, but was able to escape punishment after an unusual way to return the item to its owner was discovered

Andrew Martin
3 min readJan 23, 2023

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Stealing has been an unfortunate common occurrence throughout history. Since many thieves get away with their crimes, there is usually a push to prosecute those who are apprehended to the fullest extent of the law. More than a century ago, a man named Paul Clarkson stole a valuable diamond ring by swallowing it, but was able to avoid punishment after he agreed to undergo surgery to extract and return the jewelry to their rightful owner.

Jewel thieves have often been the most daring of robbers. The target of their nefarious plans are usually smaller than most, but carry great value if the gemstones and precious metals are real.

The May 16, 1904 issue of the Chicago Tribune reported the case of Clarkson, a thief who nearly got away with stealing some valuable jewelry, but was still able to get off without punishment after he agreed to an unusual concession.

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Andrew Martin
Andrew Martin

Written by Andrew Martin

Dabbler in soccer, history, investing & writing. Master’s degree in baseball history. Passionate about history, diversity, culture, sports, film and investing .

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