FABERGÉ ON THE PAGES OF "JEWELER" MAGAZINE

  

SYSTEMATIC THEFT FROM FABERGÉ

Mr. Saveliev M., bourgeois, one of the employees of the drawing workshop, who has been changing his working suit to a normal one has dropped a ring of high carat gold in sight of shop's administration. This circumstance has been pointed out. The investigation has been carried out, which has ended by the arrest of Saveliev.

Hardly denying employee, has finally confessed. It turned out that Saveliev had been systematically stealing jewelry from the shop for almost two years. From the further investigation it has turned out that a group of buyers, mainly from Novoaleksandrovsky market, subsisted near Saveliev.

Police has searched a large variety of stores of small market traders involved in gold buying. As a result, Lyustin P., the owner of ready-made clothing shop, was arrested.
It is not clear what was stolen from Fabergé and what was the amount of stolen things, but it is assumed that Savelyev has stolen the things which cost a great sum of money.

The responsibility for further investigation of the circumstances under which Saveliev has committed his theft was taken on the investigator of section 6 of St. Petersburg ("Den" (Day))

WORKING CHRONICLE

St. Petersburg. Workers of all of the workshops of Fabergé have stopped work in January, 9. Strikers have laid claims to raise wages by 20%, provide an annual two-week paid leave and payment of half sized wages for the period of up to three months in case of illness. Besides, workers of some workshops have made new demands. The strike lasted for more than a month, and the owners have refused any negotiations and did not agree to any cessions. As a result, workers were forced to work on the old conditions, and 18 people were not allowed to work again.

CLAIM OF FABERGÉ TO MOROZOV

In 1908, Morozov A.F., who had already been under the trusteeship, took from Fabergé shop the valuables to the amount of 90,000 rubles for inspection and issued four trust receipts. Things have not been returned, and it was paid 11,500 rubles on the account to the remaining amount of 78,500 rubles at different times. Fabergé brought suit against Morozov and his guardians Soloviev and Astrov. Attorney of Fabergé has given grounds for his claims on the fact that this is not a purchase and sale transaction, but only taking things into storage and then these things are non-returnable. Attorney of trusteeship insisted in turn that this is a purchase and sale transaction, but not taking things into storage, since these things were taken in several stages. The District Court has agreed with the arguments of attorney of guardianship and has dismissed the claim. In February, 26, this case with regard to complaint of Fabergé is heard in the Moscow Appellate Court, which has affirmed the decision of the court.

"Russian jeweler" 1914. # 1/2. St. Petersburg

GRAND THEFT FROM FABERGE

Fabergé firm has fallen victim to a major theft of jewels to the amount of 57,000 rubles which were being sent from the St. Petersburg head office to Odessa department. It has been received a telegram from the manager of this department that the valuables sent from St. Petersburg by luggage have lost. Fabergé firm will not lose anything from this theft because the things sent were insured. This is the second case of theft of diamonds from Mr. Fabergé during transportation.

Odessa police is making an energetic investigation of mysterious loss.

"Jeweler". 1912. # 7. St. Petersburg. Page 13

IMPUDENT SWINDLE

Large jewelry firm of Fabergé (on Morskaya Street) and Treiden (on Nevsky Prospekt) have become a victim of a crafty swindle. A guilty person of crafty swindle has not been found yet. A complaint has arrived to St. Petersburg detective police that an unknown chicly dressed man, seemingly about 45 years old, who called himself George Morgan, has come to Fabergé shop. Not knowing Russian language, he made himself understood through an interpreter at the shop. Morgan asked to show him a diamond necklace and the same rings. Having bought two diamond necklaces and one diamond ring to the total amount of more than 12,000 rubles, he paid for the things by cheques of "First National Bank of Chicago, the City of London, Medlend, and Bank of London." One of Fabergé clerks, who turned out to be an Englishman by chance, validated these cheques, and the goods were easily sold to pseudo-Morgan. Cheques obtained from Morgan were presented at an overseas stock exchange, where they were not accepted as payment and were recognized as fake. It was found out by the carried out investigation that George Morgan, a British citizen of 45 years old, who had come from Stockholm, was staying at the Evropeyskaya hotel on Mikhailovskaya Street since August, 10. Having given a mark in Finland, he left in August 14. Morgan has presented the passport issued in Washington for registration at the hotel. He stayed in the best room of the Evropeyskaya hotel. He held himself with a great dignity and spoke in English exclusively. On the first day of his arrival to St. Petersburg, he viewed the Museum of the Emperor Alexander III, the Hermitage. He even was in the Winter Palace. He showed his papers of American billionaire and no suspicion awaken with anyone. It is found that Morgan had been visiting many jewelry shops for four days, where, while selecting valuable things he spoke through an interpreter that he was buying things for his wife who was in America.

It is established that the alleged billionaire George Morgan has bought the precious things to the same amount and in the same manner in the shop of Treiden as well. However, Morgan's cheques were exchanged in Credit Lyonnais because they were faked very skillfully.
Swindler has also visited Bolin's and Ovchinnikov's shops, but his trick has failed there.
A few days before Morgan's appearance in the capital, a young lady and a girl seemingly of 15 years old have arrived at the Evropeiskaya hotel.
They also presented a passport in the name of Morgan and said that they have arrived from abroad.
After swindler's disappearance the girl and the lady have also left the hotel.
"Jeweler", 1912. # 9. St. Petersburg. Page 14

THEFT FROM JEWELLER FABERGÉ

Fabergé, court jeweler, said to Mr. Philippov, chief of detective police, that valuable gold articles with precious stones and without them were systematically lost in his shop on Morskaya Street. The value of stolen things is to be estimated by the thousands.
Detective police arrested Lapushkin, artel's worker, on suspicion of commitment of the theft. It was found an entire warehouse of stolen goods during the search in Lapushkin's apartment. There were medallions, marquises, rings, brooches, bracelets and other things for several thousand of rubles. Lapushkin has confessed the theft.
"Jeweler". 1912. # 12. St. Petersburg. Page 1

JUDICIAL CHRONICLE

In April 22 the case on the theft of precious things (to the amount of about 9 thousand rubles) sent from abroad to Fabergé firm which was committed in August, 1911 was heard at the St. Petersburg District Court.

It turned out that the things had been stolen in the room of warehouse by several artel's men and that the part of these things to the amount of 1,700 rubles was sold to one merchant in St. Petersburg. The remaining things have not been found at all. Four artel's men were brought to trial, namely a trader who had bought these things, and three men who were involved in selling things as middlemen. In the court, the buyer's and the middlemen's defence mainly tried to establish that the assessment of the things was somewhat exaggerated and that the price for which the things had been sold nearly matched the actual value and the price existed in all medium stores, and the person who had bought these things could not even be aware of their origin.

Since part of things had been given to Fabergé during preliminary investigation, the Court has invited experts to speak about the estimation of the things which were at disposal of the Court. Having examined these things, the experts have come to the conclusion that such things are no longer fashionable and thereby this dealer had a full authority to buy them at a specified price and he could not even suspect that these things were stolen. Jure members have convicted four artel's men and have acquitted traders.

"Russian jeweler." 1914. # 4. St. Petersburg