A story of the robbery of a Titanic passenger and jeweller in 1911
- Charlotte Zureick
- Sep 21, 2024
- 5 min read
Titanic twenty-four year old first class passenger and victim Jakob Birnbaum
Post Card looking west on Market Street from Fifth Street, San Francisco. Published by Newman Post Card Company. ca. 1909. Newman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
“$20,000 Gems and Dealer Disappear, Wholesale Firms Anxious to Find Frenchman Who Got Jewels on Credit. Police On Blind Trial, No Trace Found in Spite of Vigorous Search; Victims Sworn to Secrecy”
The San Francisco Examiner
San Francisco, California
July 23, 1911
“Embezzlement of $20,000 worth of diamonds is said to be the real motive behind a warrant for Gaston Noel which was sworn to in Judge Deasy’s court a few days ago by Jacob Birnbaum of 704 Market Street. Noel until a week ago ran a retail jewelry store on the fourth floor of the Phelan building.
A view of the Phelan Building in San Francisco from the Central Tower. Marcin Wichary, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons.
“The warrant makes the specific charge that Noel embezzled a $330 diamond ring from Jacob Birnbaum & Co. It was learned yesterday that Noel’s peculations will reach $20,000 if not more.
It is said almost every wholesale jewelry firm in this city which handles diamonds is out from $300 to Noel on credit. Among these firms are the California Jewelry Company, 704 Market Street; Carrau & Green, 112 Kearny Street; Max Abrahams, Inc. 717 Market street; H. Simon 133 Geary street, and Birnbaum.”
Victims Sworn to Secrecy
“All the firms are members of the Jewelers’ Board of Trade. They have formed themselves into an association appointed to a committee of which Leon Carrau is the chairman, and sworn themselves to secrecy until the police have had a chance to find Noel.
“‘I have nothing to say at this time,’ Carrau said yesterday, ‘as we want to give the police an opportunity to apprehend Noel. If the police do not find him within the next few days we will have something to say.’
“‘This is the biggest embezzlement of this kind that has been perpetrated for years,’ said one of the members of the firm which sold diamonds to Noel.
“‘In the past we have given such robberies full publicity, but it never seemed to help, so we have decided in this case to keep this matter as secret as possible.’
“‘I will say this though, that the amount Noel got away with was much over $15,000 and that $20,000 is a conservative estimate.’
Starts in Fillmore Street
“Noel came to this city sixteen months ago from New York. He opened a jewelry store in Fillmore Street, where he remained for eight months. He moved to the Phelan building six months ago.
“It was his practice not to buy heavily from any one firm, but to spread his patronage out so as to take in all the concerns in town. In this way he did not bring suspicion upon his dealings.
“From time to time he made small payments and thus insured his credit.
“He closed up his store and disappeared a week ago. Investigation revealed that he had got diamonds on credit from all the wholesalers in San Francisco.
“They immediately formed themselves into an association. It was decided that Birnbaum should swear out a warrant on one specific charge and that when Noel was arrested, warrants on all the other charges should be obtained.”
Nothing Left but Air
“Detectives Daly and Maloney were assigned to the case. Although they have run down every possible clue, no trace of the man can be found.
“Private detective agencies, as well as the police departments in this city and other cities, have been called in to assist in the search.
“Little is known of Noel’s past. He is a Frenchman who speaks only a few words of English.
“One of the jewelers who sold him goods gives the following description.
“Forty years old; 5 feet 5 inches tall; weight about 225 pounds; sandy mustache, curly sandy hair which is getting thin around the temples, and a wrinkled face.
“Noel was a diamond setter. In addition to running a retail diamond store he did considerable work for jewelry firms.”
Here are a couple additional new stories regarding Jakob Birnbaum after the sinking of the Titanic.
“Local Jewel Importer Perished On Titanic”
San Francisco Bulletin
San Francisco, California
April 19, 1912
“Hope has been given up by members of the firm of J. Birmaum & Co., leading jewelry importers with offices in this city, that Jacob Birnbuam, senior partner in the firm, is among the survivors aboard the Carpathia.
“Birnbaum had planned to cross from Antwerp to New York on the Lapland of the Red Star Line, and when he did not arrive aboard that steamer fear was entertained that he was aboard the Titanic. This was confirmed when the White Star officials wired the local firm that Birnbaum had boarded the Titanic at Cherbourg.
“The office at 704 Market street is but one of many which Birnbaum headed. He intended to move his headquarters from New York to this city within a few months. He was unmarried, having no relatives but a cousin, who is a member of the firm.”
“Diamond Buyer Lost When Titanic Sank”
The Oregon Daily Journal
Portland, Oregon
“(United Press Leader Wire.) San Francisco, April 22.--Letters of administration of the estate of Jacob Birnbaum, a San Francisco diamond importer numbered among those lost in the wreck of the Titanic, were granted by Judge Graham today to Public Administrator Hynes. Birnbaum had been buying diamonds in Antwerp and cabled his intention to return on the Titanic. Cabled inquiries following the disaster revealed that he had left as announced. His name failed to appear in the list of survivors, Adolph Kosches, a cousin and member of the importing firm, caused the public administrator to take action regarding the estate.”
Further reading
The biography of Jakob Birnbaum
"Jews of the Titanic, A Reflection of the Jewish World on the Titanic Disaster" by Eli Moskowitz
I recently finished this book and it includes some interesting information on the life of Jakob Birnbaum who was Jewish.
The museum of the Red Star Line, the shipping line that Birnbaum was planning to travel on from Antwerp, Belgium. I also found a Youtube video that gives a fantastic tour of the museum at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw6uj4B07ps
The grave of Jakob Birnbaum. There is also a great picture of him at this site.
Some history of Jewish immigration in San Francisco
Limitation of Liability Hearings, Claim of Sol Levy (Jacob Birnbaum)
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