On this day, Jack Roland Murphy, also known as “Murph the Surf”, an American burglar and convicted murderer, as well as a surfing champion, musician, author, artist and minister, carried out the biggest jewel heist in American history. When Murphy first decided to case New York’s Museum of Natural History, he found that the security was very lax, the alarm system was non-operative and windows were left open for ventilation at night. Consequently, together with his two accomplices, Alan Kuhn and Roger Clark, Murphy climbed in through the open window at night and stole 24 precious gems including the Star of India, the Eagle Diamond and the DeLong Star Ruby. All three burglars were arrested two days later thanks to a tip-off by staff members at the Cambridge House hotel where they had been staying and throwing lavish parties. Most of the gems were eventually recovered, except the Eagle Diamond, which was probably cut down into smaller stones.
