New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-12-16
THE GREAT DIAMoYD SWIEDLE.

now TUE FRAUD WAS SUGGksIED-AN lNnENl-
OUs SCHEME.
The San francisco Bulletin of Dec. Z. gives
the following summary Of the dongs OF the men who
"saltod the so-called diamond fields Of Colorado
Arnold Slack and j. b. Cooper practical miners OF
much experience and In the summer OF 1871 they were
owned By him. New Mexico 40 miles from the Arizona
line. HaTpendng desired 20 effect a sale OF the mine 70
knowledge OF Arnold Slack and Cooper 20 enlbe him
a. make favorable representations concerning the mine
In September, 1871. Harpending left for LONDON and
the three mining experts staren on ther Journey W san
Francisco. On reaching Fort Defiance they stopped 10
prospect in the vicinity having heard OF the finding OF
valuable in that region Their search was
crowned with success. They found largo number Of
stones OF whose value they ignorant, the ruby
business being AT that time out OF their line They con
cluded however 20 bring the stones 70 san Francisco
On their arrival here they learned quite to their sur
Prise that some of the stones were garnets some nap
phires, and probably some rubes, with and then
a black stone resembling the black diamond They
thought of taking steps 20 secure possession of the cOun
try in which the stones found but had capital
carry the plan unaded and it was finally deter
mined 10 endeavor 70 sell an interest meantime keeping
the location q While endeav0rug 70 negotiate
SALE finding many difficulties in the way and losing CON
ndence IN the value OF the stones they concluded 10
change their plans They determined 10 sell out their
discovery. and to get good price they set about de-
Yisng 10 make 10 appear valuable.
The character OF the discovery must be changed RON
ruby to diamond Held inns laea was s1Egeste1 Dy
II they had diamonds instead or garnets they would
why diamonds in New-Mexieo would not be
bic a story diamonds in Africa.
diamonds Of little value from the Diamond Drill Com
pany, mix them with the stones. The proposition
accepted and the small diamonds, worthless except
for drills and other diamond pointed instrumental yet
genuine gave therefore sufficient foundation for hope OF
with the stones found in New-Moxico they submitted
the lot to Frontier, Bellmere & Co, which hrm gave
them certificate that the lot contained genuine dia
mOnds.
them 20 make definite proposals 70 capitalists Arnold
sought out G ID, Roberts, meeting him on the street, IA
il casually, and limiting 70 him that ne had good
TO him the difficulty under which the discoveries la
bored. and offered 90 sell an interest On no account
WORK Arnold proposed TO organize n company and sell
limited quantity OF stock Roberts said he would
HaTpendng, and have him JOIN IN the enterprise lie
did and Harpendng wrote back that he would he IN
New-YOrk ia a few weeks on his return and wanted
sent there TO be tested prior "a ms ar
rival
Accordingly, Arnold and Slack, with bag full %
aOnes 20 NewYOrk in March last, ana deposited
the stones with IIany q %, WhOae experts seiecteu
some OF the diamonds for examination, ana pronounced
them genuine When harPendns arrived rom ElIOPe,
he brought with hun Nn NJ Lent anu an EhEIiShnan
named Rubery, VINO came from Europe on a tour Lent
at once became interested in the statements made by
Ilfanys experts, ana Lhe stories o. ssl qu.les 1
stones in their native beds, located on neu otaIes son.
and region the title 10 which could Dc secured before
outsiders could Jump the claim.
Tiffany & CO. valued the bag OF stones at $4,000, and
he Immediately determined 70 Join in the enterprise
Harpendng. also, anxious 10 go ia, but Arnold now
ton Of tue held though Slack pretended that he was
willing TO reveal the location, with ArnOds consent
and that he slack would sell his tnteresuDeth;rd-
for 100000 According 10 the statement or one ntqru-
ant this actually paid 10 slack, ana aIter"ard
divided between Arnold, Slack, and Cooper the last
named keeping In the background. Arnold ana slack
agreed to 20 and point out the ground as soon a. the
weather would permit, which would allow them Two
months IN which 10 perfect their plans.
Knowing that the Fort Defiance region would yield no
diamonds. that If they took the agents of Lent
Co., they would have 10 salt the clan, they decided
TO procure African diamonds for that purpose, and
Arnold visited London with the result already known.
After his concluded that a. they must salt
any way they might as well select more accessible
field so they determined the location IN Colorado,
and Arnold went again to Fort Defiance ana purchased
quantity OF stones from the indians With these
and the diamonds purchased In London, they prepared
the ground visited by JanlD
A long statement is made by MI W. NJ. Lent, Presi-
dent OF the Diamond Company. showing how the
sharpers led on the original incorporatOrs, and finally
got their cSsb
ARNOLD's DEFENSE.
LOUISVILLE, Dec. 15.-Phihp Arnold. whose
property was recently attached at tho Instance Of
VIM Lent, on account of the receut California
diamond swindle. publishes long defense in
The COurieyoJo,Tr0 in which ne denies the charges
made against him. saying that ne never sold dollars
worth Of property Lent had any contract with
received any money from Lent, at any time.
He denies that the fields were salted by him, but al
eges that the discovery honestly made and that the
transactions in regard to II all between himself
slack Harpending and @. D. Roberts. and we're all far
and after full investigation by all parties.
He charges Lent with being In powerful and IN
scrupuous ring and guilty Of many swndling mining
transactions privately.
Arnold says he has discovered silver mine In Ken
ucv worth $500 100000 and has bought for oO0OOO all
the property In the locality Of the mine