Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-07-19

Tho Romantic History Of Boss Twced'i
Big Diamond-From New York to
Boston, and Back Again.


Boston, and Rack Again.
Boss Tweed's diamond has at
tanned worldwide notoriety from
the prominence given to it in Nast's
wcll-known delineations of the
great Master Of the Ring. 1t is a
stone Of great beauty and purity of
color, weighs something over
twelve carats, and is valued at about
SIS, 900 in gold. 1t was imported
by a diamond dealer in New York,
in whose Office it was seen and
admired by the leading leaders Of
such baubles. 1t was brought to
Boston and sold to gentleman in
that city, who wore it as a "soli-
taire" pin.
But in time the owner tired ofhis
trinket, and another Boston dealer
IN. we will call him-offering to
find a purchaser for it in Chicago,
it was entrusted to him. M. did
not 60 to Chicago, but stuck the
pin in his shirt bosom and "sported''
it in New York tor some days, try
ing to sell it, but without success.
He accordingly returned to Boston,
surrendered the gem to its owner,
and he in turn took it to G. for safe
keeping and sale should a buyer
appear.
Now it chanced the NJ, just pre-
vious to his appearance in New
York with his sparkling jewel in
his bosom, had returned from Europe
with small invoice Of gems which
he had regularly entered at the Gus.
tom House. The keen detectives at
that institution, ever on the watch
for a fat reward for detecting snug
Cling, thought they smelled the odor
Of a very large sized rat about this
affair, jumping at once at the con-
clusion that the smaller stones had
been passed through the Custom
House as "blind" merely, and that
the large one had been brought in
contrary to law.
Accordingly they came to Boston,
took possession Of MS premises,
got the keys Of his safe, examined
his books, and comported themselves
as agents Of the government are
wont to do when fraud upon the
revenue is suspected. But they
found nothing, and were about to
give up the case, when they learned
accidentally that G. had a large
diamond in his possession whose
description corrcsponded with the
one which they had seen flashing
upon Ms breast in Gotham.
Following up this lead, they called
upon G. and asked to see the large
diamond, of which, they said, ga
friend had told them " G. courte-
ously responded, when QUE Of the
pair, after examining the stone care
fully with glass, informed his
companion that "that was the
stone."
G. was then told that the stone
had been smuggled, and that he
would have to surrender it to them.
G. quietly remarked that he didn't
know them, that he shouldn't sur
render the stone, and that they
couldn't have it unless they took it
by force. After some parley it was
decided that the stone should be
taken to Collector Russell, that he
should have custody Of it and be-
come personally responsible for its
return in case the charges proved
to be unfounded, and that in no
case should he allow it to be taken
to New York.
Then the detectives went to work,
and SO did G., who, having bought
the stone direct from the importers,
could trace it much quicker than
the officials. In three or four day,
he was able to give Collector
Russell the exact page and line of
the Custom House record book of
entries where it had been entered,
with its weight, description, invoice
value, duty, &c, as we'll as the
names of the parties who shipped
it and by whom it was received.
Upon investigation this proved to
be straight story, and before the
detectives had fairly begun to work
up the case, Collector Russell sent a
polite note to G., asking him to come
and take the away, as he did not
care to be responsible for so valu-
able a piece Of property.
From G.'s store the stone went to
New York, where it was reset, and
surrounded with one-caret stones,
and in this shape it was bought by
Boss Tweed, who, we believe, still
wears it. Where it came from, OF
how many years or centuries it has
been worn, no one knows, nor can
one even conjecture into whose
hands it may fall and what changes
it may see in the near and fal
distant future; for though Tweed
and all his followers may fade out
of the mcmery Of men, though cen
turics may pass away, and with
them the names and fame ofnations
now of first rank, that stone will re-
tain all the beauty, all the marvel
Gus lustre, and all the value it now
has-in very truth ga thing O
beauty and a Joy forever.
The Great Tunnel Commenced.