Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1873-01-03
A Summary Account or the Origin
and Development of the Recent
Great Diamond Fraud.

A Summary Account or the Origin
and Development Of the Recent
Great Diamond Fraud.
THE San Francisco Bulletin of a re-
cent date gives the following succinct
history of the great California diamond
swindle:
"Arnold, Slack, and j. B. Cooper are
practical miners of much experience, and
In the summer of 1871 they were en-
pioyed by Harpending to go to the Burri
Burri mine, owned by him, in New Mex
leo, forty miles from the Arizona line.
Harpending desired to effect sale of the
mine to English capitalists, and he made
use Cf the practical knowledge of Arnold,
Slack and Cooper to enable him to make
favorable representations concerning the
mine prior to its sale.
''In September, 1871, Harpending left
for London, and the three mining experts
started on their journey to San Francisco.
On reaching Fort Defiance they stopped
to prospect in the vicinity, having heard
of the finding of valuable stones in that
region, Their search was crowned with
success. They found large number of
stones, of whose value they were igno-
rant, the ruby business being at that
time out of their line. They conclud
ed, however, to bring the stones
al here they learned, quite to their
surprise, that some of the stones
were garnets, some sapphires, and prob
ably some rubies, with some black stones
resembling the black diamond. They
thought of taking steps to secure posses
sion of the country in which the stones
were found, but had not capital to carry
out the plan unaided, and it was finally
determined to sell an interest, meantime
keeping the location a secret. While en-
deavoring to negotiate sale, finding
many difficulties in the way, and losing
confidence in the value of the stones, they
concluded to change their plans. They
determined to sell out their discovery,
and, to get good price, they set about
devising means to make 1t appear valua-
BILE
1.-The character or the discovery must
be changed from ruby TO diamond
field. This idea was suggested by the
remarks of experts and jewellers, who
told them that II they had diamonds in
stead of garnets they would have some
thing worth money, and they could not
see why diamonds in New Mexico would
not be as reasonable a story as diamonds
in Africa.
Finally some one, it is said, proposed
to obtain somc diamonds Uf little value
from the Diamond Drill Company, and
mix them with the stones. The PROPOSE
tion was accepted, and the small dia-
monds, worthless except for drills and
other diamond pointed instruments, yet
genuine, gave, therefore, sufficient foun-
dation for hope of more valuable stones
still unbound. After mixing these with
the stones found in New Mexico, they
submitted the lot to Frontier, Bellmere X
Co., which firm gave them certificate
that the lot contained genuine diamonds.
"The plot had now progressed far
enough to enable them to make definite
proposals to capitalists. Arnold sought
out G.. D. Roberts, meeting him on the
street, as if casually, and limiting to him
that he had "good thing" After rous-
ing Roberts curiosity, he explained to
him the difficulty under which the dis
coverers labored, and offered to sell an
interest On no account, however,
Arnold said, would they sell the whole;
they only wanted means to secure title
and prosecute the work. Arnold pro-
posed to organize a company, and sell a
| limited quantity of stock. Roberts said
he would write to Harpending, and have
him Join in the enterprise. He did so,
and Harpending wrote back that he would
be in New York in a few weeks, on his
return, and wanted some of the stones
sent there to be tested prior to his ar.
rival.
Accordingly, Arnold and Slack, with
bag full of stones, went to New York
in March last, and deposited the stones
with Tiffany u Co., whose experts Sc
lected some of the diamonds for eXamina
|
When Harpending arrived from Europe
he brought with him VIM. M. Lent and
an Englshman named Rubery, who
came from Europe on a tour. Lent al
once became interested in the statement:
made byTitfany's experts, and the stories
of vast quantities of stones in their native
beds, located on United States soil, anC
in region the title of which could be Sc
cured before outsiders could jump thu
claim.
"Tiffany & Co. valued the bag O
stones at $3.50, 900, and on their assuranc,
! MIR. Lent placed such reliance that he i'm
mediately determined to join in the enter
prise. Harpending, also, was anxious Il
go in, but Arnold now began to play shy
and utterly refused to state the location
/, of the field, though Slack pretended tina
he was willing to reveal the location
with Arnold's consent, and tina
he, Slack, would sell his interest
, one third-for 100000. According I,
! the statement of one informant, this sun
was actually paid to Slack, and afterwart
divided between Arnold, Slack an,
Cooper, the last-named keeping in tn
background. Arnold and Slack agree,
to go and point out the ground as soon a
the weather would permit, which woul
allow them two months in which to pei
feet their plans. . .......
:. knowing that the Fort Defiance regio
: would yield no diamonds, and that
they took the agents of Lent & Co., the
would have to salt the claim, they dG
cided to procure African diamonds 70
8 that purpose, and Arnold visited London
: with the result already known. Afte
8 his return, it was concluded that as the
must salt any way, they might as we
: salt more accessible field, so they detel
g mined on the location in Colorado, an
A.. Arnold went again to Fort Defiance an
' purchased large quantity of stones froI
i the Indians. With these and the dis
: monds purchased in London, they pr,
D pared the ground visited by Janin."
t A Boston youth dreamed the otht
/ night that there was another fire and thi
y hO Nuo III H. liO ichpSu lIoiu luo pcS
Q and, without stoppoing to think, wer
l through a third story window and too
! the sash with him. Il was not necessaT
: for him to take the sash along, but h
2 took it, After turning over several timt
g in the air he lodged in the boughs of
3 friendly tree. The sash fell heavily o
!. the pavement below. The young ma
d now sleeps with the wardrobe against IL
> window.
!. "A Troy bulldog attacked a stuffe
= tiger in front of hat store, the othl
4 daV. and brought him down