The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1879-05-13

NssOw V"sC SusuutC wat w VIII Uuuct
take to do the next. Why. in the
street parade. which We make every
day, when We enter . town that beast
fas to be inhaled With steel muzzles.
TIE DIAMOND swINDLER.
Death Of o Nan Who Made Q For
tune by Sailing Western Valley
with Jewels.
|, Louisville Letter to Nev York Sum.
Philip Arnold died in his beauti
full home in Elizabethtowu, on Satur.
day last Of pneumonia. Seven or eigh,
years ago his diamond mine specula.
ton made his name ~ well-kuowu
throughout the world as Was evel
that Of John Law or any other shrewd
schemer who successfully imposed on
credulous spectators. Arnold was
born in Hardin Co. about fifty wears
ago. and was bred there. being ap
prenticed t. \ halter. He ran away
before his term Of service expired. aud
enlisted as q soldier in the Mexican
war. After peace was declared he
went to California. and remained
there until 1871. when he appeared
in EIizabethtown and opened large
account in the local bank. II was
said that he had discovered an i'm
mense diamond field in Claifornia and
had come home to enjoy. among old
friends. the fruits Of his good fortune.
Speedily, however. on the heels If
this rumor came the allegations Of j.
B. Cooper. a san Francisco buck.
keeper. who made affidavit that the
dixmond-6eld was a gigantic swindle,
that Arnold hail planned aud pur.
suaded him u help carry out.
Arnold sailed for Europe with some
$40, OOO, and bribed two sailors 10 90
among the London jewellers and buy
what diamonds they could in the
rUugh. He got together in this way
s:s7 900 worth Of cheap stones. some
thing like a bushel in quantity. and
sailed back again To California. Some
months sfterward a number Of wealthy
San Francisco spectators, among
whom. were William Ralston and VIM.
NJ. Lent, were told that Arnold aud
a friend Of his named Slack, also. and
Elizabethtown boy, had stumbled up
Oh q valley in which diamonds,
sapphires snd other gems of various
kinds aud values were To be picked
up with only the trouble Of sto ping
for them. The lucky finders had q
bsgful of the jewels in their possession
that they claimed to have gathered
10 the valley. and they were display.
ing in such profusion that one of the
spectators said that they covered one
end Of a billiard table an inch deep.
Arnold took his bag Of gems to
New York. and . company. with q
capital of SIC. 600. 900 was suggested
to work the mine. Nearly $40, 600
worth of stock WA subscribed. and
Henry .Janin. an expert. was engaged
to explore the valley and report upon
the prospect. Arnold led the expedi.
ton that vas fitted out for the pur-
pose. They started for Denver, Col,
on May. %. 1872. and. after travelling
nine days. Arnold told them they
we're ON the spot. They afterwards
ascertained that they were only thirty
miles from the point Of departure.
But the valley more than fulfilled
their widest authorizations. They spent
several days there, and gathered in
that time 1000 of diamonds and
G, 900 Of other precious stones. Janin' Z
report vas an enthusiastic one. There
had already been paid $25O.OOO to
to Arnold. and on Janin's report.
500. 900 worth Of stock was sold, oil
which Arnold got $500. 900.
Information Of the alleged discovery
soon reached England. and the Lon.
don Times demonstrated the geological
impossibility Of there being 50 many
Jewels of such various kinds in one
locality. and further exposed the
swindle BY making known the fact
that persons from California had at.
tracted attention the year before in
London BY buying up all rough
diamonds to be found in the city. The
managers Of the company then sent
Clarence King, United States geolo.
eist, to visit the valley. He soon as.
certained that the ground had been
plainly 'salted." Holes had been
p,ked With commoa stick into the
clay, the jewels dumP ID into them,
and then stopped up again.
A few weeks after the exposure
several California capitalists sued
Arnold and Slack in the Kentucky
courts tor the recovery Of $3.50. 900
The suit Vas compromised By the pay.
ment Of $40. 900. No criminal action
Was ever begun against either If the
two men.
Arnold established bank in Eliza
BEETHOVEN, and between him and l..
NJ. Longshaw. who also had . bank
there, there had been much rivalry
and bad feeling. A letter to . com.
mercial agency. in June last, reflect.
ing 90 the finencial standing Of Ar.
noId's bank, BE attributed to his rival
and began . suit agaiost him for S25..