Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1879-03-13
Philip ArnOId's Death.

Philip Arnold died in Elizabethtown,
Kv., OF pneumonia. Seven or eight
years ago his diamond mine speculation
made his name as well known through
out the world as was ever that OF John
Law or any other shrewd schemer who
successfully imposed on credulous spec
.ulators. Arnold was born in Hardin
County about fifty years ago, and was
bred there, being spprenticed to hat
Ter. lie ran away before his term OF
service expired, and enlisted as SOL
der IN the Mexican war. After peace
was declared he went 10 California, and
renamed there until 1871, when he
appeared in EiiZabethtown and opened
a large account in the local bank. II
was SAID that he had discovered an i'm
mense diamond field in California. and
had come home to enjoy, among old
friends, the fruits of his good fortune.
Speedily, however, on the heels Of this
rumor, came the allegations of J. B.
Cooper, a San Francisco bookkeeper.
who made affidavit that the diamond
field was gigantic swindle that Arnold
had planned and persuaded him TO help
carry out.
Arnold sailed for Europe with some
$40, 1000, and bribed two sailors to go
among the London jewellers and buy
what diamonds they could in the rough.
He got together in this way SS7 900
worth Of cheap stones, something like
bushel in quantity, and sailed back
again to California. Some months al
terward number of wealthy San Fran
cisco spectators, among whom were
William Ralston and William NJ. Lent,
were told that Arnold and friend of
hIs named Slack, also an Elizabethtown
boy, had stumbled upon a valley in
which diamonds, sapphires, and gems
of various kinds and values were to be
picked up with only the trouble of stoop-
ing for them. The lucky finders had
bagiull OF the jewels in their possession
that they claimed to have gathered in
the valley. and they were displayed in
such Profusion that one Of the specula-
tors said that they covered one end ofa
billiard table an inch deep.
Arnold took his bag of gems to New
York, and a company with capital OF
SIC, 600, 900 was suggested to work the
mine. Nearly $l0O,O worth of stock
was subscribed. and Henry Janin, an
expert, was engaged TO explore the val
lev and report the prospect. Arnold
led the expedition that was fitted out
for the purpose. They started from
Denver, Col, on May %. 1872, and
after travelling nine days, Arnold told
them they were on the spot. They af-
terward ascertsined that they were
only thirty miles from the point Of de-
pariure. But the valley more than
fulfilled their widest anticipations.
They spent seven days there, and gath
cred in that time 1000 csrats oil dia-
monds and 5000 carats of other pre-
cious stones. Janin's report was an en-
thusiastic one. There had already
been paid $3.50 900 to Arnold, and on
Janin's report 100000 worth of the
stock was sold, of winch Arnold got
Information of this alleged discovery
soon reached England, and the London
Times demonstrated the geological i'm
possibility OF there being so many Jew
els OF such various kinds in one iocali-
ty, and further exposed the swindIe by
making known the fact that persons
from California had attracted attention
the year before BY buying up all the
rough diamonds 20 be found In the cstv.
The managers Of the company then sent
Clarence King, United States Geologist,
to visit the valley. He soon ascertain-
ed that the ground had been plainly
':salted." Holes bad been poked with
common stick into the clay, the Jew
dis dumped into them, and then stopped
up again.