The Press., 1883-08-16
THE GREAT DIAMOND swIsDLE.
THE BIGeGsT CONFIDENCE CAME RIVER, PLAY < ,ED-HOw THE ROTHsCHILDs WE'RE TAKEN

THE GREAT DIAMOND SWINDLE.
 THE BIGegsT CONFIDENCE CAME RIVER, PLAY
 ,ED-How THE RoTHsCHLDs WE'RE TAKEN
 IN, ,,.. .f~ 1f.ttsi. f.,e sA.si
 {. Clarence King, pretty well known. in the United States as having had charge of our ge- ological surveys for some years, is having social success here in London that is quite phenomenal. While at New York he lived at the Brevoort house, and there entertained the duke of Newcastle three or four years ago, in a way that made him welcome when he came here. No unofficial American during this de- cade has been so taken up here, not only by the nobility, but what is more important, by the literary and scientific leaders of the me- tropolis. He has the entree to all sorts of places, Within two months he has dined twice with the prince and princess of Wales, and once at Ba'moral with the queen and Princess Beatrice. He is brilliant talker, scholar and thinker, and meets all the best mindssof the day. Do your readers remem- Der the great diamond swindle in California It was he inst exposed it. I think the par ticulars have never been published. Here they are in brief In 1869 a number of Cal ifornians, who had some knowledge of geol- ogy, put their heads together and spent two years in working up a tremendous scheme to plunder the, American people. They collect ed uncut diamonds and rubies all over the world, paid large sum for them, took them to lonely spot in iforuia-about the only spot where gems could possibly appear-and carefully salted the ground with them around the base of great rock. Then they took few specimens to San Francisco with them. There was great excitement. A company was organized, and the bank of California (Ral- ston) paid several hundreds of thousands. of dollars in advance for stock. The Roths- childs telegraphed to Ralston from Europe to buy for them enough stock to control the dia- mond field. The bank of California sent out an experienced geologist to inspect the find Janin,, believe his name was. The plotters led him to the rock and told him to 'dig around here anywhere" He dug and found the diamonds and rubies, and Event back and reported .'all right" The fever was at it's height There was great clamor for stock. Clarence King was in San Francisco. Satis- fled that it was fraud he denounced it. The conspirators put detectives to watch him. He collected such indications of the spot as he could, shook off the detectives rode all night on horseback, and after much search ing found the spot, and in an hour had $25,- 900 worth of the jewels in leather bag tied around his waist. He rode back at full gal lop and called @ meeting of the diamond con- pany. They met, and when he told them it was the greatest fraud in history, they howl ed at him incredulously. Then he drew out the bag and said:
 Here are $25, 1000 of your property dug
 these jewels out of the ground where they
 had been buried to deceive you. Here is 6
 diamond from Brazil. It is unmistakable.
 Here is one from Australia. Here is ruby.
 Now rubies cannot exist by the side of dia-
 monds. They never are found in such con-
 tiguity. Here are others from other parts ot
 the world. leave them all with you. Your ! jewel field is an artificial one. I have called on your geologist and told him that he is 6 , ruined man. now tell you that if you sel any stock to the people, you VIII pe Inoppeu Your house will be torn down.
 They were confounded. But they verified
 his words, telegraphed to Rothschild, "Al up," arrested the conspirators and called il : their stock. King saved the bank of Califor mia from ruin. They offered to pay him fol his great services, but he said, "Not a cent. ''Very well," said Mr. Ralston, ''whenevel
 during life you wish to draw $50, ,000 from this bank, your draft will be honored." H. has not drawn it yet.