The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-07-21


At once his Highness gave orders to
arrest the man, dead OF alive, and to
seize the diamond. The Jewish mer-
chant naturally became alarmed for the
safety of his new acquisition, as we'll as
that of his head, and gladly sold the
stone to an astute Armenian mer-
chant named Shafras for 100000. The
magnificence of Catherine the Great and
her Court was byword in Armenia and
Persia, and Shafras knew right we'll that
if he could reach St. Petersburg with
his diamond he would be able to dispose
of it at handsome profit. The greatest
difficulty was to secrete the stone SO
thoroughly about his person that in case
of his arrest it should not be discovered.
1t was too large for him to swallow, so
he solved the problem by making deep
incision in the calf of his left leg, insert
ing the stone and sewing up the wound
with silver thread.
When the cut had cicatrized sufficiently
to allow the removal of the wire Shafras
began his travels toward Russia. Had
he known on arriving at the frontier that
the diamond had been traced to the Jew
ish merchant and from him to an Arme-
man, he would have probably tried to
conceal his nationality. But he boldly
proclaimed himself an Armenian mer-
chant to the Shah's inquisitive officials,
was arrested, and consigned to prison on
suspicion. Strong emetics were admin
istered, but no diamond came to light.
He was stripped naked, plunged into a
hot bath, and then examined from head
to foot, with no better success. Even 4
little torture was tried, but Shafras was
firm; and in the end he was bundled I'M
tremendously over the frontier-his
petty cash, however, being retained. He
reached Orenburg, and here some COM
patriots advanced him enough money to
reach the Capital.
Catherine the Great was short of ready
money when Shafras offered her his dia-
mond for sale. He demanded 5000, 900
for it, but the Empress could not raise
more than 100000, and, though she
offered 10000 dessiatins (of four acres
each) of Crown land in addition to this
sum, Shafras refused. Catherine was
greatly chagrined, and did not hide her
annoyance; but she was too noble char
acter to resort to the coercive measures
which Shah of Persia would have
adopted without moments hesitation.
Shafras was allowed to depart unmo-
Tested, and betook himself to Amster-
dam to have his diamond cut. Here it
was that the famous Count Orloy first
saw the jewel for which his imperial mis-
tress had sighed, and he deter mined to
lay it as gift at her feet. The bargain
with Shafras was concluded off-hand, for
Count Orloy never haggled. In exchange
for the diamond (Which weighs 1856
carats, and is valued at 81, 500 ,OO0) Count
Orloy promised Shafras on his return to
Russia 1850, 900 down. an annuity of
81, 900 and patent of nobility.
The Count kept his word; Shafras the
merchant, became Lazarey, the gentle
man, cashed his bills at the Imperial
Treasury, and drew q, 900 year for the
rest Of his life, which, as usual with an
nuitants, was very prolonged one. Be-
fore he died he became one of the richest
men in Russia. With the price of the
diamond he bought mines in the Oural,
land in Bessaraba, and houses in St. Pc
tersburg. The ''urearned increment" in
thirty years made him ten times q mil
lionaire, and at the present day his de-
scendants, numbering hundreds, are all
immensely rich. Loris Melikow, former
Minister of the Interior, and Delianov,
at present Minister of Public Instruction,
are grandchildren of the Armenian La
! zarev.-L0nd0n Truth.