The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-07-26
A FAMOUS DIAMOND STORY.

the Jewel from the Eorslans.
From the London Truth.
The ollowing details of the origin of
the famous jewel which adorns the inn
perial sceptre of Russia were furnished
me dnring residence in St. Petersburg
by descendant OF the Armenian mer-
chant who brought the stone to Russia.
The diamond in its rough state,
formed the eye of an idol in a temple
near Toichinopoli. and was abstracted
by French renegade, Who escaped
with his prize to Persia. Here he wan
dered from town to town trying to dis
pose Of it for moderate sum, but only
meeting with distrust and suspicion.
At length, when the news of the theft
had spread over India and reached Per-
STA, fearing arrest. he accepted the offer
of a Hebre " merchant and surrendered
the diamond for $4,000. Meantime
the Shah was informed, not only OF the
robbery. but also that the thief was re-
siding in his territory, and had offered
the stone repeate dly FIR sale.
At once his highness gave orders to ar
rest the man, dead or alive, and to seize
the diamond. The Jewish merchant
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 merchant named Sha-
fras for $4,000. The magnifcence Of
Catherine the Great and her court was a
by-word 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 a
handsome profit. The greatest difficulty
was to secrete the stone so thoroughly
about his person that in case of his ar
rest it should not be discovered: It was
too large for him to swallow, so he solved
the problem by making deep incision
in the calf of his left leg, inserting the
stone, and sowing up the wound with
silver thread. -.
When the cut had cicatrized sufficient
ly to allow the removal of the wire,
Shafras began his travels toward Russia.
frontier that the diamond had been
traced to the Jewish merchant and from
him to an Armenian, he would probably
have tried to conceal his nationality.
But he boldly proclaimed himselfan Ar
menian merchant to the Shah's inquisi-
tive officials, was arrested, and consigned
to prison on suspicion. Strong emetics
were administered, but no diamond
came to light. He was stripped naked.
plunged into a hot bath, and then ex-
amined from head to foot, with no bet
ter success. Even a little torture was
tried, but Sh afras was firm; and in the
end he was bundled unceremoniously
over the frontier-his petty cash, how
ever, being detained, He reached Oren-
burg, and here some coflpatriots adj
vanced him some money to reach the
capital.
Catharine the G.eat was short Of
ready money when Shafras offered her
his diamond for sale. He demanded
5000, 900 for it, but the, Empress could
not raise more: than $10es 0Ge; and thsueh
she offered 10000 dessiatins lat four
acres each) of Crown land in addition to
this sum, Shafras refused. Catharine
was greatly chagrined. and did not hide
her annoyance; but she was too noble q
character to resort to the coercive meas
ures which Shah of Persia would have
adopted without moments hesitation.
Shafras was allowed to depart unmolest-
ed and betook himself to Amsterdam to
have his diamond cut. Here it was that
the famous Count Orlow first saw the
jewel for he determined to lay it as
Gilt at her 1eet. Inc bargain WIN Sna-
fras was concluded ott-hand, for Count
Orlow never bageled. In exchange for
the diamond (Which weighs 1855 carats,
and is valued at 81 800, 0OO) Count Orlov
promised Shafras, on his return to Rus
STA, $35. 900 down, an annuity of 1900,
and patent of nobility.
The Count kept his word; Shafras the
merchant became Lazarev the gentle
man, cashed his bills at the imperial
treasury, and drew $4,000 a year for the
rest of his life, which, as usual with an
nuitants, was a very prolonged one.
Before he died he became one of the
richest men in Russia. With the price
OF the diamond he bought mines in the
Oura, land in Bessarahia, and houses in
St. Petersburg. The ''unearned incre-
ment" in thirty years made him ten times
q millionaire, and at the present time
his descendants, numbering hundreds,
are all immensely rich. Loris Melikov,
former Minister of the Interior, and
Delianov, at present Minister Of Public
Instruction, are grandchildren Of the
4 rnonion Tazarnv