Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1884-01-09
PATHS TOO MANY DIAMoaDa
The Bioodthirsty Chorus Roh1 Ber
I'm Her Dreams---w Watched on the
stage.


Col. Mapleson was found at the New York
hotel last evening deeply Immersed in game
OF draw poker with two ladies and a gentle
man.
1T is not big game be said; "onls 10
cent chips, Just for amrsenicat.n
He was aslei about the stories current Of
Mime. PATHS diamonds.
All Der diamonds, y he said, fare In the big
safe at the Windsor hotel, where she lives.
They are worth some $500, 600. and all Of
theni were given TO her. She did not buy
one OF them. The other day she asked me
II would like TO see them. i said yes and
she said she hadn'tthem with her, as they
were never in her possession. She said she
bad SO many that they made her quite un-
happy, as she was In constant fear OF losing
them.
'onr got t.c diaulosssss f.,s.f are safe aud
showed them to me. and they were indeed y
wonderful collection There were three
necklaces Of diamonds, one of which was
presented by the Emperor Napoleon ILL.,.
and another by Queen Isabella of Spain.
Then there was diamond bracelet given her
by the Emperor William of Germany, and u
turquoise necklace from Russia. She had
the greatest quantity of rubies and other
gems set as pins, as insects and in other
shapes. Sometimes when she goes on the
stage she wears these al over her dress, so
that she is fairly covered with gems. Her
largest diamond is as large as this poker chip.
1t forpnerly belonged to the Empress
Catherine Of Russia, and was given to Patti
by the late car. This diamond is SO very
valuable that she does not care to keep it,
and she has told me that she would very
readily sell it II she had a chance.
I" She complains that she has far too much
capital invested in diamonds, and as they are
gifts she does not like to sell them Besides
the heavy loss of interest on the capital in
VOWED, she is at very great expense in caring
FOR them. When she is TO use them at the
opera she has four men sent by Inspector
Byrnes to take charge Of them. She gives
them card with a password 10 the bctel
cashier, and they get the diamonds from the
safe. The men carry the diamonds in q
small sachel and take it to the academy In
any way which they think proper, but al
ways go by new route ON each trip. They
stand behind the scenes and keep the
diamonds in their possession until they
are wanted, as in the second act Of 'Traviata,'
then they hand the diamonds TO PATHS
maid The detectives follow Patti to
the stage and watch her while she is
on il, TO see that she does not drop any of the
ornaments When she leaves the stage she
returns the jewelry, and it is all examined to
see that none Of the stones are missing. Be
fore learned of this system had often Won
dered at seeing her dressing room open, and
thought it would be good chance for some
sneak thief to make fortune. When she
travels the diamonds go too but they are
never near her.
with all these precautions they are still a
great charge Oh her mind. She told me that
ON last Friday night she dreamed that the
opera chorus stood over her with knives,
shouting that they wantel her diamonds. She
awoke bathed in cold perspiration. She
said that nothing could induce her TO keep the
diamonds near her When in England s.s
keeps them in the Bank Of England