Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1888-11-27
STOLEN DIAMONDS

SOME c%URIoslTlEs OF THE SOUTH
AFRICAN TRAFFIC IN ILLICIT GEMS.
Schemes and Articles Of That Rascally
Fraternity, the "L d. B."--How Stolen
Stones Reach E~urope-some Interesting
stories-The Dying Digger.
DR.. Matthews, an English practitioner
who spent many years in the diamond
field of South Africa, has Just published
in England a book on the subject. An
interesting part of his book is that which
deals with the development of the great
diamond digging industry, and the
schemes and articles of that rascally
fraternity, the /. d. B., or Illicit diamond
buyers. There is a saying that five years
in South Africa is sufficient to corrupt
the most immaculate, and that a man
who has lived there Tor seven should not
be believed upon his oath. DR.. Matthews
revelations certainly give color to the
saying. According to his account, the
larger part of the community of Kimber-
ley is mixed up in this ~nefarious traffic.
Diamonds, as most people will be
aware, are sorted out of diamondiferous
stuff by native "hands." Some of these
hands are probably in the pay of the fra
ternity. a fine stone is turned up by n
Of them when nobody is looking. He
seizes it, hides it in his hair, in his mouth,
or in some other portion of his person.
Or if a goat lie handy he twists it in his
wool, and tends the animal affectionately
till an opportunity occurs of redeeming
the stone. Or, perchance, he conceals it
behind a rock, or forces it down the
throat of a dog, or, Homeric device, he
swallows it himself. The gem being re-
stored to the light of day from it's hiding
place, whatever it may have been-and
many a diamond now speeding on a
lady's neck has made acquaintance with
the stomacho of a Kair-the dusky thief
In due course puts himself in commnni-
Gated with another native of a superior
class. This man is a tout in the pay of a
low white IAN .'mean white" as he
is called in the colonies.
HOW IT is DONE.
The tout buys the stone for, let, us say,
a hundredth part of its value, and the
thief spends the money in the vile drink
which it is the peculiar pride of civil
ization to supply to the unsophisticated
savage, and, SO far as he is concerned,
uIS10 y GIL eli I'll tllc linen
the tout carries the stone to the 'smean
white" and receives from him a sum of
money, perhaps double what he has
given to the actual thief. The 'smeap
white in his turn takes it to the licensed
buyer of diamonds, who is possibly a
person of glazing and even aggressive
respectabliity-a church warden or q
member of the municipality, or at least
q merchant OF good antecedents-and
from him receives perhaps d tenth part
OF the worth of the gem. So far SO
good; but still there are slips between
the cup and the lip, and il is sometimes
found difficult to convey the stuff out of
the country to the final receiver in Lon
don. To this end many articles are re-
sorted to. Innocent looking fowling
pieces, on examination, have been found
to be loaded with diamonds to within an
inch of the muzzle, while such depos-
itories as novels with holes cut in the
leaves, the quilts of ostrich feathers and
boots with hollow heels are not uncom-
mon.
Often the fair sex are found to be use
ful auxlllarles In these adventures, for
there is a peculiar sacredness about a
lady's underclothing that appeals to the
mind of the customs officer. The mar
would be bold who merely .ventured on
her back hair. However this may be,
by far the greater number of stones SO
procured arrive safely in Europe. Most
people will naturally think that the ma
tive rascal who takes the stone is respon-
sible for this state of things, but it is not
the case. The native never dreamed Of
stealing diamonds until he was taughtto
thieve by the white receiver of stolen
| goods.
SOME INTERESTING STORIES.
DIR. Matthews tells some interesting
tales of the 1. d. B. fraternity. In the
dead of q certain night, in the year 1879.
he was reused from sleep and confronted
by a trembling and middle aged citizen,
OF thef fields. who informed him that.he
had swallowed q thirty carat diamond
and two soverelgns-just to show his
friends how the scoundrels did 1t, and
| was o anxious to be rid of these
foreign substances, which had presum-
ably begun to disagree. Ultimately
they were recovered, and the happy
leaving the gold in payment. OF course
| this man had disposed OF the diamond
under imminent fear of detection; bat
why he took the two sovereigns it is diff
ticult to say, unless it was to get his
hand in. Some people, by the way,
appear to be able to swallow very large
stones, for SO lately as last year, a native
dying under suspicious circumstances,
his body was opened and a sixty carat
! stone found in his stomach.
Here is another tale. A white gentle
man lived with a pretty Fingo woman
who also acted as his agent in the
trade" He fell i'll of fever, and for
weeks lay in q state of delirium, between
life and death. She nursed him tenderly
through it all, and, what is more, kept
| up his connection with the "boys;" SO
that when he came to himself she was
enabled to present him with hundreds of
carats of fine stones. And now, mark
the sequel. No ooner was he strong
enough than he departed for Europe,
taking every gem and farthing she had
collected with him, and leaving the un-
fortunate girl to starye ON the streets.
On a certain occasion DR.. Matthews wa
called in to attend. Q dying digger, who
had onCe worked q claim for him. These
were the words that greeted him when
he told the mar that there was nc hone:
doctor, / cannot die without telling
you how, when / worked your claim in
| No. g, 1 robbed you OF nearly all your
diamonds"
In the face of stories such as these and
~ T. evidence, it is sometimes
- y 10: believe that civilization is
That the educated Christian
nnder very exceptional cir
cd.a I'D when restrained by tbs
str1ctest pressure of law, Is a lower ami
NAL at heart than the savage he despisea
and destroys with drink and rifle Eul-
: lets.-The Argonaut