The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-23
STOLEN DIAMONDS
SOME CURlCSr1eS OF The SOUTH
AFRICAN TRAFFIC IN ILLICIT GEMS.

frHterusty' INC L. ~ 10
stones Reach Europe Some Interesting
stories-Tbe Dying Digger.
DIR. Matthews. an English practitioner
who spent many wears IN ne diamond
field of South Africa. has ju-t published
in England a book on the subject. An
interesting part of his hook il that which
deals with the development Of the great
diamond digging industry, and The
schemes and articles Of that raccally
fraternity. the !. ID. b., or Illicit diamond
buyers. There Is a saying that five years
in South Africa Is snthcicnt To corrupt
the most immaculate, and that man
who has lived there for seven sboulc not
Ike believed upon his oath. DR.. Matthews
revelation certainly give colcr :" the
saying. According = hi' account. ihe
.hrgcr part Of The community Of Kimbcr-
ley is mixed upin this ncfarious traiiic.
. Diamonds. ~ mCst people Will tie
aware, afetor,cl ont Of diamondlieroug
stuff by native hand" Some Of these
hands are lrolali,' in the pay Of the fra
ternitv. a fine stone j. turned up by one
of them when roscdy j. looking. he
seizes il. hides il in hi hair in his mouth,
or in some other portion Ct lis person.
Or if goat lie handy he twists IT IN ms
wool and tends Che animal aiiccuonatcly
till an opportunity occurs Of rcdccmng
the tone. Or, pcfchancc, he cOnceali ii
behind a rock. or forces 1t down the
throat OF "a do. c.. liomcric device, he
swallows it hi .scli. The gem beng re-
stored to thc LINT of day from its hiding
place. whaicvcr it may have been-ai.d
many dirrord now sparkling on a
LADY, neck has made acquaintance with
the stomaCho of y Kair-the dusky thief
Undue course pms hinself in coirmuri-
Gated with another native Of Il Gupcrlor
cla1s. This man j. tout in the pay OF a
low white mana mean white, as he
is called in the colonies.
HOW IT H. DONE.
The tout buys the sionc for, lot,rS say,
n hundrcdth pant cf It's value, and the
thief spends the money in the vile drink
which it is the pcculicr pride Of civil
ization to supply to tie unsophisticated
savage, and, 80 FIR as he ~ concerned,
there is an end OF the transaction. Then
the tout carries the stone TO the mean
white" and receives from him sum Of
money, perhaps double what he has
given 10 the actual thief. The "mcan
white" ~ his turn takes it TO the licensed
buyer of diamonds, who is possibly a
person Of Claring and even aggressive
respcctability-a church warden or a
member Of The municipality, en- at least
a merchant Of good anteccdcnts-and
from him receives perhaps a tenth part
of tho worth Of the gem. 80 FAR 20
good; but sill there are slips between
the cup and The lip. and it is sometimes
found difficult 10 convey the stun ont Of
tho country 20 the final receiver IN Lon
don To this end many articles arc re-
sorted TO. Innocent looking i0wling
pieces. on examination. have been found
- bo loaded win diamonds 10 within an
inch OF the mG22le. while such dcpOS-
tories % novels with holes cut III the
leaves, the quilts # ostrich feathers and
boots with hollow heels are not mcoiD-
mon.
Often the fcir sex are found 10 lie use
FIJI auxiliaries in these adventures, for
there is a peculiar GacIedness about a
lady'J Undertaking. that appeals to the
mind Of the customs officer. The man
would be bold who merely vcnturcd on
her back har. However this may be,
by far the greater number of stones 20
procured arrive safely in Europe. Most
peoplc Will naturally think that the M
tive Racial who takes Che tore IS r,spoE-
siblY for this state Of things. but it IS not
the case. The naive never dreamed Of
stealing diamonds until hc was fought 10
thIeVc by the whitc receiver Of stolen
goods.
sOME TsT RESTING STOR--.5.
Or. Matthews tells some interesting
tales Of the !. d y. fraternity. In The
dead of certain right. in the ycar 1872,
n was rcuccd fio.l sleep and confronted
b. trembling and middle aged citizen
OF the fields, who Informed hil that lie
had swallowed q thirty carat diamond
and two GovCsVi .,ls-Just 10 chow lbs
friends how The scOundrelj dill it, and
was now anxious 10 be iii OF these
foreign substances, which had prcScin-
ably begun 70 disagree. Ultimately
tlry were recovered, and the happy
citizen departed with the Diamond.
leaving the gold il payment. OF course
this man had disposed Of the diam0nd
under imminent fear II detection; but
why he took The two coyereigrs it IL diff
fcult TO say, unless II was 10 get his
hand il. Some rcops, 10y the way.
appear TO DO able to ( sa!low very large
stones. for SO lately lest year, native
DYING under uspicior3 circumstances.
lis body was opened and sixty carat
store found il hi, stomach.
Here il another tclc. \ white gentle
man lived with a pretty Fingo woman.
who also Gctcd as his agent in tie
trade" He fclf i'll 81 fever, and fer
weeks lay in u state of dcliriun, between
life and death. nursed linn tendcrly
through II all, and what l. wore. kept
up his connection Win the boys" so
that when H. came f. hinscli she was
enabled TO prcscn him with hundreds Of
caIlts Of fine stones. And now, mark
the sequel. No sooner was he strong
enough than lac departed for Europe,
taking every gem and frthing she had
collected with him. and leaving thc IN
fortunate girl 20 siryc on the streets
On a certain occasion DIR. Matthew's was
called in TO attend a dying digger, who
had once worked aclai'n for him. These
were the words that greeted hin when
he told the man that there was no hope:
Doctor, | can1ot die without telling
Won how, when | worked your claim in
No. 6, robbed you Of nearly Ill your
diamonds"
a