Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1890-07-11
DIAMOND THIEVES.
CUNNING RUSES TO ELUDE THE
.jHAEP-EYED SOFTER.
The "Compound System" in the Mines
At South Atrica-Romanco of
Diamond SmuSgling-Thc
Ordeal of Search.

Ut every turn, writes Il correspondent of
the FaH Nal Gazette. When l stood by
II machine which took in ut one end a
"ulp of rubblc washed down with water,
and rained out at the other assorted
sizes of diamonds from a barley corn to
II walnut, with the profuscness of the
princess who dropped pearls whenever
She spokc-the question suggested itself
then, as the sharp-cycd sor,cr bent over
the accommodating hoard, whether lots Of
them are not stolen on the way9
a few years ago the answer to this
question would have been given in one
syllable: Half. am assured that prev:
lous to certain special legislation and tc
the development of the compound sys.
TEN, 1t is II fact that of the entire OUTPUT
Of the Kimberley mines. quite onc-hall
used to lind its way into the market
through dishonest channels. With
"falliny reef" flooding water, and
score of difficulties against which thei
had then to struggle in the mines, ,iia.
mond smuggling was the despair Of the
companies above ground.
Under the compound system" the
Kaiir contracts for three months to work,
board and lodge with the company.
When not at work he spends NIL his time
eating, sleeping, or playing games in
spacious quadrangle built round with iron
sheds. For that time he is cut oil from
The outer world, and from drink strong
or than gingcrbccr. His few needs in
the way of food and clothes he can sun.
ply within at cost price. On his way to
md from the mine he is strictly watched.
So, too, while ut work Underground,
where he daily swcats away from six to
SIX, on bread and soup and mcalics, for
one to two pounds Il week. Fresh from
The mine he has to pass the ordeal of tho
scarchingroom, where he uudergocs u
scrutiny of mouth, ears, nose, hair, or
rather scrub-every conceivable or in
conceivable Judgment for diamond
goes through certain vymnastic exercises
and makes way for the next
Let lis follow such n diamond through
its career. We will assume that the origi-
nal thief is a working Kaiir. OF course
1t is sometimes one OF the white over
sccrs. y man with wife and family,
working sixteen hours day, ut $I5 or
$50 week, is approached by prac-
ti,ioner, who points ont to him what safe
and easy opportunities nc has for max
inS little competence By stealing from
tue sortingtablcs. But for the most part
it is some Kaiir, loading truck or break
Ing the ''buc' on the drying grounds,
who suddenly cspics fine diamond, say
OF five or ten carats, glittering among
lis dark surroundings. Warned by ma
tive acquisitivcncss, or mindful, of evil
counscls with which soiLe "runncr'' has
primed him for just such an opportunity,
our katir gives not word or sign that
might attract the eye of the observer.
There the diamond lies, and if il is on
the drying-ground, there perhaps he will
let it lie, marking the spot against
such time rs himself or confederate
can come and find it. Or else.
seizng Il moment when he is
not observed, Observation-Disclosures the STONE
S VI l35 aa thsFe holds it unt
SfSsEs sS S 'i h ssn "a
iriitsSl love h.asjhaneh noachalan6e
as6H stiiwere .Iaspin' That done, OUT
kaftr con face with Indifference that ter.
riblc> scrutiny of which something has
j,sGen said. In tthh tbs WY AN industrious
thief will sometimes accumulate within
the compound little cache of precious
stones, whose hiding place is known only
to himself.
There is ore story of wild midnight
chase across the frontier, pursuer and
pursued on horseback. when the latter
was seen to put his hand up and strur.
gle in the saddle moment. Il turned
out that nc had swallowed, while ON the
gal!op, not Only thirty-two carats of da.
monds, but also the lea1-foil box which
contained them! In another case. Mr..
izde5sSy or his colleagues recovered a
bag with $40, 900 worth of stones which
the guilty owner disclaimed and tried to
throw away. On the whole, whether we
chiefly regard the sgualid conditions I'M
der which 1t is pursued, the systematic
decentralization which it propagatcs, or
the degrading preventive measures to
which 1t compels recourse, we must con-
cludc that the trade of diamond smum-
Cling is one OF the most diseracaful in
he annals OF roguery, and that the
'"-"'cS' tdiu1 vi completely ought to
ostracize man, however wealthy, from
decent society.
My visit to the compound itself inter
estcd me as much rs anything ut Kim
berley. 1t was q Sunday, and the natives
were amusing themselves ut their own
sweet will. The De Beers compound
is spacious enclosure accommodating
some two thousand natives. Some we're
lying about in the qneercst mixture OF
European costunes-thcir Su.lay toys.
Eager groups were intent on = kind OF
faro; sovercigns passing freely over the
cards, for they are great gamblers. A
Shangaan put on his feathers and danced
pas seul for my express benefit. A
band OF Zulus-onc splendid young saw
age among them we'll remember
stamped II wild war dance till the sweat
poured down their dusky frames, and
each man had stamped himself som
inches into the ground.
A Millionaire Life Saver.
The life-saving crew at Atlantic Cit7,