The evening world., 1893-10-25
LERoUx'S DIAMONDS.
Fight for Their Possession Begun
Before Judge Benedict.
Witnesses from France In a Real
Partisan Romance.
Elopers. Smugglers. False Friends
and Cons Worth $40. 600.

The Leroux diamond smuggling case
came before Judge Benedict in the
United States Circuit Court, Brooklyn.
this morning in a civil suit brought by
the United States against Eugene and
Jeanne Leroux to recover possession Of
the jewels.
In the present action the Government
alleges that the diamonds were SNUG
! gled, and therefore are open to for
fixture.
Lawyer Towns, counsel for the Le-
rouNs, now denies that the valuables
we're struggled. and declares that his
clients bought them for cash.
The Lerouxs were arrested in WILL
ismsburg several months ago with dia-
mond In their possession estimated to
be worth from $4,000 to $4,000. Detec.
tive Baudon and several jewelers. ar
rived from Paris a few days ago to tes-
tify in the proceedings against the pair.
Baudon brought photographs of the Lee
rouxs, Alex Flammant. Herbert Gal
lardet and a woman who eloped with
him from Paris.
Baudon says that valkringer,, or Flam-
mant, as he now calls himself, was a
credit was good, and he bought a large
stock from several manufacturers.
Flammant then gathered up the jewels,
and leaving a wife and family eloped
with. a nineteen-year-old girl. The
couple, accompanied by Herbert .Gallau-
det,. a Parlsian tailor, arrived in New
lodgings in a west side hotel and became
s sssfPHanaln'sfan ey w tdia me hnEEs spsu.s sp That ,Se
ssSos smu asa Inv q large 11sed an fSsI st 9t !etS S en.
ter q scheme to dispose Of the property.
The ulamonas were left IN charge, Of
Leroux and his wife and Gallaudet.
OUT Ie ,9sies tod eHi FRlarmant or his return
that Goysrnmsn o.iSsrs had zen look,
to scare the smuggler, and it was sue.
cessful.
Flammant left New York and took
his trunks. and jewelry. He only re-
ceived the primer
Leroux, his wife. and Gallaudet went
mant met Gallaudet in New York and.
on learning wher the Lerouxs had gone.
he wrote. an order for the goods,
When Gallaudet reached Williamsburg
he found that the Lerouxs had been ar
rested and their apartments were In
charge Of the police.
The police learned that Flammant was
did not arrest him. The next morning
he took a train FOR Montreal.
A few weeks ago Flammant and his
mlstTesS TtluTneu 10 NeV 10TH, ana
sailed for France, where they were ar
rested.
The case was taken up at noon to-
day. After the jurors had been sworn
Lawyer Towns asked to have the pro-
ceedings dismissed on the ground that
the facts alleged were insufficient to
form a cause of action. The motion
was denied.
United States District-Attorney John
son then began his opening address. His
story was substantially as told above.
While Mr.. JohrSon was speaking, sew
eral officers entered court and deposited
six large packages on Il table near the
jury. The packages contained the al
legged struggled jewels.
Timothy j. D%onohue, an Inspector OF
Customs, was the first witness. He was
familiar with the goods in the pack.
May. and after taking an inventory OF
them put his seal on the packages and
left them in custody of the United
States Marshal. He admitted that his
seals We're not now on the packages.
He could not swear that the package
on the table contained the Leroux
jewels from looking at the outside OF
the packages, but could identify the
diamonds II the packages were opened.
On crossl-eXamination, he said that
in making an inventory he had taken a
record of the number OF rings. watches,
earrings and other pieces. The present
seals were not put on the packages by
him.
Examiner Honeywell testified that he
had sealed the packages a couple OF
days ago.
The hearing was not concluded at re.
cess