The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-11-30

huHutru hHu tcu chTuth, uuu Nhlucu ht over fi.00o One day was watching n number of men sorting the blue ground, when suddenly the oyar-seer rushed up and seized man by the throat. but 1t was too late; he gave gulp. and the stone was gone. Then another way the natives have is to cut hole in their flesh and bury the dia- monds in it.
 When a worker leaves the mine no other man is allowed near him. either behind or in front, so that he may have no chance of passing q stone to n | confederate. l remember one day a man, on coming out Of the mine. told | the overseer that the workman who was following him. and happened to be his brother. had found a rare dia- mond; consequently, directly he ap- peared he was searched, IL was dis covered that he had concealed in his loin cloth a stone weighing 42sls car ats That man was tried and was sem tenced to six years imprisonment. We use our convicts to sort the blue ground for the third and fourth time | for diamonds. and when tell you that among other things we allow these convicts a minimum of three-quarters of a pound Of meat day besides soup, | think you will own that they are not badly used"
 How do the natives get rid of the stones they steal?" asked.
 There are at the Cape" said Att kinson, "a set of men known as the I. D. B.'s, that is. illicit diamond buy CTS, who lay themselves out to pur- chase the stolen jewels; of course. there Is a heavy penalty attached to their conviction, but SO profitable Is | this business that there are any num- Der of men ready to run the risk. | will tell you of most curious occur renee I once witnessed to Illustrate this. was watching the departure of a gang of conyicts by train, and among them I recognized man who had just received a sentence of seven years penal servitude for Illicit dia- mond buying; he was marching in sim | gle file with the other prisoners, while on the other side of the fence, separa- ting the convicts from the public, stood magnificent carriage and pair whose occupants, three ladies dressed In the height of fashion. were waving adieu. These three ladies turned out to be the illicit diamond buyers wife and l daughters.
 | "The detective department never ar- rests a man for the first offence; but if he Is suspected of buying stolen jewels, a black man Is got to offer him some stones. and if he buys them, the same native goes to him the second time and if he again becomes a pur- chaser, he is sent the third time, and makes an appointment to meet him in certain house. Should he keep the appointment he is taken into a room that either has a false wall or grat- ing in the ceiling, from one of which positions two detectives will watch the transaction; and directly the buy CT has paid for the diamond and has it in his possession, the detectives en- | ter the room and seize him."
 | What do you do to encourage the honesty of your work-people?" asked.
 "The natives" replied MT. Atkinson. If they find a stone, are given 7h per cent. of its value, while the overseer receives 2h per cent
 When a. native finds stone in the mines he is expected to at once hand 1t over to the overseer. who takes it to the manager of the mine. receiving in exchange a certificate stating the weight of the stone and the name of the finder.
 "We also give the convicts who search the Underground 2A per- cent. on the value of all stones they find"