The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-01
HISTORIES OF DIAMONDS.
THEY HAVE BEEN INCENTIVES TO
extraordinary CRIMES.


individuality as human being. The man
not accustomed TO the examination OF the
precious stones sees no difference between
them, except that Of size. but the lover Of
gems in two stones that to the average
observer are perfectly matched will detect
hundred differences, in lustre. in color,
in manner Of cutting, in size, and. above
all, in that individuality already referred
10 which distinguishes one from another,
even when minor points Of difference are
almost altogether wanting. The diamond
lover therefore not unnaturally regards the
beautiful gem as an entity, having a his
tory of its own, sometimes running back
for hundreds of years. Precious objects.
such as diamonds. which combine enor-
nous value with the minimum
Of bulk, which are almost uni
versally coveted and may be con-
verted into cash or its equivalent
on short notice, are naturally exceedingly
interesting from these facts, il for none
others, and the travels of a diamond, If
they could be followed. would make a
story, often of thrilling interest Now in
a royal crown, now in pawnshop; now
IN brooch adjoining the neck OF prin-
cess, now on the nnger of a belle of the
demi-monde; now in a sword handle, now
in scepter. from India to Europe, from
merchant to nObleman; now the cause OF
murder, now the price OF honor; desired
alike by noble and merchant and robber
and assassin, and passing in turn through
the hands OF each, the romance of the
most daring of adventures.
There is "A famous diamond now in the
crown regalia of Russia which has a
most extraordinary history of murder and
eeIood, How many murders We're done
for its sake before it came into the pos
session of the great Nadir, Shah of Per-
STA, VIII never be known, but from that
time until 1t was purchased for the Rus
sian empress, Catharine the Great, its
history was one of crime. Nadir Shah
was assassinated in 1747 by four of the
officers whom he intended TO put to DEATH
ana after they had done their work they
hastily appropriated such of his jewels
as they could easily conceal and de-
camped. One of the stolen gems was the
Shah fed into Afghanistan. and was
The nobleman to whose portion fell the
Shah had ed into fiAfghanistan, and was
never heard of again. Four or five years
later 1eweler in Bassora was visited
by an Afghan, who offered the Shah, to-
gether with an emerald, a ruby, and a
sapphire all Of great size, for sale at a
very modest figure. The jeweler did not
have the money at the moment, and made
an appointment to meet the Afghan the
next day, but the latter did not return.
Four years later the jeWeller am Ar
menian, was i'm Bagdad, where he again
met the Afghan, and learned from him
that the gems had been sold to a Jewish
Armenian, enlisted the services of his two
brothers, the three murdered the Afghan
and the Jew, threw their bodies into the
river took the gems, and made off. Some
where in the desert, between the F,p-
pirates and Armenia, the Oldest of the
brothers murdered the other two, DOS
sessed himself of all the gems, and went
on to Constantinople. Fearful of attempt
ing to sell the Jewels there, he went by
sea to France, and, falling to find a buyer,
visited most of the capitals of Europe,
nffpFinO n. "a arfp.
the Great. She refused to buy at the
figure he demanded and ne at once dis
appeared, being heard of ten years later
in Astrakhan, where he was seen by
some of the Russian courtiers. He refused
to negotiate save at Smyrna, and started
thither but was murdered on the way
sold to Catharine for $3.50. 900.
The great Orloff diamond, presented by
Prince Orloff TO Catharine the Great, by
a curious coincidence is also associated
with the history of Nadir Shah to whom 1t
once belonged. When it first appeared in
history IL was in Delhi, and was set in the
eye of a large idol in one of the temples
OF that city. A French soldier, travelling
disguised as a Hindoo fakir, or holy man,
formed a design of stealing 1t. His as
sumption of piety gave him ready access
to the temple, which he frequented daily
for months under pretense of prayer. Sus-
picion being finally disarmed he succeed
ed one night In abstraeting the IDOLS eye
and absconded. Early in the morning the
theft was discovered, and the enraged
Hindoos sent runners in every direction to
apprehend all suspicious persons, and
among those brought in was the French
man. The gem was found in his possession,
he was torn to pieces by the rabble and the
eye restored IL remained until the city
was taken by Nadir Shah, when 1t formed
part of the spells, being appropriated by
Nadir Shah himself. who not long after
presented it to one of his generals. This
man was sent 10 govern a part of Afghan
istan, where the splendid diamond worn
in his turban soon secured his assassina-
ton by two Afghans. What became of
one is not known but year later the 9TH
er turned up in India, where he offered the
gem for sale to a native prince. The latter
wanted the stone but did not want to pay
for it, so the Afghan was quietly strangled
the gem set in a sword handle. and the
prince congratulated himself on hav-
Ing done very clever stroke of
business. Soon after his dominions
and the sword formed part of the, spoils.
1t fell into the hands of a private soldier,
who sold it to Lord bingham, then gov
ernor-general, and the latter. on return
ing to Europe, disposed of it to a jeweler
in Paris. Several times more it changed
hands, then came into the possession of a
Greek merchant, who took it to Russia
and disposed of it to Prince Oroff for
$4,000 cash, a life annuity of $4,000 and
a patent of nobility. Orloff gave it to the
empress and it is still among the imperial
regalia.
The Mountain of Light" too, has had
its share of romance, though its history
is, IN some IeSpeClSs d llllG more
than that of some of the other famous
stones. Strangely enough, it, too, was
once the property of Nadir Shah, and
was one of the stones taken away at the
time of his assassination. 1t had been
set in the turban of the Great Mogul,
and was carried away from Delhi by the
Persian conqueror in 1879. 1t was a Col
conda stone, but it's history from the time
1t was taken from the earth until placed
in the Great Moguis turban is a mys-
terry. Even since then there are several
pages in its history. its annals being un-
known from the time of the murder of
Nadir Shah, until it appeared on the arm
of the King of Cabui. The crimes that
were perpetrated for its sake in this inter-
val are unknown, but 1t passed from the
arm of Shah Soujah of Cabul to that of
Runjeet Singh by sheer robbery, The
former was driven from his throne and
fled into India, carrying the diamond with
him. Unluckily Tor himself he took ref
uge with Runjeet Singh, who determined
TO get the diamond, and imprisoned Shah
Sou1ah until the latter was willing to sell.
His compliance was fastened by a pretty
strong hint that If he held out too long
or asked too much Runjeet would prob
ably have him strangled for the sake of
the stone, so he sold it for $4,000, not a
penny of which was ever paid. RunjeeI,
when dying intimated his wish to pre-
sent the gem to the temple of Juggernaut
81 Il -