Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-04-29
Sheer Luck.

1uZnee Gtucleu Europe III CTcdteu
widespread interest and took immedi-
ate rank with the historical stones Of
the world. 1t was compared with the
finest gems in the royal aud Imperial
reGalia, savants wrote learned dis
questions upon its. beauties, and the
magazines and newspapers spoke OF
its value in way that made ones
mouth water.
Among others whose envy was
aroused by tho descriptions of the
stone vas a Mr.. Lamorock, gentle.
man who had passed under many
aliases in his career, and who had only
recently been released from Portland,
where he had been sequestered for mis-.
taking the proprietorship of u check.
As lie read of the great diamond his
eyes sparkled at the thought of its
worth. There it was-f100, 000-and
you could put it in your waistcoat
pocket.
But how to get it?
The ex-convict, as he pondered over
the sub, ect, knew the task was not an
easy one. The papers impaired the
confidence that it was in Messrs. Bons
field Brothers safe Mt Bristol; but
burglary was not in his line. There
are grades OF refinement in all profess
sions, and he looked upon burglary as
vulgar, besides which night watchmen,
strong rooms, and electric alarms
made such work hazardous and only
fit for people better supplied with
physical strength than brains.
The first step was to obtain the con-
fidence OF the Bonsfelds. To get this?
an introduction. How?-to forge
it.
without more ado he wrote short
note to Congle.on g. Co. the celebrated
diamond merchants of Hatton Garden,
asking them ifthey would care to buy
some old family jewels, and received
reply expressing their Willingness to
inspect them. After studiously ex-
amining the caligraphy of their letter
with magnifying lens he set himself
to practising number of curves and
fourishes on q sheet of paper. An
hours work seemed to satisfy him,
and he then indited the following
epistle:
Citation Garden, Jan 4, 1896.
Messrs. Bonstield Brothers: Dear Sirs
AS q client of ours desires to inspect
your pink diamond known as The
Light OF Guznee, with view to pur-
chase, we should feel obliged if you
would send it to us. Our Mr.. Lamo.
rock will call upon you few hours
after Won receive this letter and will
bear note vouching for his identity.
We shall be happy to undertake all
risk and responsibility for the stone
from the time it is intrusteds to the
custody of our representative, and we
beg to remain yours faithfully.
"CoNGLEToS & Co."
When this production of his pen
and brain had been carefully scrutin-
lied, our caigraphist composed
another short letter, which stated that
the bearer was Mr. Lamorock, the rep
resentative of Congleton & Co. He
went ont and bought half dozen
Havana cigars, four OF which he
steamed open and unrolled. Smearing
the interior portion over with dark,
treacly liquid, lie rolled them up again
with expert fingers and put them into
his case.
The first letter he had written he
sent by registered post, going down to
Bristol by the same train that took the
mail. But on his arrival there he
waited for three hours so as to allow
of it being delivered before calling.
He then went to their Office and pre-.
scented his credentials, the genuineness
of which were not for moment sus-
pected.
The Bristol firm, who acted with
great caution in all their business
transactions, thought it safer
that the stone should be under
the custody Of their own rep
resentative. and determined that one
of their partners, Harry Bonsfeld,
should accompany Lamorock up to
London, taking it with him. This,
however, was contingency provided
for both by Lamorock's cigars and by
q neat little revolver that nestled in
the pocket of his great coat,
1t was bitterly cold day, and bit
ing east wind made them shiver in
spite Of their coats and wraps; 40
much so that they mutually regretted
that the operation of securing a
reserved carriage left them no time to
pay visit TO the refreshment room.
They had just seated themselves
comfortably and the train was already
in motion, when an elderly gentleman
- "a II l,ln al, l,t, Ia