The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-04-12
SHEER LUCK.

NIL 111I1O IL ~ O1As
When the great pink diamond of
Guznee reached Europe, it created
widespread interest and took immediate
rank with the historical stones Of the
world. 1t was compared with the finest
gems in the royal and imperial regalia,
savants wrote learned dispositions upon
its beauties and its peculiarities, and
the magazines and newspapers spoke of
its value in way that made ones
mouth water.
Among others whose envy was
aroused by the descriptions of the stone
was Mr.. Lamorock, a gentleman who
had passed under many aliases in his
career and who had only recently been
released from Portland, where he had
! been sequestered for installing the pro-
prietorship of check.
AS he read Of the great diamond his
eyes sparkled at the thought of its
worth. There it was-e100, 000-and
you could put it in your waistcoat
pocket.
But how to get it?
The ex-convict as he pondered over
the subject knew the task was not an
easy one. The papers impaired the con-
fidence that it was in Messrs. Bousfeld
Bros. safe at Bristol. But burglary was
not in his line. There are grades of re-
f1nement in all professions, 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 Bousfields. To get this?
An introduction. How? To forge it.
Without more ado he wrote a short
note to Congleton & Co., the celebrated
diamond merchants of Hatton Garden,
asking them if they would care to buy
some old family jewels and received
reply expressing their willingness to in
spect them. After studiously examining
the caligraphy of their letter with a
magnifying lens he set himself to prac-
ticing a number of curves and fourishes
on sheet of paper. An hours work
seemed to satisfy him, and he then in
dited the following epistle:
HATToN GARDEN, Jan. A
Messrs. Bousfeld Bros:
DEAR SIRs-As client of ours desires to in
spect your pink diamond known as 1.-THE Light
of Guznee," with view to purchase, we
should feel obliged if you would send it to US.
Orr Mr. TamorOelr will call rpOD Won in,
hours after you receive this letter and will
bear note vouching for his identity. We shall
be happy to undertake all risk and response
bility for the stone from the time it is intrust-
ed to the custody of our representative and
we beg to remain yours faithfully
CoNGLEToN & Co.
When this production of his pen and
brain had been carefully scrutinized,
our caligraphist composed another short
letter, which stated that the bearer was
Mr.. Lamorock, the representative of
Congleton & Co. He then went out and
bought half dozen Havana cigars, four
of which he steamed open and unrolled.
Smearing the interior portion over with
a dark, treacly liquid, he 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 Bris-
toll 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 presented his creden-
tials, the commences of which were not
for moment suspected.
The Bristol firm, who acted with
great caution in all their business trans
actions, though it safer that the stone
should be under the custody of their
own representative and determined that
one Of their partners, young Harry
Bousfeld, should accompany Lamorock
up to London, taking it with him.
This, however, was a contingency pro-
vided for both by Lamorock's cigars
and by neat little revolver that nes-
tied in the pocket of his greatcoat.
1t was bitterly cold day, and bit
ing east wind made them SILVER in spite
of their coats and wraps-so 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 COM
fortably and the train was already in
motion when an elderly gentleman,
with jovial red face and black, bushy
whiskers, opened the door and bundled
himself in.
Bousfield was annoyed and Lamorock
disguised, but as the intruder was pro-
fuse in his apologies and it was too late
to mend matters they had to accept the
situation with the best grace they could
After the lapse of a quarter of an
hour he had talked their reserve away
and proved himself SO amusing COM
panion that they all became quite
friendly, and then Lamorock, who had
grown suddenly amiable, pressed the
others into accepting cigar apiece.
The jolly faced intruder was not to be
outdone in hospitality. He opened his
handbag and with a merry wink pro-
duced flask of curacao, which the in
tense cold made particularly acceptable
to them all.
Lamorock, indeed, found the liquor SO
delicious that he took two glasses. Be-
fore they got half through their cigars
he noticed with satisfaction that the
conversation began to slacken and that
his companions showed a disposition to
go to sleep.
Bousfield was the first to succumb to
somnolence, and Lamorock even began
to feel sleepy himself He fought against
the sensation by getting up to admire
the colored photographs beneath the hat
rails and by trying to fix his attention
upon the passing scenery.
He opened his cigar case, counted and
examined the contents and looked puz-
zled. He was apparently satisfied that
he had not given himself one of the
drugged cigars, for he pulled vigorously
away at his stump, hoping that 1t
would help to keep him awake. He once
thought that the fumes of his compan-
IONS cigars might be affecting him and
opened both windows. But he found the
cold air had no effect.
The intruder also began to look as if
he would soon follow Bousfield's exam
pie. He vainly tried to look wide
awake, but his lids would droop heav-
lily, his head would sink down upon his
chin and he would then pull himself to-
gether by supreme effort and try to sit
up straight.
Their respective struggles to keep
awake, however, grew more and more
feeble until the pair finally collapsed in
their corners and slept as if they would