The Opelousas courier., 1898-07-30
Sheer Luck.


When the great pink diamond o
Guznee reached Europe it created
widespread interest and took immedi
ate rank with the historical stones 0
the world. 1t was compared with tn
finest gems in the royal aud imperia
re y liza, savauts wrote learned dis
QUESTIONS upon its beauties, and ths
magazines aud newspapers spoke 0
its value in a way that made one''
mouth water.
Among others whose envy was
aroused by the descriptions of the
stone was a Nh. Lamorock, a gentle.
man who had passed under many
aliases in his career, and who had only
recently been released from Portland,
where he had been sequesteredfor mis-
taking the proprietorship of q check.
AS he read Of the great diamond his
eyes sparkled at the thought of its
worth. There it was-G100, O00-and
you could put it in your waistcoat
pocket.
buL now TO geI II!
The ex-convict, as he pondered over
the subject, knew the task was not an
easy one. The papers impaired the
confidence that it was in Messrs. Bons-
field Brothers safe at Bristol; but
burglary was not in his line. There
IRE 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?
ar Introduction. How?-to forge
It'll
Without more ado he wrote a short
note to C%ongleton & Co., the celebrated
diamond merchants of Hatton Garden,
asking them ifthey would care to buy
ON old family jewels, and received
a reply expressing their willingness to
inspect them. After studiously ex-
aiming the caligraphy of their letter
with a magnifying lens he set himself
to practising a number of curves and
fourishes on a sheet of paper. An
hours work seemed to satisfy him,
and he then indited the following
epistle:
Citation Garden, Jan 4, 1896.
Messrs. Bonsfield Brothers: Dear Sirs
AS q client of ours desires to inspect
your pink diamond known as The
Light of Guznee,' with a view to pur-
chase, we should feel obliged if you
would send it to us. Our Mr.. Lamo-
rock will call upon you a few hours
after you receive this letter and will
bear a note vouching for his identity.
We shall be happy to undertake all
risk and responsibility for the stone
from the time it is intrusted 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 scrutin-
lied, u caligraphist composed
another short letter, which stated that
the bearer was Mr.. Lamorock, the rep
resentative Of Congleton & CO. He
went out and bought half a dozen
Havana cigars, four of which he
steamed open and unrolled. Smearing
the interior portion ove with a dark,
liq-id, 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
Bristol by the same train that took the
mail. But on his arrival there he
for three hours SO as to allow
Of it being delivered before calling.
He then went to their Office and pre-
,ented his credentials, the genuineness
IF which were not for a moment sus-
The Bristol firm, who acted with
great caution in all their business
transactions, thought it safer
the stone should be under
he custody of their own rep
'esentative, and determined that one
# their partners, Harry Bonsfeld,
accompany Lamorock up to
London, taking it with him. This,
however, was a contingency provided
or both by Lamorock's cigars and by
neat little revolver that nestled in
he pocket Of his great coat.
It was a bitterly cold day, and a Bit
ng east wind made them SILVER in
pite of their coats and wraps; SO
much so that they mutually regretted
hat the operation of securing a
eserved carriage left them no time to
'ay a visit to the refreshment room.
They had just seated themselves
o~mfortably and the train was already
n motion, when an elderly gentleman
With a jovial red face..and black bushy
fhiskers opened the door and bundled
il.
Bonsfeld was annoyed and Lamo-
ock Disguised; but as the intruder
gas profuse in his apologies, and it
,as too late to mend matters, they
Iad to accept the situation with the
est grace they could. After the lapse
t . quarter of an hour he had talked
heir reserve away, and proved him
amusing q companion that they
became quite friendly; and then
.amorock, who had grown suddenly
miahle, pressed the others into
ccepting a cigar apiece. The jolly
aced intruder was not to be outdone
. hospitality. He opened his hand
ag, and with a merry wink produced
flask Of curacao, which the intense
old made particularly acceptable to
all. Lamorock. indeed, found
he liquor SO delicious that he took