The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-24

The business of purchasing stolen gems oc-
cupies many enterprising persons, and the
methods devised by the l. D. B. 5, as the
Illicit diamond buyers are called, exhibit
an ingenuity worthy of a more honorable
calling. Laws framed TO put down this Of
Tense are exceedingly strict-so much so,
indeed that a presumption of guilt is al
ways standing against an accused person
unless he can prove his innocence, and
sentences of five to fifteen years are COM
monty imposed in cases of conviction. AS
for the thief, if caught he is whipped with
extreme severity, or else set to breaking
rocks for a term of years. The principal
outlet for contraband stones is through the
Transvaal TO Natal.
Exceptional good wages serve 10 attract
the Kaffirs to the mines, and for the sake
of the high pay they are reconciled to GER
tain conditions of servitude with which
White men could hardly be induced TO put
up These relate to the precautions above
referred to against thievng. Every even
ing when the laboTerS come from the dig
glngs they are obliged 10 strip themselves
to absolute nudity, and hang their c-othes
usually the latter consist of breech-
clout merely-upon pegs on the wall. Then
they are subjected to an elaborate eXami-
nation even their mouths, ears, etc, be-
ing inspected. From the examining room
they go to the quarters in the compound
where they pass the night, blankets being
provided for their comfort, and the cloth
ing they have left behind is carefully look
ed over The latter they put on when they
go to work again in the morning. Custom
arily they are engaged for a period of three
months. and they may renew the contract
as often as they desire, but during the
term of employment they are not permit
ted TO leave the enclosure, which is sur
rounded by wall miles in length ana OF
considerable hight.
How so many diamonds are stolen under
such conditions is a mystery even TO the
officials of the company. one one occasion
a black fellow was found TO have concealed
a big stone, worth many thousands OF dol
lars. in a wound in the calf of his leg, COW
ering il over with q piece of stcking-plas-
Ter lust the color of his skin. 1t was dis
covered by the merest accident and since
then the engineers have pursued the meth
cd of tapping each laborer gently with
mallet over various portions of ms anat-
omy so that The presence of hidden gem
NAV be revealed by sound. Ii should be
explained that an underground passage
connects the mine with the compound, and
an overhead wire netting prevents the
workmen from tossing stones over the
wall to A confederate or an l. d. b. on
the outer side
Workmen Closely Guarded.
The compound of the De Beers mine, for
example, is a vast triangular space, with \
huge bathing tank in the center. and long
mud built sheds one story all around the
sides These sheds are cut up into in
Vulnerable little rooms. and, overhead.
from side to side, and from end to end of
the enclosure is net of wires, the meshes
of which are not more than an inch IN
width. The Kafirs make frequent use Of
the tank; for they are cleanly peop.e.
and il is said that they never eat meat
without washing their teeth after IL. "
81 .s,I- injured in mines
they are cared for in the company hos !
pital. During the term of their contract /
they are allowed TO use only compound
money! s.. brass tickets, one or Whch !
is good for a shliing's worth of provisions
tobacco, ginger pop, or what not ~ the
compound store. At the end of his period
of serviture. during which ne Is as muca I
a prisoner as any convict the laborer goes |
10 a detention house" where he is strip |
ned to the skin, and remains in that con-
dition for week. Every act OF his daily !
life is here performed under the eye OF
guards. and if he had attempted to steal
anv diamonds by swallowing them, the |
fact is surely discovered
Some of the largest diamonds ever
known have been dug out of the Kimber-
lev deposits. One of these, from the De |
Beers mine, =7as exhibited at the Paris |
Exposition of 1882 and was purchased by |
an oriental prince. 1t weighed 22o caratS |
after cutting, and was very pale yellow IN
color. The Nizam of Hyderabad. few |
wears ago bought the famous Victoria, |
which weighed $50 carats after cutting. |
II is a remarkably beautiful stone. of a |
bluish-white color and fiawless Strange |
70 say this gem, then the largest diamond |
of modern times, came 20 London without |
q mystery II was from one of the KIM |
berley mines. however, and was owned by |
a London syndicate. Afterwards, It was