The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-05-13
RAYMOND, MASTER THIEF
CAREER OF THE CROOK WHO
ROBBED KIMBERLEY DIA-
MoND FIELDS.

~ TSiP-T many ScHt 10 TIloOn IST
Long Term.
The robbery by masked men of S15,-
600 from Robinsons bank at Krugers-
dorp, in TIE Transvaai, has been the
scene Of many very daring and gigaA-
tic robheries.
The organizer of the celebrated dia-
mond mail robbery, when between
$8l5,000 and $825,000 worth of stones
were stolen, was the most famous
criminal Harry Raymond, who was
know as the Napoleon of the criminal
world.
In 1879, when the Kimberley dia-
mond fields were revealing their rich
ness in the matter of remarkably fine
stones. Raymond paid visit to South
Africa, and made the journey from
Cape Town to Kimberley by coach.
He noticed that one day every month
there was a large consignment of dia-
monds from the mines to England by
registered mail and he determined to
possess himself of one consignment.
The consignment ranged in value
from 100000 to $1,000000, and the
parcels were made up and placed in
the ordinary mail bags and sent to
Cape Town by the mail coach.
Before deciding upon his modus ope-
randi, Raymond took several journeys
on the coach, and finally a casual re-
mark of the driver set this clever
criminals mind at work and his plan
was concocted in less than five min
utes
When within 100 miles of Kimberley
the coach crossed a small stream, and
as the horses splashed through the
water the driver said: 81 shall not be
able to go through the water so easily
in month or SO"
'Why?" asked Raymond.
Because" replied the driver, when
the rainy season sets in we have to
take big wooden ferry to take us
over. The stream swells so that it is
so feet wide"
What would happen if you did not
get over?" asked Raymond, in a casual
sort OF way.
why, we should lose the steamer,
and the bags would have to be put in
the Capetown postoffice until the next
steamer sailed" was the reply Of the
driver.
The next five minutes the plan was
completed whereby the diamonds
would be transferred from their lawful
owners to the possession of Raymond.
Raymond then went to England, and
determined to spend a few thousand
pounds perfecting his plans
He sent to America for five Crooks"
and he explained the method OF In
tended to adopt. He promised If they
helped him to give them 1000 pounds
each for their work, and to pay all
their expenses.
One man took farm a short dis
lance from the river, while another
was sent to Capetown with instruc-
tons to cultivate the postoftice Off
Gals and get wax impressions OF the
keys Of the safes.
Another man went to Capetown and
set up livery stable; the fourth man
being placed in a private house not
far from the postofice.
Twelve months was spent in arrang-
ing the details, and when all was
ready Raymond waited quietly until
there was a very big consignment OF
diamonds from Kimberley, and then
he set to work.
Upon the arrival of the mail coach
v;r no Hviu n horror
discovered that the wooden ferry had
by some means got adrift and had
been swept a couple of miles away
This necessitated an extensive de-
tour of about so miles, and all posi-
BILE chance of catching the steamer was
lost, which was, of course, the reason
for the young farmer cutting adrift
the ferry.
When the coach arrived at Cape
town the steamer had sailed, and the
bags were. therefore, placed in the
post-ofice safes.
At 2 P. NJ, the next morning the
KEYS made from the wax impressions
opened the doors of the postoffice and
the safes. whereupon IL of the bags
were transferred into the cart which
the livery stable proprietor had al
ready stationed outside.
They were taken to the private house
and buried in the garden, where they
remained for six months.
RAYMOND kept his word with the
crooks. and they were paid 1000 pounds
each. and they went back to America.
The Napoleon" opened an office in
Capetown as diamond merchant, but