The Savannah morning news., 1904-05-22
For Electric Railway switch.
KAFFIR'S STORE OF GEMS.
Diamonds Worth TriIlions Were in
African Chiefs Hands.


The tragic seque! to a treasure-seek-
ing expedition in the Transvaal. fur
nished by the sentence of death at
johannesburg Of Phillipus Swartz, the
organizer of the expedition, for the
murder of one of his companions, Shep-
hanus Van Niekerk, has brought to
light a story so strange and romantic
and dealing with such fabulous hid
den wealth that it recalls some of the
south African romances of Rider Hag-
gard. But it has in it so many ele-
nents of FEASIBILITY and the prize is
so great that it is certain many men
will yet risk their lives, If need be, to
ascertain whether it be true or false.
1t starts appropriately with the
colossus of South Africa, Cecil Rhodes,
In 1890, fresh from the conquest of
the Matebeles and the acquisition of
Rhodesia, ne received an invitation 10
visit Magato, a renowned and powerful
Katiir chief, known as the lion of
the north" and the unconquered and
implacable foe of the beers. Magato
wished to have. a powWoW with the
Zion of the SOUTH" as he desgnat-
ed Rhodes, concerning matters in the
territory that had just been colored
red on the British map. At the KAT
fir chiefs stronghold, on the top of
high mountain, the two strong men
met, Rhodes being accompanied by Sir
John Willoughby, Justice Lang and
D. C. De WAL.
When they had finished discussing
affairs of state the willy old Kaftir,
wishing to impress Rhodes and his
companions with his wealth as well as
his power, showed him a bucket filled
with diamonds-magnihcen ones
Rhodes was not a man to express
surprise at anything. He had once
before seen a bucketful of diamonds,
which played an important part in the
a Indignation of the Kimberley mines.
After examining some of the stones
he made a mental estimate of the value
of the contents of the bucket as some
thing between $12, 100000 and $40, 000,-
600. Then he asked the Magato where
he got them.
The chief answered that they had
been given him as presents" from
time to time by his native subjects,
who had worked In the diamond mines.
That meant, of course, that they mad
been stolen and that Rhodes himself,
as one of the largest owners of the
mines had had his pockets picked to
the tune of a very large fortune.
Given as Gifts.
Rhodes always had a great respect
for men who did things on a large
scale. Besides in dealing with saw
ages he always exercised diplomacy.
Therefore, he did not denounce Magato
as a receiver of stolen goods. He con-
tented himself with intimating that
their possession might possibly, at
some future date. get the chief into
trouble. To which Magato replied, it
is said that it would take more than
all the Transvaal police to get them
from him.
Magato did not swear Rhodes and
the other spectators to secrecy and
some things leaked out. This led to
the formation of several private syn
dictates to try and obtain the diamonds
from the chiefly purchase or other
wise. But all efforts failed. And as
to getting them any other way-well,
Magato in his mountain stronghold,
with thousands of Kaffirs ready to
fight for him, was a very dangerous
man on whom to attempt anything APP
preaching burglary or highway rob-
berry. But no white man in the Trans
vaal would ever have long survived
the story that he possessed bucket
full of diamonds which were not lock-
ed up in a burglar-proof safe.
Looked on as Mythical.
After awhile, among the few who
had nedTQ OF II anu IdiGu " 6Cb even
a glimpse of the gems for the money
they had put up, the story of the buck
etful of diamonds was generally re-
garded as a myth and emissaries of
the syndicate ceased to trouble Ma
cato.
Then there came a day when the
"lion Of the north" fell sick and real
lied that the hand of death was upon
him. He hated Mpefu, his nephew and
L. 4.P kafv, Chi IL had
tried to get him set aside in favor of
one of his own indunas. Baked in
this. he resolved that he would at least
prevent Mpefu from getting the bucket
of diamonds in his clutches. Summon
ing four of his most trusted chiefs, he
directed them to divide the diamonds
into four lots, take them far away and
bury them, and tell no man where they
had hidden them, under penalty of be-
ing haunted in this world and tortured
in the next.
The chiefs promised to obey, and
when the diamonds had been parceled
out among them two Of them set out
for Matabele Land and the two others,
according to the story trekked toward
the Selati, in which region the remains
of Van Niekerk were subsequently
found And to obtain this treasure or
some portion of it Swartz got together
story that has startled johannesburg
and is likely to cost more than one
life before the last Of 1t is heard.
Now, to consider the circumstances
that have caused many in the Trans
vaal to regard the story not only as
possible, but even a probable one.
1t is well known that vast numbers of
diamonds were stolen by natives work.
ing in the diamond mines, especially in
the earlier years of their discovery be-
fore the adoption of the elaborate
methods now employed to prevent
theft. The Kaffirs hide them in their
nostrils, mouths, ears, under their toe
and finger nails, inside self-infiicted
wounds and sores, and developed amaz-
ing skill and ingenuity in escaping de-
lection. Despite all the precautions
that have for many years been taken
it is conceded that they steal large
numbers Of diamonds.
Thousands of Kaffirs, owing loyalty
and allegiance to Magato, have worked
in the diamond fields. That they stole
diamonds whenever they got a chance
goes without saying. It is the custom
among the Kaffirs of South Africa to
give their chiefs a portion of their
plumber obtained on the Outside"
whether acquired by more or less leglti-
mate fighting or by thieving.
In accordance with this system. IL
has been pointed out, each of Magato's
especially in the earlier years, when
stealing diamonds was comparatively
easy, might have been depended on to