The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-01-20
LEMO|NE'S CASE
/ |NT[:R[STS'EUROPE
A "ptAMoNo MAKER" IS ACCUSED
OF AiHucE swINDLE.
cor $4,000 FROM oNEMAN
His Alleged Formula for Making Dia.
monds Is Locked Up in London
Bank, While lemoine Rests
In a Paris Prison.

Paris, Jan. 20.---The ramifications
OF the case of Lemoine, the diamond
maker" whom Sir julius Wernh"r, Of
the De Beers Mining Co., is prosecut.
ing for swindling him out of 100000,
is attracting much attention, not only
in France but in England and through.
out Europe.
The case in one particular bears
resemblance to all the recent great
swindles, such as the Humbert safe
mystery In France. the Chadwick af.
fair In America and the bruce case in
England, namely, its solution depends
upon secret beyond the reach Of In.
vestgators.
Lemoine's formula for the manufac.
ture of diamonds is securely locked
up In a bank in London, the officials
of which, upon Lemoine's demand, re-
fuse to deliver II to- the French court,
which desires to make trial OF Its
efficacy in the presence OF experts,
who are now examining specimens of
diamonds Lemoine claims to have
manufactured. II
Meanwhile Lemoine, who, few
years ago, was n canvasser for an ad.
fvertising firm but who since he be.
gan his present operations has lived
luxuriously in magnificent house
here, languishes in Jail, offering If re.
leased to repeat his experiments and
prove the legitimacy of his invention.
While Wernher is now convinced
that he was duped by clever legerde.
main and the public is amused at the
many curious incidents of the case,
there Is enough division of opinion in
the scientific camp to keep up lively
interest in the affair Scientists point
out that to- substitution of n genuine
diamond in an electric furnace would
be impossible. as the temperature Of
the electric arc would transform the
diamond into graphite.
Henri Moissan, winner of the Nobel
prize, who died recently, produced mi.
croscopic diamonds from iron and car.
bon in an electric furnace at a TEN.
perature of 1000 degrees, but they
were of insignificant commercial value
and the majority of scientists say II Is
ridiculous to suppose that Lemoine
succeeded where Moissan failed.
Nevertheless, others like Wurtz, the
eminent chemist, are Of the opinion
that 1t Is not impossible to produce
chemical diamonds II the operation Is
performed under sufficient pressure
and the proper solvent of carbon. lie.
moine. 1t is known, unlike Molssan,
uses chemicals and not metals. They
doubt, however, the discovery of q
solvent of carbon. They think lie.
moines crystals are siicate of car.
bon.
Lord Armstrong, who witnessed the
experiments, avows his absolute faith
in I.emoine's method. Diamond mer.
chants, although skepticel. are great
ly Interested in the outcome OF 'he
case.
Since Lemoine was arrested 1t has
developed that ne did not conilne his
operations to NJ Werr.her He sold
a half interest In his secret to Edgar
Cohen in 1901 and through an associ
ate secured $1,000 from an American
named Siegman. The latter, who
lives at Neuilly, has complained to the
police that mysterious attempts have
been made against himself and his
wife since his connection with the af
fair was revealed.
A strange feature OF the case Is that
NJ. Wernher, although he charges that
he was duped, offered Lemoine $50 600
additional last week for his formula.
Several alleged formulas have been
published, the principal ingredients
OF which are carbon and sugar, but
Iemoine pronounces them bogus.
The latest development is the testi'
mony OF Paris ieweler that Lemoine
last year wanted him to put up $4,000
and sell De Beers mining stock short
when he should publish Wernher's
contract and cover at an enormous
profit.