Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-11-02
TRICKS or WORKERS IN THE
DIAMOND MINES.
scoTTY SMITH ONCE FED JEWELS nm
uLosED IN DOUGH TO HIS HORSE
MADE BIG HAUL.

elapsed before police and private detec-
tive system was able to check illicit trad
ing in diamonds.
When the first rush to the diamond field
occurred In 1885 Kimberley consisted Of .
few tin huts and Kafir kraals, situated ON
the northwest Of Cape Colony, bordering
on the Orange Free State on the west, the
nearest railway being over $50 miles away,
and transport being At excessively high
rates. Only those persons who possessed
. capital Of not less than 500 could reach
Kimberley in any degree Of comfort.
Real hardships were endured on the
! road. OK wagons and mule wagons were
the general means Of locomotion, and the
pioneers carried small tents or thug
walks, as they were called, to afford them
protection, the thermometer in summer
registering n much - LIS in the shade.
The town grew to such an extent after the
"rush" that large settlement soon sprang
up. Claims were pegged out and washing
for diamonds was carried on vigorously
| by all sorts and conditions OF men.
CECIL RHODES ARRIVES.
Cape police garrison was esta blished
| and Law under the British government
soon began to assert itself. Cecil John
Rhodes than arrived on the scene and
large companies were at once formed. The
Des Toits man claims came to the fore and
| after few years huge excavation $50
feet deep and an acre in extent could be
seen, with Kaffirs in thousands working
with ieverish energy, who from the top OF
| the pit resembled ants. Saloons and
gambling dens spr ing up and illicit dia-
| mond buying soon became rife.
The Orange river, only thrse miles
| away, formed the border between Cape
Colony and the Orange River Colony.
No extradition law be .ween the Boer and
British governments existed in those
days, and once over the border both
diamonds and runner were safe from
| molestation. The penalty for convic-
| tion was heavy and sentences OF from
eight to fifteen years hard labor on the
breakwater at Cape Town were usual.
Most common among the methods used by
the Illicit diamond buyers WAS to employ
q Kaffir who could speak English, furnish
him with q little money and set him to
work on one OF the claims where washing
for diamonds was in progress. Either by
stealing them, buying or finding and not
reporting them this kaffir was able, il he
was clever, to obtain a parcel OF stones.
These would be delivered in due course to
the Illicit diamond buyers, on whose
shoulders then rested the responsibility OF
| getting them ''across the border.
WORK REaINs.
One OF the first big parcels OF diamonds
to be safely taken across the border and
out OF reach of the diamond act was
carried unwittingly across by the then
chief of Kimberley, Capt. Brenchley. AT
the time Of the latter's tenure OF Office as
chief of police he had grave suspicious that
Ike solomon MAS dealing hiictiy in dia-
| monds. Solomon posed as q real estate
dealer and occasionally, to keep up appear
ances, he would buy or sell a tin shanty and
take more pains than was necessary 10 ad-
vertise the fact. One evening he happened
to meet Capt. Brenchley at the Grand Hotel
in Kimberley, owned by MIR. Peterson.
He made himself exceedingly affable to
the police captain, who thought Solomon
was trying to ger into his good graces by
being polite and affable.
After ordering champagne for all in the
bar key Sol, as he was termed, began to
| speak about shooting. He told Brenchley
that he had recently purchased farm in
the Free State which abounded in game
OF all descriptions and iamented the fact
that not being sportsman himself he
was unable to keep down the game on his
place. Capt. Brenchley, being an ardent
sportman, replied that he would much
Finally it was arranged that Ike should
take Capt. Brenchley and his friends, who
included the chief magistrate OF Kimber-
iy, for a days shooting on his farm,
The day was arranged, but at the last
moment il was discovered that shot car
tridges we're very scarce. Ike Solomon
undertook, however, to supply 100 which
he said he could borrow from friend.
Eventually the party, consisting of six,
started in three Cape carts from Kimberly.
key was in great spirits, as was also Capt.
Brenenley, who felt certain that key was
only entertaining him so royalty as to
bring off a coup in the near future.
KEY ESCAPES.
They crossed the border into the Free
State and breakfasted at coach stage.
They then proceeded to keys farm, but
not trace OF game was to be seen. The
party then returned to Kimberley, key
apologizing profusely all the way home
and insisting on providing q champagne
supper ON arrival Two months later he
left kimberley for good, and soon after
his departure Capt. Brenchley received
the following letter;
nv Dear Friend:
must call you friend because you have to
me been good one. know all the time you
think buy diamonds and carry them over
the border. now inform you do buy the dia-
monds. but you, dear friend, you carry them