The Washington herald., 1922-02-15


Comdr. Wyman. He told us he rep
resented the Trade Company of the
United States. was great friend
of J.. p. Morgan and other infiuen-
tial men and could assist us in SELL
ing the diamond. He showed us n
number of letters and kilograms
letting us read only parts of them
which made him out to be mem
ber Of the State Department.
He talked well. he had his uni
forms and we believed him. Then
another man called me on the tele-
phone and said he was the chief
of police of New York. He wanted
to assure me. he said. that DIR. Wy
man was a prominent man, and all
he represented himself to be. DR..
wyman Immediately attached him,
self to my motheF- as her private
secretary and when We went to
Washington a few days later he
went with us. taking along a young
woman he said was his wife. They
stayed. at our expense. at the New
willard Hotel"
What the bogus Wyman did to
the Afghans in Washington was
plenty, according to Hashim. he
needed 500 for the Capital Bureau
OF the Press" right off the bat.
When reporters called to interview
the princess or her sons. Wyman
needed $40 for e4ch of the writ
ers." He needed $50 for movie
man" who filmed him. He ran up
bills OF $50 and $50 at time for
automobile hire; he took, on several
occasions, $50 to send csblegrams
to Afghapistan." lie ran up an in
dividual bill for 5000 at, the New
Willard. and got the money to pay
II. but didn't. .
Payments "Not Made
Prince Hashim and his mother
learned later, it seems, that the
cablegrams were not sent, the mo-
tor cars were not used. and that re-
porters and movie men are not paid
In the fashion Wyman saiu they
were.
All the time he was trying to
Induce me to let him have the dia-
mond and go to Atlantic CITY
where. he said, he could sell it
Hashim continued. HE produced
what he said was an insurance
policy insurinS the jewel for slN,-
900. and on the strength OF this
said we would be protected against
loss. Bur the policy was bogus. a.
were all his other papers.
ITO safeepard the diamond 7 in
duced my mother to put 1t in
vault on August 81. The next day
Wyman disappeared. and we haven't
seen him since. He left us when
there was no longer hope of his
getting the River of Glory
Well. after he had gone we
learned other things he had done.
For Instance. we gave him seven
beautiful gold-embroidered pieces
of sink to present for us to Mrs.
Hughes, wife of the Secretary of
state. We found out that Mrs.
Hughes never received these. Then
We found he. had left various bills
unpaid. which we had to settle.
Had il not been for DIR. wyman I
think we would have disposed of
our diamond quickly and gone on
to England. But now we are in
difficulties and have had to borrow
on it. We will sell 1t II we can
get reasonable price for it."
This talk with Hashim took place
in the law office of Frank A. n.
Boland. attorney for the Hotel
Mems Association of New York, at
342 MADISON avenue. Boland be-
came interested in the case through
his daughter. Miss Sybil Boland.
who has been the benefactress of
the family from Afghanistan. Miss
Boland. young college girl. met
them socially and has been their
friend and adviser throughout their
difficulties.
Diamond Now In, safety.
The Darayai diamond is now in
the vault of the Metropolitan
Trust Company. where it was
placed by joint order OF the family
| and Magan S. Dave, dealer in preci-
GUS stone at 665 Fifth avenue It
was he who loaned the $4,000 upon
1t. The period OF the loan. two
months. expired at the end of No
vember. last. and Dave sued to re-
cover on his note. The suit re-
7 suited in an extension of the note.
The Afghanistanians also have sew
eral bills to settle with hotels in
this city. notably the Waldorf and
Ansonia.
The worth of the diamond is
problematical. Although of i'm.
mense- size. some parts of it are
not. perfect. Attorney. Boland said
one jeweler had told --him it was
worth perhaps. 10000. Prince Has
him said a gem expert had told
him 1t might be worth as much as
100000. The stone is said to be