DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1887, 20 January 1875, Page 3

DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND.

There is, says the Boston, (U.S.)' Commercial Courier, a very important traffic carried on in diamonds over the various European lines to this country, and as the duty is 10 per cent, ad valorem, the sharpest watch is kept upon those suspected to be engaged in it. By means of agents abroad the collector's offica has often information by cable of the departure from various ports of the suspected diamond smugglers, and is prepared to intercept them. In nine cases out of ten the stones are concealed upon the persons of the passengers. /When this becomes a certainty the passenger is arrested and taken to the Searcher's Bureau, in the Custom House. Here, if found necessary, the party is stripped to the skin, and his clothes examined inch by inch and seam by seam; the heels are taken j from his boots, his hair and beard are j combed, and every means taken to discover the hiding place of the secreted treasures. Once this mode of search used to be tolerably successful, but now it rarely serves any purpose except in the case of raw recruits to the smuggling ranks. An old bird is caught with chaff but once. A New York Jew, who was reputed to be in the business of smuggling diamonds, used to cross the water on the Cunard line from throe to four times a season. Two years ago, in the early part of the season, he was seized upon his arrival and taken to the searcher's room. Nearly lOOOdollars worth of precious stones were found secreted in the lining of his boots, He returned to Liverpool by the same steamer, and four weeks afterwards again landed upon the company's wharf on North River. He was again seized and *üb- ' jactejfc^o the same rigorous search, but withT^o success. The Jew took it smilingly end philosophically. When :he took his leave, he paid, " Better luck next time, gentlemen. I shall go back by the same steamer on business, and when I return you can try it again." The officers mentally determined, if he did, they would try it again. Upon inquiry, it was found that he really had engaged a return passage, having held his stateroom for that purpose. Two hours before the sailing of the steamer, he was driven down to the pier in his carriage, his wife and daughters with him to see him off. Vlien they returned they carried with them over 10.C00 dollars worth of diamonds, which had lain secreted in his stateroom during the whole time the steamer had remained in port. Before his return to JNew York, the collector was notified by. one of the agents abroad that "Max Fischer. vould return by the -, which would leave Liverpool, October 25, with several thousand dollars worth of diamonds." In due time the Jew arrived, and for the third time was escorted before the searcher. JH c was evidently not prepared for such persistent attention. He seemed nervous and agitated, and finally attempted to compromise, lie was politely informed that that was out of the question;Jle'was again put through the searching process. His pocket book, was first investigated, and it revealed a memorandum showing the purchase of eighteen diamonds of various sizes and prices, amounting in all to about 12,000 dojUars.

When this came to light, the Jew begged with tears to be allowed to comproti«is?. A deaf ear was turned to his entreaties. His coat was removed, and the lining'examined, l^otbing there. Then the waistcoat. As the searcher passed his practical fingora along the lining his heart gave a tremendous thump' as he recognised the feel of something pebbly like little rosvs of buttons. 'J he. garment was ripped, a strip of chamois skin withdrawn and unrolled, and there lay, onp, two, three—eighteen ?. All there. " You can put on your coat and waistcoat again, Mr Fischer," said the searcher, blandly. .." Good daj." Without a word the Jew departed, took a horse-car home, kissed his family, ate a rousing dinner, repaired to the bath-room, and, after soaking a rather capacious plaster aqross the small of his back fora few minutes in warm water, peeled it off, and with it " eighteen diamonds of various costs and prices." What the searcher and collector may have said or thought when they found their seizure to be nothing but clever glass imitations, worth from 10 to 13 cents each, nobody knows, as although the seizure was,loudly heralded, the finale was never made public.