DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND.

Waikato Times, Volume VIII, Issue 431, 20 February 1875, Page 5 (Supplement)

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 ten per cent. advaloycm the sharpest watch is kept upon those suspected to be engaged in it. By means of agents abroad the collector's office has often information by cable of the departure from the various ports of 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 into 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 from his boots, his hair and beard are combed, and every means are taken to discover the hiding place of the secrete^ heasures. 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 janks. 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 three 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 1,000 dols. 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 subjected to the same ligorous search, but with no success. The Jew took it smiling and philosophically. When he took his leave he said, " Better luck next time, gentlemen. I shall go back by the same steamer on business, and when I return you can tiy it again." The officers mentally determined if he did they would tiy it again. Upon inquiry it was found that he really had engaged a return passage, having held his stateroom for that purpose. Two houi s before tUe sailing of the steamer he was diiven down to the pier in his carriage, his wife and daughter with him to see him off. When they returned they cauied with them over 10,000 dols. worth of diamonds, which had lain secreted in his state-room during the whole time the steamer had remained in port. Before his return to New York the collector was notified by one of the revenue agents abioad that " Ma\ Fischer would return by the , which would leave Liverpool October 25, withseveial thousand dollars woith of diamonds." In due lime the Jew ai rived, and for the third lime was escorted before the searcher. He was evidently not prepared for such persistent attention. He seemed nervous and agitated, and finally attempted to compromise. *He was politely infoimed that that was out of the question. He was again put through the searching process. His pocketbook, which was Hist investigated, levealed a memorandum showing the purchase of 18 diamonds of various sizes and prices, amounting in all to about 12,00 dols. When this came ! to light the Jew begged with tears to be allowed I to compromise. A deaf ear was tinned to his entreaties. His coat was removed and the lining examined. Nothing there. Then the waistcoat. As the seaicher passed his piactical fingets along the lining his heait gave a tre mendous thump as he lecognised the feel of something pebbly, like little rows of buttons. The garment was hastily lipped, a stnp of chamois skin withdrawn and unrolled, and there lay one, two, three — eighteen ? All there. " You can put on your coat and waistcoat again, Mr. Fischer," said the seaicher blandly. "Good clay." 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 plaister across the small of his back for a f~"f ~" minutes in warm water, peeled it off, and it eighteen diamonds of vaiious costs prices. What the seaicher and collector have said or thought whert they found t seizure to pc nothing but clever glass i^iiUti. .worth frorh ten_ tojthirteen cents each nn»