THE GREAT DIAMOND HOAX.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 183, 1 August 1908, Page 15

THE GREAT DIAMOND HOAX.

BOGUS INVBXTOK TAKES TO FLIGHT. Lemoine, the Parisian diamond-maker, j who was alleged to have defrauded Sir Julius Wernher in connection with the invention of a new diamond process, was to have appeared before tbe magistrate at the Palais do Justice on Wednesday, June 17, to j satisfy that official as to the truth of his j pretensions, but when the time arrived he ' failed to put In an appearance. The Judge. | iM. C. Poittevin, then proceeded to open the : famous envelope in presence of Sir Julius and M. de Blot. Assistant Chief of the I Detective Department. Mr le Poittevin afterwards declared in the ] corridor of the Court that the envelope, j which was identified by Sir Julius Wernher, contained a paper bearing certain words purporting to describe the method of j manufacturing diamonds, followed by long, fantastic explanations, which seemed to show Lemoine was laughing iv his sleeve ' all the time. Sir Julius Weruher preserved I an impassive countenance. Tbe Judge considered the formula contained In the envelope for the manufacture of diamonds to be totally worthless. Lemoine's house in the Rue Pigalle is almost deserted. The '"diamond-maker" had ostentatiously left his motor car in the court. Callers are informed by the sen-ants I thnt Mmc. Lemoine is out. It is known that Mdme. and Mdllo. Lcmoiue have beea in the country for some time. According to the servants, Lernoine left i his home on Tuesday. The truth appears to be that he has not been seen there since Monday. He left on that day at 5.30 p.m. on foot. It is believed that the went to his brother-in-law's place at~ Argeuteuil. Shortly afterwards an automobile laden with luggage left the house. The family j have been selllug objects of value which j the house contained for several weeks, and the sales still eontinne. On discovering tbat Lemolno had fled, SL le Poittevin, issued a warrant for his arrest. LE'MOONE EXPLAINS. The reading of the document being concluded, the magistrate produced from amongst his papers a letter which he had announced that he could uot respond to the magistrate's summons, many things having prevented him from carrying out his experl ments in quiet. He had had to struggle I against the hostile manoeuvres of the civil I party iv the case and of his landlord, who had done all in their power, according to Lemoine, to prevent him from bringing bis experiments to a successful conclusion. Lemoine ended by stating that in a short time, when be has completed his experiments, he will present himself before the magistrate to confound Ills detractors. MOKE ABOUT TUE FORMULA. It has beea impossible to ascertain the exact text of the formula, the mystery surroundiug which was sufficient at one time to cause a rather serious crisis in the diamond trade owing to the alarm caused by Lcmoiue's declarations among intending purchasers. The following version of the formula is given on the authority of a person who attended the reading in. M. le Poitteviu's ofllce:— "1, the undersigned Henri Lcinome, deClare that to make artificial diamonds it is sufficient to employ the following process:— "(1) Take a furnace. "2) Take some powdered sugar carbon. "(3) Place the carbon in a crucible. "(-1) Place the crucible in a furnace and raise the temperature to from 1700 degrees to 1800 degrees Centrlgradc, iv order to j obtain crystallisation. "(5) When the high temperature has been attained, apply pressure to the cover of the crucible. The diamonds will tben be made, and it remains only to take them out." The Judge drew Sir Julius Wernher's attention to the absence of information as to the method to be employed in cooling the crucible.