DARING FRAUD

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 125, 29 May 1930, Page 23

DARING FRAUD

r' SYNTHETIC DIAMONDS COMPANY ROBBED Mr. J.lKenueth Ferriciya former detective inspector in'the London Police Force, describes! jin the London "Sunday Express" one of tlje greatest and most daringly conceived frauds of modern times. Several ■well-known Englishmen were victimised by a Frenchman who claimed to bo able to make artificial diamonds. One autumn day Maurice Koqchm, an engineer 'Hvas inspecting a short circuit in a tramwayj system running on the sands at Angers (France), when he found that the short circuit had produced a molten brittle mass which resembled glass. This gave him the idea'oE experimenting, by a similar electrical method, with the object of making diamond crystals. Koechm, being desirous of obtaining capital to enable him to experiment, became acquainted with Henri Lemoine, an advertising agent with a bent for chemistry. Koechm interested. Lemoine in .his scheme, and they succeeded in obtaining a brittle "po\yder' harder than rubies, but softer than diamonds." .After a'time Koechm and Lemoinc quarrelled and parted, and then, six years later, Lemoine .boasted that he had succeeded in manufacturing diamonds that would pass any test;, He obtained an introduction to a London solicitor who he learned acted on behalf of.a number of diamond merchants, and to him he showed his diamond powder. '-■; A diamond dealer introduced Lemoine to Sir Julius Wernher, the chairman of the JDe Peers Diamond Mining Company, and Lempine now claimed that by his system of electric arcs and rapid coolings he had obtained the requisite heat and pressure in tihe manufacture of diamonds, and could successfully compete with the immense underground laboratories of Nature in the production of large and valuable gems. Sir Julius Wernher was at first incredulous, but, recalling that Professor Moissan ;had succeeded in crystallising carbon, be consented to attend Lemoine's laboratory in Paris. With other experts, he examined Lemoine's powder and chemical compound, put them in an empty crucible, which he sealed, and gave it to Lemoine to place in the electric furnace. Twenty-five minutes later the crucible was

withdrawn, and when it. was opened 39 diamonds were found. Sir Julius realised that if artificial stones could be placed on the market at a cheap price they would prove a formidable competitor against the. De Beers Company, aiid so lie offered to buy the formula. This was agreed, and sums amounting to £04,000 were advanced. It was also agreed that the formula should be placed in a sealed envelope, deposited in the strongroom, and thatit was .not to be withdrawn unless by their joint consent, or upon the death wf Lemoine,-. in which event it would become the properly of Sir. Julius--Wernher. Ll-. moine chose a site near a waterfall in the Argeles district, in France, on which to build a laboratory, explaining that tho water would generate the power for the electric plant. But instead of producing diamonds he kept urging his partner to advance more money, until his dilatoriness caused Sir Julius Wemher to become suspicious. He asked Lemoine to conduct yet another experiment in the presence of his friend, Mr. Oates, and Lemoine .consented, bates was a lead-ing-official of the De Beers Company, well versed in the achievements of scientific research', and he decided to test Lemoine's claims by applying the principle of Professor Moissan, according to which, i£ an authentic diamond and a piece of coal are placed in an electric furnace, the electrical forces and excessive temperature required to change carbon into diamond,liquefies the real diamond. In the experiment, Oates, unknown to Lemoine, placed a real diamond in the crucible, which, when opened, disclosed that Oates's diamond had liquefied, but that Lemoine's diamonds had been formed. FLED TO EAST. Oates accused Lemoino of being an iinnostcr. Lemoinn was arrested and accused of defrauding Sir • Julius Wernher of £04,000. Ho wan granted bail and promptly fled to Constantinople. He was tried in his absence, found guilty, and sentenced to ten years' imprisonment. . Meanwhile it had been found that.his wife hod bought diamonds to the value of £1000, most of which had been ground into pou'de* and afterwards placed in the crucibles, with chemical ingredients. Lemoine was rearrested, .but'- he successfully appealed against his_ sentence, and was granted a new trial. The envelope containing the formula for diamond making was produced in Court, and found by expertsto be worthless. . Further, diamonds which he claimed to have produced were identified by dealers as stones sold to hisj wife. He was found guilty and sentenced to six years' imprisonment.