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Show That immense haul of "t-mugglcd diamonds," reported as having been made at tho Is'ew York Custom house not long ago, appears to have been a sharp attempt at fraud on the part of the otlieials. Mr. V Lancaster, Lancas-ter, of Chicago, reached New York with a bag of -'.'7 South African diamonds.- Of these, twelve small ones were cut and therefore subject to duty. The enterprising olUeers, thinking they had a splendid chance for a tine black-mailing speculation, secured tho entire lot of diamonds; uncut as well as -cut, nnd refusal to listen to the protests ol ilr. Lancaster. This gentleman is a resident of Chicago Chi-cago and has just returned from two years labor in the gold and diamond tM$ of Africa, lie made no attempt to smuggle the diamonds and had called on Uui Amwiin consul, at Liverpool, by whom he had lcen in- 1 formed that tho uncut stones were duty-free. The gentleman has come 011 to Chicago without his property, but is taking steps to recover it and has already applied to the Treasury Departnieut on the subject. There seems to be no dobut that the plan in New York was to extort a large sum in black-mail and then restore the diamonds. Evidently special agent Jay IKS has not yet cleaned out all the rogues of the Custom-house in that eiiv I |
