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DIAMONDS COME TO AMERICA
yearly.
True, The Ring, as it was now being called, was importing large
quantities of diamonds legitimately, but how did these others come in?
The
records of cable companies were studied and it was found that out of
Antwerp had gone messages reading: "Arrived O.K.," etc., so that the
customs officials began to check names of senders only to find they
were fictitious. But the handwriting of the messages submitted to cable
company offices was compared with handwriting of members of The Ring
and found to be identical.
Meanwhile,
the downtown New York dealer was being shadowed constantly by the
original Customs Division operative and it was found that he was having
lunch with a certain other man. This man was trailed, his identity and
address were ascertained, and his record was looked up. It was found
that the day before the luncheon he had arrived on a steamer from
Europe, traveling third class. The Customs Division officials figured:
That's why we missed! We didn't pay enough attention to the luggage of
the third-class passengers. Still shadowing the "other man," they found
that he visited still others and that these also had traveled to and
from Europe "third class."
Word
was flashed to Antwerp. Antwerp authorities, watching the son-in-law of
the retired Brooklyn polisher, discovered him purchasing a valise. The
valise had a false bottom. And then a message sent to him, and checked
on in the cable office, read that same day: "Wife leaves Manhattan
tomorrow." This message, it appears, came from the downtown diamond
dealer, for a further check revealed he had received one from Antwerp
reading: "Woman needed . . . big case . . . act quick . . . reply."
The dealer's wife did sail on the Manhattan the next day. She was followed by customs operatives to London
(129)
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