- #1
Thread Owner
Firstly, I hope this story does meets with forum rules. It is a true story I feel members can perhaps relate to.
Here is the story:
This is a story passed down in whispers…
In 1996, my father-in-law, Richie, finally took me into his confidence and let me into a little secret. We never really got on before, so his sudden ‘friendship’ caught me by surprise. But since he was partially drunk, I allowed his slurred endless chatter.
I remember the way he leaned in that evening, eyes darting to make sure no one was listening. “There’s something you ought to know,” he said, his voice low and brittle. I braced myself, unsure if he was about to ask for money. What he told me instead changed everything I thought I knew about the man.
His eldest brother Jack had come down on his luck and being penniless, had moved in with him recently.
Jack was a deeply religious man, always praying and reading his bible. But, he also liked his daily totting session- go figure…
Jack never really joined in the conversations whenever the wife and I visited her father- he was a real strange man. I got the feeling he did not care much for me.
I suppose it was because he was classified as ‘White’- the entire family except Richie was white- blonde hair, fair skin and blue eyed. Weird eh, since Richie looked more like an Indian/ Phillipino: or as he preferred to tell the ladies, tall, dark and handsome. He did have a way with the ladies though…
This particular evening, Richie was rather chatty- he had spent the earlier part of the day drinking heavily with Jack. Jack has already passed out a little earlier before we had arrived.
Richie then told me this unbelievable story:
Evidently sometime in 1944, Jack had gotten a job as a supervisor at a mining company- there were two of them that worked shifts. (One month on, one month off swing-shift)
Somehow, they had cottoned on to a little business…
The black labourers would steal a few uncut diamonds and exchange them for cash, food or clothing with the supervisors. This went on for some time.
But Jack and his partner in crime refused to take any small diamonds- they only accepted diamonds roughly the size of an adult thumbnail or larger.
Every month, Jack would take the cache of uncut diamonds back home [500 miles away] when he went on leave. The partner lived in a hostel at the mine, so Jack’s home was the best choice to hide their treasure trove.
Evidently White staff members were exempt from been searched, so Jack had no worries passing the friendly securities at the gates…
Back home, Jack stored the latest stash in a large metal can, hidden under the floor boards. The metal can was similar to a small milk can approximately 5 lt. in size.
Late October, Jack went on leave and took another batch of diamonds to add to the cache. Jack claims at that time, the milk can was already full and he was making plans to get another can for the next batch
The agreement was that the two supervisors would resign from their posts and split the loot between them at the end of the year…
Unbeknown to them, there were security protocols been developed and were been secretly installed…
Jack is on leave and none the wiser as to the drama brewing back at the mine.
But a hasty telephone call from his partner causes immediate chaos. The newly installed security measures had netted a couple diamond thieves. The thieves then gave up the two security officers…
Jack is fearful of been arrested, but his buddy tells him to get rid of the diamonds quickly. Without any evidence- there is no case…
So Jack ropes in his baby brother (8 yrs. old) Richard. Their parents sit on the porch in the evening, enjoying a cup of coffee and listening to the radio.
Richie presses a hole into the soft soil using a broomstick, and Jack stealthily pops a few diamonds into the hole and covers it up; all the while hoping their parents do not notice. They succeed in burying all the uncut diamonds.
That very week, the police arrive to search the house and escort Jack back to the mines. Without any evidence, Jack and his buddy are both fired- but with no charges.
Jack is too fearful and never dares to recover the diamonds. Three years pass and eventually the family move to another neighborhood and the house is sold. Richard forgot about the diamonds and could never remember the house location.
I stare at him in disbelief and call BS.
Richie says he can prove it and then coaxes Jack to rejoin us (he had fallen asleep)
A few drinks later and Jack is lucid. After much begging Jack finally relates the story- but keeps looking out the window and is rather fearful and agitated. Jack mentioned a peculiar clue that could only be validated if one was standing at the gate of his parents’ home…
I interrupted him by asking how many diamonds were in the metal can. He replied that he had stopped counting after reaching 800 diamonds a few months before the bust- and the metal can was only about three quarter full at that time.
Imagine 800+ diamonds at roughly 13 to 18mm in size…
Jack then refused to talk any further and started mumbling prayers. I tried coaxing more details from him, and asked him where the diamonds were buried, but to no avail. He simply refused to speak further.
By now Jack was extremely agitated and had even started crying…He told me he cannot tell me the location, as I would dig it up and then he would be arrested…
Richie plies him more drink, urging him to tell us the address, but Jack is adamant. No amount of cajoling from Richie can get Jack to speak.
Jack even refuses to drink anymore and immediately goes to bed, refusing to speak any further. Richie is upset with Jack, but can do nothing since Jack wanted nothing more to do with us.
So it appeared that the story seemed to check out, although I was still skeptical. But Jack’s fearful reaction made me think that perhaps he was telling the truth…
Two years pass and I try to bring up the story again. Jack is horrified and has a panic attack. So no dice. Richie tells me to back off, and promises he will work Jack over. Many times I try to get Jack to reveal the address, but he adamantly refuses to speak about the diamonds.
Instead, he tries to preach to me from his bible. Some Joseph Smith concoction. I figured out later that it was his way to get rid of me since he knew I despised religion. That was the last time I would see Jack alive.
A year later Jack passes away and leaves me his bible in his will. Rather pathetic. I put the bible aside and never opened it.
A few months later, Richie tells me that Jack had said the address was hidden in the bible…
So yours truly scans through it- most of it has verses coloured in highlight. I spend the whole day feverishly reading verse after verse, looking for clues; anything that would relate to an address… But I don’t find anything and toss it aside- it falls on the floor in shambles.
Much later my wife brings me a cup of coffee and nags me for tossing the bible on the floor- I ignore her. She picks it up and puts the cover on properly. Then she reads what is written on the inside sleeve which the cover had hidden: a dedication, name, date of birth and…ADDRESS. Bingo!
The next day I drove to the location and found the house- it was exactly as described, including the rather specific clue I mentioned earlier.
But, I did nothing. I simply could not tell the home owners about buried diamonds, since they would most likely turn me away and then dig it up for themselves.
Richie has passed on two years ago and I am now the only survivor of this incredible story. It is 29 years since I had tried to come up with a safe method to get my hands on that treasure…
And still those diamonds have remained hidden for 80 years… All I can do is share the story.
Here is the story:
This is a story passed down in whispers…
In 1996, my father-in-law, Richie, finally took me into his confidence and let me into a little secret. We never really got on before, so his sudden ‘friendship’ caught me by surprise. But since he was partially drunk, I allowed his slurred endless chatter.
I remember the way he leaned in that evening, eyes darting to make sure no one was listening. “There’s something you ought to know,” he said, his voice low and brittle. I braced myself, unsure if he was about to ask for money. What he told me instead changed everything I thought I knew about the man.
His eldest brother Jack had come down on his luck and being penniless, had moved in with him recently.
Jack was a deeply religious man, always praying and reading his bible. But, he also liked his daily totting session- go figure…
Jack never really joined in the conversations whenever the wife and I visited her father- he was a real strange man. I got the feeling he did not care much for me.
I suppose it was because he was classified as ‘White’- the entire family except Richie was white- blonde hair, fair skin and blue eyed. Weird eh, since Richie looked more like an Indian/ Phillipino: or as he preferred to tell the ladies, tall, dark and handsome. He did have a way with the ladies though…
This particular evening, Richie was rather chatty- he had spent the earlier part of the day drinking heavily with Jack. Jack has already passed out a little earlier before we had arrived.
Richie then told me this unbelievable story:
Evidently sometime in 1944, Jack had gotten a job as a supervisor at a mining company- there were two of them that worked shifts. (One month on, one month off swing-shift)
Somehow, they had cottoned on to a little business…
The black labourers would steal a few uncut diamonds and exchange them for cash, food or clothing with the supervisors. This went on for some time.
But Jack and his partner in crime refused to take any small diamonds- they only accepted diamonds roughly the size of an adult thumbnail or larger.
Every month, Jack would take the cache of uncut diamonds back home [500 miles away] when he went on leave. The partner lived in a hostel at the mine, so Jack’s home was the best choice to hide their treasure trove.
Evidently White staff members were exempt from been searched, so Jack had no worries passing the friendly securities at the gates…
Back home, Jack stored the latest stash in a large metal can, hidden under the floor boards. The metal can was similar to a small milk can approximately 5 lt. in size.
Late October, Jack went on leave and took another batch of diamonds to add to the cache. Jack claims at that time, the milk can was already full and he was making plans to get another can for the next batch
The agreement was that the two supervisors would resign from their posts and split the loot between them at the end of the year…
Unbeknown to them, there were security protocols been developed and were been secretly installed…
Jack is on leave and none the wiser as to the drama brewing back at the mine.
But a hasty telephone call from his partner causes immediate chaos. The newly installed security measures had netted a couple diamond thieves. The thieves then gave up the two security officers…
Jack is fearful of been arrested, but his buddy tells him to get rid of the diamonds quickly. Without any evidence- there is no case…
So Jack ropes in his baby brother (8 yrs. old) Richard. Their parents sit on the porch in the evening, enjoying a cup of coffee and listening to the radio.
Richie presses a hole into the soft soil using a broomstick, and Jack stealthily pops a few diamonds into the hole and covers it up; all the while hoping their parents do not notice. They succeed in burying all the uncut diamonds.
That very week, the police arrive to search the house and escort Jack back to the mines. Without any evidence, Jack and his buddy are both fired- but with no charges.
Jack is too fearful and never dares to recover the diamonds. Three years pass and eventually the family move to another neighborhood and the house is sold. Richard forgot about the diamonds and could never remember the house location.
I stare at him in disbelief and call BS.
Richie says he can prove it and then coaxes Jack to rejoin us (he had fallen asleep)
A few drinks later and Jack is lucid. After much begging Jack finally relates the story- but keeps looking out the window and is rather fearful and agitated. Jack mentioned a peculiar clue that could only be validated if one was standing at the gate of his parents’ home…
I interrupted him by asking how many diamonds were in the metal can. He replied that he had stopped counting after reaching 800 diamonds a few months before the bust- and the metal can was only about three quarter full at that time.
Imagine 800+ diamonds at roughly 13 to 18mm in size…
Jack then refused to talk any further and started mumbling prayers. I tried coaxing more details from him, and asked him where the diamonds were buried, but to no avail. He simply refused to speak further.
By now Jack was extremely agitated and had even started crying…He told me he cannot tell me the location, as I would dig it up and then he would be arrested…
Richie plies him more drink, urging him to tell us the address, but Jack is adamant. No amount of cajoling from Richie can get Jack to speak.
Jack even refuses to drink anymore and immediately goes to bed, refusing to speak any further. Richie is upset with Jack, but can do nothing since Jack wanted nothing more to do with us.
So it appeared that the story seemed to check out, although I was still skeptical. But Jack’s fearful reaction made me think that perhaps he was telling the truth…
Two years pass and I try to bring up the story again. Jack is horrified and has a panic attack. So no dice. Richie tells me to back off, and promises he will work Jack over. Many times I try to get Jack to reveal the address, but he adamantly refuses to speak about the diamonds.
Instead, he tries to preach to me from his bible. Some Joseph Smith concoction. I figured out later that it was his way to get rid of me since he knew I despised religion. That was the last time I would see Jack alive.
A year later Jack passes away and leaves me his bible in his will. Rather pathetic. I put the bible aside and never opened it.
A few months later, Richie tells me that Jack had said the address was hidden in the bible…
So yours truly scans through it- most of it has verses coloured in highlight. I spend the whole day feverishly reading verse after verse, looking for clues; anything that would relate to an address… But I don’t find anything and toss it aside- it falls on the floor in shambles.
Much later my wife brings me a cup of coffee and nags me for tossing the bible on the floor- I ignore her. She picks it up and puts the cover on properly. Then she reads what is written on the inside sleeve which the cover had hidden: a dedication, name, date of birth and…ADDRESS. Bingo!
The next day I drove to the location and found the house- it was exactly as described, including the rather specific clue I mentioned earlier.
But, I did nothing. I simply could not tell the home owners about buried diamonds, since they would most likely turn me away and then dig it up for themselves.
Richie has passed on two years ago and I am now the only survivor of this incredible story. It is 29 years since I had tried to come up with a safe method to get my hands on that treasure…
And still those diamonds have remained hidden for 80 years… All I can do is share the story.
?? How could anyone forget that 
