The Diamond Makers (1913)

• 79%
• 1913
• Drama
• Robert Z. Leonard
• Margarita Fischer
• Robert Z. Leonard
• Joseph Singleton

Bhadon, an aged chemist, actuated by the decree of Buddha that in America the secret of making artificial diamonds would be discovered, gives his life to the cause and succeeds. Elated at his titanic success. Bhadon sends his trusted Hindoo servant to the high priest in India, pleading that Shedah might be spared to assist in disposing of the product. Shedah, the powerful emissary for the cause, is dispatched with her two bodyguards to American soil, where, through her wiles and marvelous beauty, she is enabled to effect sale after sale to the wealthy. This monstrous flooding of the American market with gems of astonishing brilliancy and value alarms, to a marked degree, the Kimberly interests, who controlled this outlet. Their own ceaseless efforts ineffective, they are prompted to retain the services of Felix Westerly, the famous American detective, to learn the source. Westerly, after carefully laid plans, runs upon a clue, and, with the help of his assistants, brings to earth the girl, Shedah. His hardest task follows, for she is eternally guarded by her two Hindoo "shadows," whose sagacity and stealth for a time far out-distance even his most subtle plans. It is only through his double, disguised to represent himself, that he is enabled to shadow Shedah to the secret laboratory where the alchemist manufactures the diamonds. The discovery of this secret rendezvous barely misses a fatality for Prof. Westerly. He is discovered as he views the laboratory with its profusion of chemical and electrical furnaces and paraphernalia. A gigantic Hindoo engages him in mortal conflict, the desperate battle carried to the roof, where Westerly, exhausted and bleeding, secures a hold which permits him to throw the persistent adversary from the roof, where he falls to high-voltage wires and meets a horrible death. Shedah, the alchemist, and the remaining Hindoo, warned by the sound of strife, totally destroy the laboratory, with all its secrets, and for the time being, elude the officers stationed by Westerly, and successfully escape. The determined Westerly, goaded by his temporary failure, traces the Hindoo party to another seaport town through the aid of his powerful system of inspectors, and again the quest for strategic supremacy reigns. The trio is at length rounded up at a great society ball, but repeat their reputation for daring and escape. They are traced to their own yacht and captured, having availed themselves of secret panels to confuse the detectives and officers who followed. Westerly reports to the Kimberly interests the ending of the quest, as the inventor, the aged Alchemist, commits suicide rather than reveal the secret prompted by his desire to aid in the revival of Buddhism.