Geologist Clarence King was studying western mineral deposits for the federal government. He and his team of geologists tracked down the mystery diamond fields, and after a few days of study, decided that the diamonds had been planted.
King’s exposure quickly stopped the swindle, but not before Philip Arnold hurried back to Kentucky with a sizeable pile of cash.
The incident gave Clarence King an international reputation as a geologist of unquestioned astuteness and honesty. He later became head of the U.S. Geological Survey.