It started when Chicago police received a call from an area jeweller. A man had tried to swap a three-carat diamond for a bit of cubic zirconium. The swap was noticed, and the man locked in until police arrived. He was arrested, but the whereabouts of the stone were unknownuntil the man complained about stomach pains and a hospital X-ray showed $37,500 (U.S.) worth of precious gem in the man's intestine. Told that giving the man a laxative might harm his health, the officers at Central District lock-up sifted through the man's bowel movements until the diamond turned up, four days later.

"Some courageous volunteers went beyond the call of duty," said Sgt. Joseph Petrenko. "They should get a big 'attaboy.'" And if an "attaboy" seems like an unfit reward, consider this statement from a police spokesman: "Some lucky woman is going to have that on her finger some day." :

» Scott Saxon