Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-08-04
MOON OF MoUNrANs.
The Bloody History OF Famous
Jewel in the Russian Regalia.

The Bloody History Of Famous
Jewel in the Russian Regalia.
A famous diamond, with history OF
blood and fraud, is ''the shaw" whlch
forms part of the regalia Of the ear,
About $50 years aRoi belonged TO Nadlr
Shah, a military desperado, VINO oy MS
talents and wickedness, had become
ruler of Persia. After subduing all his
rivals there, be invaded the dominion
of the grand mogul and enriched him
| self with money and jewels TO the
amount OF $500, 900, 600. On his return
/ To Persia ne carried two great diamonds,
called the Sun OF the Sea and the Moon
Of Mountains, and these he worked IN
/ TO his throne.
Afterwards conspiracy was formed
and after a terrible struggle, on the
10Th of June. 1747, Nadir Shah was
murdered in his tent and his palace
was pillaged.
At this time an Armenian named
| Shafras dwelt, with his two brothers.
/ in Bassorah; and one day an Afghan
came 10 him with the Moon OF Noun
tains and a sapphire, called the Eye OF
| Allah. together with q hundred other
stones. and offered them for sale at a
moderate price. Shafras promised 10
buy them, but be had not sutlclentiy
great sum in his house; so he asked the
Afghan to come on the next day, but
the other, fearing trap, left Bassorah
| secretly, and Shafras and his orothers
could not trace his flight.
IN years afterwards Shairas met the
Afghan in Bagdad, and learned that
he had sold the jewels for $4,000 pas
tiers and two horses. SO he went 10
the house OF the purchaser, who was
Jew, and offered him 10000 piasters
and four horses for the jewels; but the
Jew would not agree 10 1t.
On the same night Shairas and his
brothers, who were also in Bagdad, en-
tered the Jews house by stratagem
and murdered him and took his jewels;
and they put his body in a sack and
cast it into the Euphrates.
And on the next day they invited
the Afghan to a repast, and they put
poison into his drink, so that he died;
and they put his body into sack and
cast IL into the Euphates.
And so there was nobody left to
bear witness TO the manner by which
the brothers had obtained the jewels,
but presently they fell into dispute
/ among themselves concerning the diyis-
! ion OF the booty, and so Shafras pois-
oned both his brothers and threw their
bodies into the river, and he fled 10
| Constantinopl9, and from thence to
Holland.
Being now safe in Christian Europe,
the murderer exposed his jewels for
sale, and offered them to many kings
and princes; and at last their fame
Travelled to Russia, and the Empress
Catharne sent for Shatras and offered
TO buy the Moon OF Mountains for
pension OF 10000 roubles each year
(which is equal to near $4,000 in our
money!, together with title OF nobil-
ity, but Shatras wanted 600, 900 roubles
for the diamond.
AT this time one OF the empress
ministers was Count Panin, cunning
man. He pretended to be friend TO
Shafras, and invited him to his house;
and be contrived that the Armenian
should meet many rich and prodlgal
people, and tho Armenian was thereby
drawn into reckless living, until after
time his money was gone, and he was
indebted 10 many merchants and trades
men. And Count Panin, learning that
he was penniless, refused to buy the
diamond. for the empress, at any
price.
Then Shafras made as If to leave the
city, but be was prevented by his cred
itors, and they would not let him 90,
but threatened TO throw him into pris-
on.
So from being careless and indiffer
ent, concerning the sale Of the diamond,
Shafras became a suppliant, and he
sold the diamond to the empress for
$4,000 roubles. Then he paid his
debts and .went away.
Ten years later the emissaries OF
the Russian court found Shafras at
Astrakahn, and bought other jewels
from him, for considerable amount,
and title Of nobility was conferred
upon him. subsequently he married,
and lived long in considerable honor.
but he had seven daughters, and the
husband OF one Of them enyied his
wealth and power and gave poison to
him; so that the riches for which he
had sacrificed so many lives brought
sorrow to him at last, and he died.