The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-01-12
THE .LL.Luck OF FIVE MEN
An Opal Ring and the Misfortune Which
BefeiI Its PossesSors.

An Opal Ring and the Misfortune Which
BefeiI Its PossesSors.
4 gentleman from Houston told a
Globe-Democrat man remarka bic
story about an opal and-the ll-luck
that had followed its possessor. Some
years ago a gentleman named Beard,
who was one OF the wealthiest resi-
dents of Houston, and who still resides
in that city, was travelling on horse
back from San Antonio to Austin. In
his saddle-bags he had a supply of pro-
visions, liquor, etc, the usual commits.
sary supplies incident to horseback
Journeys. A few miles from Austin he
rode up TO a tree under which lay a
asked Mr.. Beard for assistance, and
was given some provisions and a gen.
erous draught of whisky. The fellow
was suffering with a raging fever and
realized the necessity of getting to
where he cou have proper medical
attention He asked Mr.. Beard if he
could spare him few dollars, at the
same time drawing from his finger
heavy gold ring set with q magnificent
ODdl WHICH SllOG lOItll ildSDCS VA 1CNa1
blue and golden light as the stone was
moved. Mr.. Beard took the ring,
giving the man three dollars, which
was about half of the change he had
with him, and took the ring, promis.
ing to call on the man in the hospital
in Austin. where he hoped to hear
from friends, who would redeem the
ring. Mr.. Beard rode on. after max
ing the stranger as comfortable as pos
sible Some two or three days later he
went to the hospital and found his
man still very i'll, but he had failed TO
receive the expected remittance. After
chatting with him awhile he took his
departure. When he visited the hos
pital next day he found the man was
dead. He returned to Houston, forget
ting all about the ring, except as he
happened to notice it The second day
after his return he lost law suit in
volving $780, From this time on
everything he touched proved unlucky.
One day he was in Austin. gloomily
meditating over his ill-luck, when his
eve CHANGED to fall upon the opal,
which he swears was emitting vel.
lowish-green light and seemed to mock
at him. Like flash the story of the
opal and the ill-luck that attached TO a
possessor came into his mind, and
drawing the ring from his finger he
started for the Colorado river, intend
ing to throw it in the stream. On his
way he met friend, the sheriff of the
county, to whom he communicated
his intentions. The officer said
it was shame to throw away
such magnificent gem and
begged that he might have it instead.
The opal changed ownership right
there, and three days afterward the
sheriff was shot and killed. The opal
then passed into the hands of a lawyer,
who was thereupon unfortunate until
he died, and the ring went into the
hands of the fifth man, who soon went
crazy. From this time Mr.. Beard lost
all trace of the opal, after following
its history through the hands of five
different men, all of whom met with
misfortune as soon as the gem came
into their possession.
In marked contrast to this is the ex-
perience of a travelling man named La
kin, who has a passion for opals and
who wears several magnificent stones
set in rings, group formed into a
watch charm and a pocket. book mount
ed with opals of various sizes and de-
grees of fire. He maintains the opal
is a lucky stone, and his experience
seems to justify his faith. Whenever
he has occasion to go to Queretaro,
Mexico, on business trip he never
fails to purchase a handful of the
choicest stones he can find at the
mines Hundreds of Texans are now
wearing opal, cut and uncut, and there
is now but little regard given TO the
old superstition that the opal is I'M
luckN-St Louis Globe Democrat