The evening times., 1895-12-16
That FAfEFuL OPAL srOBE
SHssf at the Superstition as One Hay,
Bad Luck Accompanies /.
An Opal Ring Was on the Hand OF
the Murdered Gar 20 hers Have
Suffered from the Curse.
Chicago Record .

King Christian OF Denmark has just fe-
ceived from his daughter. the widowed en-
press of Russia, present to which much
melancholy interest is attached. II is ring
which Emperor Alexander ii was wont TO
wear on the little finger Of his left hand.
When he was blown to pieces by the nitro
giycerine bombs Of the nibiiisi I'm 1851 his
entire left ha nd was shattered with the ex-
ccption OF the little finger which remained
intact with the ring GU it, allthe other rings
worn on the third finger being destroyed.
Immediately after his death his son. the
late czar. reverently removed it from the
wretchedly torn and -maDgled hand and
placed it on his own finger. which II never
left until his own'dearb year ago. His
widow took IL from his band just before
his interment, and after wearing it herself
for some time Ia 1 NOW given IL To- her father
ON the understanding that at his demise it
is To pa SIS TO her eldest ssN. the prese nt eZar.
II may be incidentally stated that the ring
in question consist, : or heavy band of gold.
in the &C nter OF which is set a very peculiarly
beautiful but by DO means large opal,
fiankcd by two diamonds of the first water.
This recalls to m{Ifd another oDal ring
which has likewise played Il great role in
the history of a reignfng IA miiy of Europe,
namely. that of Spain. IL was given by the
late King Alfonso 10 his Cousin Mercedes
when he was betrothed 10 her. although for
cent uries past it had formed part OF the
crown jewels of the Kingdom. Queen Mer-
cedes wore it throughout her short married
life ON her death the king removed il from
her finger and presented it TO his grand
mother, old Queen Christina. who died
shortly afterward. Then it passed TO the
kings favorite sister, the Infanta Pillar,
who at once began to sicken, and in 4 few
days breathed her last
Alfonso thercupon handed it to his sister
in-iaw, the younger daughter of the Duke
OF Montpensier and the sister of Princess
Eulala's husband. Don Antonio, as well as
the Comtesse de Paris In three mont hs She
too. was dead. His majesty then resolved
to retain the baneful Jewel in his O wn keep
ing, but he too soon fell victim to its nys-
terious malignaDcy. ~i7 -
In spite of her remarkable common sense
and soundness OF head. tue present queen
regent is not free from superst itioH. and she
is therefore determined to place the jewel
beyond the power of doing any more harm
by hanging it to the neck of the statue of
the Virgin of Alniudena, the patron saint
of Madrid. in the grand old church of the
Atocca.
Empress Engenic throughout her hus-
bands reign manifested a considera BILE
fear of opals. and was only persuaded with
great difficulty by the epaperor, TO wear
a magnificent opal parure. which he had
presented her in the spring of $40. She
most reluctantly donned 1t at a fete given
III the month of June at st. Cloud, and it
proved the last entertainment that she ever
had occasion to give as empress. the war.
as a result of which her husband fost his
throne. breaking out Immediately after
ward The Empress of Austria. too.
wore n similar ornament on the occasion Of
her last public appeara nee before the fearful
death of her only and, cherished son,
Crown Prince Rudolph.
Another ring which plays q mcst impor
tnat part in tie cid weird is tie to-calied
fishers ring of the pontiff. The one
usually worn by TIE present pcre is rot
that placed upon his finger at the time
of his elevation to the tiara, bat was given
to him some eight years ago by the sultan
of Turkey and is valued at $4,000. 1t
is a upinue ruby of extraordinary purity
and color. surrounded by marvellous, blue
white diamonds of great size and mag
nificcncc.
What will be the fate'of this ring at the
pontiffs demise it is difficult to say, for.
according to tradition and precedent. dat
irg back hundreds OF years, TIE four prin-
cipal dignifarics of the rarai court have
each right to a quarter OF the fisliern,nn's
ring worn by the pope. ard ~ erefore It
has hitherto been the inyariable custom
to break it with n hammer intefour pieces.
which are given then TO the four digni-
taries in question. t-sf''@T'-
1t is probably because the car occupies
with regard TO the orthodox Greek church
much the same spiritual position Of pppti-
fex-max linus rs the Pope of RoG:e toward