The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-02
BROUGHT BAD LUCK.
Opal Scarf Pin That Was the Cause of a
Steamboats, Misfortunes.

Opal Scarf Pin That Was the Cause of a
Steamboats, Misfortunes.
From the New York Herald.
A certain small stone set as a scarfpin
is the avowed hoodoo of the Ellis island
steamboat Shackamaxon. and is said to
be responsible for all the disasters recent
~ reported as having occurred to that
steamboat, on which DR.. Joseph III. SEN
ner, the United States commissioner of
immigration, and so many others daily
risk their lives. The hoodoo stone is an
opal now in the possession of j. j. Hamp-
ton, one of the Ellis island officers. Mr..
Hampton said yesterday that. while the
stone is his property, he would not keep
it in his possession for any consideration.
He vows that bad luck attaches to 1t, and
disaster follows IT. Consequently, he
keeps it in a vial, carefully corked and
wrapped up in a dark cloth, as IL is
claimed the light has no effect on the
opaline brilliancy of the stone, and the
more brilliant 1t is the greater the dan
ger following it, The opal was innocent
ly worn on board the Shackamaxon dur
ing all the recent disasters to that boat.
Delaney, the engineer, was wearing the
scarfpin containing the hoodoo opal when
the smashup occurred on Sunday a week
ago. Delaney had purchased the pin
from Hampton at reasonable price,
KNOWING OF us history Oh dlltHudlll udI-
ger but when he got nearly killed in that
accident nothing would induce him, he
said, to keep the stone.
Eugene Giles of GOO West 47th street.
who is the chief electrician on Ellis ISL
and, and who says he had formerly no
superstition whatever, next purchased the
pin, with the understanding that he
should keep it a week on trial, and If
nothing evil befell him in that time he
was to pay for it, The first day he wore
IL he fell from an electric light pole on
the island and was severely injured. He
attributes his mishap to the opal and i'm
mediately returned the pin to Hampton,
saying he would not have II as gift.
Hampton, who was mate of the steam
err Matteawan last summer. says he
found the scarfpin on board the Mattea-
wan, and on the very day he found 1t
the steamer, which was plying to and
from Glen island, ran into a coal dock at
pier Z, Hoboken, and was badly dam
aged. Several people were thrown from
their seats, and a panic followed among
the passengers and two women tainted
Some days after, on Aug. 6, of last
year" said Hampton to Il reporter. the
boiler of the Matteawan let go, by bolt
giving way, and the steamer had to be
laid up. / was wearing the fatal opal
all this time, without dreaming OF its in
fluence. Soon after put it away and did
not wear it again for some months A
few weeks ago 1 was wearing the pin,
and / saw one of the immigrants in dam
ger and l saved him from falling over
board. He misunderstood my kindly in
tentions and services and we got into a
fight, in which he nearly kicked my face
off,"
Hampton will bear the marks of the
immigrants kicks as long as he lives He
recited many other instances of the fatal
influences and the i'll luck attending the
opal, and wound up a long list by say
ing that only last week he was wearing
the pin. and while holding the wheel of
the ShackamaXon the wheel slipped and
threw him across the wheel house and
nearly killed him. He says that is the
last time he will wear the unlucky jewel.
Captain Butler of the Shackamaxon had
heard so much about the hoodoo opal
that he asked to see IT, and handled IL
freely. He says that on that same even
ing something went wrong with his
daughters piano while she was playing
for him, and the instrument, which cost
1915, has since been practically useless.
No one likes TO own up to superstition,
but Captain Butler has given strict or
ders that Hampton is to keep the opal off
the Shackamaxon while he is in COM