Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-06-23
LINKED WITH DEATH,
Articles That Brought Tragedy to
Their Owners.
SOME QUEER CONDOLENCES.

The Hindoo Idol That Nine. Carnot
Ordered Destroyed-A Grim Exhibit
In a London Museum-A Ring That
Brought Its Owners to Suicide.
OF course the psychologists have ex-
plantations for them all, but there
are lots of things that happen that
somehow do not respond readily TO
these SO called explanations OF purely
mental effect" or accidental coinci-
dences" und all that sort of thing.
When Nine. Carnot, widow of Sadi
Cnrnot, died and her will was read, a
clause in 1t caused considerable COM
mcnt. This was TO the effect that Il
certain small Hindoo idol carved from
n hard stone which would be found
among her property must be taken out
and crushed until completely destroy
cd. Many mnrveled ut this apparently
singular request, for the idol seemed
Il harmless. ugly little thing. but her
instructions We're carried out to tho
letter.
The Idol had been presented to Sadi
Carnot years before he had ever
ihtuSHt VI luc VI Euuce
BY Il friend who had brought it from
India. Later he learned that there
was legend attached to 1t which MS
serted that whatsoever would retain 1t
In his possession would rise TO the
fullest height OF power in his chosen
profession, but die of stab wound
when 1T the zenith of his career. Car
not traced the history of the idol and
found that for 500 years the rulers
who had possessed 1t had I'LL died
either In battle or by assassination OF
stab wounds. Yet he laughed ut the
story. called the facts adduccd by his
search a mere chain Of Condolences
and retained the idol. He died by n
dagger in the hands OF an assassin;
hence Nine. CARROTS strange request
In Chicago II pawnbroker has Il queer
looking old turnip of Il watch that he
Will not sell and Will not wear, for lie
knows It's history. He bought 1t at
sale of accumulated police property,
and after the snle as q warning one OF
the police officials related three "coin-
cidenccs" In connection with It, The
first Chicago man to own the watch,
SO far rs the police knew. had been
killed by burglar, and the watch was
one of the few things the thief got
away with. A few weeks later the
burglar. with party OF his pals, pur-
sued by the police for another crime,
took refuge in house on the outskirts
of the city and sought to hold the OH
GERS at bay. All were taken alive ex-
cept the burglar, and he was shot dead
The watch was found on his body. 1t
was around the detective bureau for
long tfure. and one day one OF the
force asked permission TO take 1t home
to show some friends. his description
of its quaint. curious case having
aroused their curiosity. On his way
back to report that night, with the
watch In his possession, he was shot
dead by crook who had long stand
Ing grudge against him.
The pawnbroker put the watch In
his showcase but purely as an orna-
ment, and made such Investigation re
garding It's history as he could. He
learned thnt 1t had been made In
France more than hundred years
ago, and five men who had worn 1t had
died violent deaths. Yet these were
all condolences. and the curse of the |
old woman from whose hendn II had
been snntched by thief In Bordeaux
shortly after 1t left its makers hands
hnd nothing to do with the case what |
ever.
In the South Kensington museum,
London. there Is an object catalogued |
y 459. 1t IL cast OF a woman's face |
and was found in an excavation not |
far from Luxor in Egypt. The cast is
that of beautiful woman. but the |
face wears an expression of sinister
evil The man who found the cast
died within twentyfour hours after he |
had touched 1t. and the two workers
who handled 1t died within n few
weeks. Three OF the carriers who ham
died 1t on the Nile boat died within
short spnce OF time. and the man who |
reshipped 1t at Cairo also died within |
less than week after he had played |
his part In the work OF getting 1t to its |
destination. All these We're seemingly |
natural deaths, but 1t is odd that all
the men whose fingers touched the cast |
In Egypt should have died So soon aft
er the handling.
Then there Is the ring OF which
Glrouard. the French detective. has
told us and which now 10 in one OF the
museums of Paris. 1t Ia odd In that
1t Is fiexible. slightly SO. for It is form
ed like a twisted serpent In closely
woven gold links with an opal on the
top Of the head two tiny emeralds for
eyes and ruby in It's mouth Seven
such rings are not apt to be in exist
ence IN any one city. yet seven times
during the twenty-nine years Girouard