The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1911-12-28
Wonderful Pearl His Undoing
HOW TIE FINDING OF BRILLIANT GEM IN DOWAGER QUEENS
CROWN MADE MURDERER OF JUMBO" ADAMS

believe In his & y fortune. He went
on to the boat and bathed his head
IN the cooling water. AS his head
became clearer he looked again at the
pearl. 1t vas sttll there. and when
nc again rubbed 1t on the sleeve of
his coarse shirt 1t grew brighter.
Ihen Jumbo Adams knew that fate
always hoped for. He was ''rich." not
as the trust magnates reckon riches.
but as the yer considered by the
poor fishers who dwell by the banks
of the Wabash and know only the
good things of life In fitting dreams.
With his dull face shining with ar
unwonted luster Jumbo Adams walked
along the bank OF the river till he
came to the big oad that leads into
Behind HIM came the sound of wheels.
and pretty oon DIR. Mccoy. a we'll
known physician and pearl buyer of
Mt. Carmel. drove up. The doctor
had been u early to call on a patient
who had been taken suddenly worse,
and he was lonely. He asked Adams
If he wanted to ride into town. The
We're on his find. and he said but little.
Finally the doctor asked him II he
had yer found any pearls. Adams
replied that he had one at the mo-
ment. DIR. Mccoy asked to see it and
Adams passed 1t over. The doctor
rubbed the gem with a silk handker-
chief. noted that it was Of the rare
rosebud variety and saw h a 1t was
perfect.
What will You take for it, Jumbo?"
he asked.
The first figures that came into the
mind of Adams was $500. so he
Oromntov answered.
It'll take $500 to get this pearl"
He had no idea what it was worth,
and was prepared to fall to any figure
that the buyer might set. But DR..
Mccoy did not hesitate and try to
lower the price. He drew a big wal
$500 on the seat of h buggy between
them. Jumbo Adams too the money
in his trembling fingers and turned
over his find to the new owner Twen-
ty-four hours later the pearl passed
into the possession of Lewis Wilson,
a pearl buyer. who paid $4,000 for
1t. He in turn sold it to Tifany's,
then the English royal jeweler secured
1t. and now it shines in h necklace
Of Alexandra.
The lucky pearl fisher drank all day
in celebrating his luck. and then some
of his friends tool him to his home.
When he recovered he provided for
the immediate wants of his family.
but he did not get anything extra.
and his faithful wife wore no new
dresses. n his children got no dain-
ties as a part of the celebration. The
rest of the money went to the saloon
day by day. and Jumbo devoted his
attention entirely to getting drunk.
Jumbo Adams continued to drink
on the proceeds of his find, and he
and Charles Pate. his boyhood chum
and manhood friend. had money to
spree together. One night they went
to a country dance where the fun was
fast and furious. and where many nf
the participants were drunk. In the
midst Of the festivities Adams and
Pate quarreled about some trivial
matter and Adams shot Pate dead. He
was arrested. tried and sentenced to
the penitentiary for twenty-one years.
The poor. tired wife tearfully took
leave Of him and the sobbing children
chung to his hands as the sheriff led
him away to begin his sentence. This
is why Jumbo Adams curses the day
that the pearl came into his posses
sion. 1t brought him only i'll luck.