Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-09

Mrs. Mclean January IS
Mr.. Mclean was served with copy OF
the declaration yesterday. His counsel.
Attorney Wilton j. Lambert, today ap-
peared at the office of the clerk of the
District Supreme Court. and in the name
of Mrs Mclean accepted service for her.
Beyond stating that his clients have
defense to the action, Mr.. Lambert de-
clincd to discuss the matter. He said
the answer Of the defendants would be
filed within the legal period Of twenty
days, when the public would learn the
details OF the transaction from the stand
point Of the McLeans.
Value of Diamond Questioned.
Is the Hope diamond worth $4,000?
This question, 1t is understood. will be
raised in the suit Of Cartier against the
McLeans.
Diamond experts and New York jewel
ers have given it as their opinion that the
Hope diamond could have been bought In
the open market for less than $So.GVO our
ing the last two years.
Mr.. and Mrs. Mclean continue to re-
fuse to make any statement In regard 10
the Hope diamond or the suit which has
been brought against them. The jewelers.
But it is said that even II Mr. Mclean
signed a receipt for the diamond at the
time of the delivery at his home, 1t did
not necessarily constitute contract to
quently jewelers. deliver gems Of value at
the homes of prospective purchasers
merely on approval, and that receipts for
the gems are given by the persons with
whom they are left.
Sold in 1909 for $50. 900.
A prominent New York jeweler made
the following statement today in regard
to the Hope diamond:
There have been printed stories ad
nauseam about the prices at which the
Hope diamond has been held, but most
of this talk has been instigated by mer-
chants who have tried to boom the price
OF the stone for some prospective pur-
chaser.
..At the Hotel Drouot in Paris in 1900
the Hope diamond sold for $4,000.
myself attended the sale. and, although I
bid over that figure. At that time the
Hone diamond was set in q circle OF
smaller diamonds, which perhaps added
about $1,000 to its value. 1 have heard
that the single, unmounted diamond could
have been had before the sale Tor
$4,000.
THE Jewel was purchased at the Hotel
Drouot auction by NJ. Rosenau, diamond
broker Although there have been various
reports that Rosenau sold It to an Amer
ican collector, there has never been any
proof of such a transaction. The name
of the mysterious purchaser was never
made public.
''.If Mr. and Mrs. Mclean agreed to pay
S1SO,OOO for the diamond the price repre-
sents more than 100 per cent profit on
the price paid by Rosenau.'
Imported in November.
When imported to this country last No
vember the Hope diamond was unmount-
ed, and accordingly 10 per cent duty
was paid on it. Had 1t beep In the setting
in which 1t was sold at the Hotel Drouot
auction the duty would have been much
greater. Inquiry at the customs house
and the appraisers stores in New York
elected the reply that it was contrary to
practice to reveal the ar-
praisement of goods upon which duty
was paid in the regular way.
Those jewelers. who would discuss the
governments appraisement OF the stone
said that it was probably less than $780,
600, for the reason that, even with a set
ting of diamonds, 1t brought only $oO,OO
at auction sale. The majority estimated
its value as imported between $1,000 and
$4,000.
Scouts Stories About Ill Luck.
T. Edgar Wilson. editor Of the Jewel
ers' Circular Weekly Of New York. is
skeptical as to the stories OF Ill luck that
have attended the Hope diamond. lie
made the following statement today:
Although the writer has been con-
nected with the jewelry trade press for
nearly twenty years and has been es-
pecially interested in tho history OF the
great diamonds Of the world. he never
heard of any stories onneeted with the
Hope diamond until a sensational article
appeared a short time after II was
brought to this country in 1901. AS far
as he can learn the authentic history OF
this gem goes back only to 1880. when 1t
appeared in the hands OF a Mr.. Daniel
Eliason, and was subsequently bought by
Henry Thomas Hope. the banker, through
whom it came into the possession OF tho
family of the Duke Of Newcastle. It was
held by the heirs of Mr. Hope and was
in the possession Of the present Duke OF
Newcastle from about 1854 to 1901, when
it was sold in London at auction.
1T was later brought to this country
by Joseph Frankefs Sons, and then went
back to London. 1t was finally sold to
one Rabib in Paris, and though 1t was
that he bought 1t for the Sultan
of Turkey. the stone was again put on
was sold at auction about two years ago
This stone Is believed to have been cut
from the blue diamond Of 67h carats
that formed part of the stolen French
regalia, and Edward w. Streetor, the
London gem authority, contended that It
was part Of that stone, though this fact
has never been proved absolutely.
Fictitious Incident Of Misfortune.
mo mention Of any i'll luck having be-
fallen Eliason, Hope or any Of their de-
scendants was ever made. The Frankels
surely were very prosperous while the
stone was in their possession. as were
the dealers who held 1t In Europe. Ha-
bib's misfortune referred to In the news
paper accounts occurred long after he
had sold the stone.
.'These stories first appeared In con-
uection with the story that the stone
had been owned by Lord Francis Hope
and worn by May Yohe. AS Francis HOPE
never had the stone and May Yohe prob
ably never saw 1t (at least she snever had
IT'D the newspaper accounts At the time
mentioned We're laughed at, but since
then 1t has been the custom not only to
revive these stories every time mention
of the stone appears in the public press.
but to add to them fictitious incidents
Of misfortune as to alleged possessors Of
the stone at various times"