Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1913-04-10
Shephndown Jefferson Thursday April TO- 1913
A Diamond From The Sky.

1.-TWO hundred years ago apeasant fam
lily lived in Swiss hamlet, and one even
ing terrific storm broke from the Alps,
and amid the incessant flashes Of lightning
and peals of thunder came binding
glare and a deafening crash, setting fire
to the roof Of the cottage. Next day the
peasant, as he ruefuIly contemplated the
smoking ruins, noticed deep fissure in
the garden leading to the root OF pine
tree. Without knowing exactly why he
fetched pickax and began digging until
from the depths of the hole mysterious
blue light shone fitfully," is the beginning
OF a strange story from Lyons that. says
the Paris correspondent of the London
Standard, reads ''iust like fairy tale"
Hurriedly making the sign of the cross
the man fled, but the following morning
returned and saw the same curious CLEAN,
like star, from the depths OF the furrow
cleft by a thunderbolt. Thrusting his
hand down he brought out marvellous
stone still darting uncanuy rays OF light.
Much disturbed in his mind, the honest
peasant took his find to the parish priest,
who said "The stone came to you from
heaven and it is the finger of God that
placed it in your field. AS long as you
keep it you and yours will be safe from
storms and evil chances" Faithfully re-
spectiug the priests word, the stone has
been ever since religiouslY preserved by
succeeding generations of the family.
"But il has never brought much luck,
the last survivors being now without a
penny. The present possessor, woman
45 years old, is married and the mother OF
II children, five OF whom are still living
while thirteenth is expected shortly. A
few years ago she and her husband left
their native village and went to Bene,
where they started small business which
failed" continues the story. "They then
came to Lyons, where they have since
lived a -to-mouth existence. Re-
duced to the last extremity of want, they
decided to part with the famous thunder
bolt stone and took it to well-known
Lyons ieweler.
"Petrified with astonishE emf at seeing
such a splendid diamond in the posses
sion OF almost beggar woman, the Jew
eler informed the police, and not till the
family had sent TO Switzerland for docu
ments certifying that the diamond had re-
ally belonged to them for the last 200
years was the woman allowed to regain
possession of the precious pebble.
"Since then she has been besieged from
morning till night with absurd offers of
the hundredth part of the value OF the di-
amond, which has been examined and
photographed by experts. What will
probably be known as the 'thunderbolt
diamond-if there is any truth in the
story and if it proves genuine stone-is
said to show all the unmistakable signs OF
a rough diamond. II is one ofthe biggest
known, weighing 200 carats, whereas the
Grand Mogul diamond only weighed 2SO
caratS.
at will doubtless soon arrive in Paris
and be submitted to the final judgment OF
experts who cannot err. Almost every
famous diamond has its own pedigree
and story, but none has ever remained
hidden so long in the keeping poverty
stricken owners whose secretiveneSs is
at least as strange as the reputed manner
Of the discovery"