The Washington times., 1918-07-08
MAY YOHE, OF HOPE
DIAMOND. FAME, TO
MEWARNURSE

the actress, and her husband, Captain
Smutts, OF the British army, are here
en- route from South Africa to France.
Captain Smutts expects active serv-
ice at the front, and his bride will
serve with the British Red Cross.
Captain and Mrs. Smutts. who
were married in London four years
ago, have been in South Africa for the
past three years, where Captain
Smutts, fighting with Gen. Louis
Botha, helped capture the German
possessions early in the war. He was
wounded during the campaign, and
has been convaIescing ever since,
May Yohe and her husband arrived
on the Pacific coast several weeks
ago. They spent q few quiet days in
San Francisco before coming here en-
route to IAN Atlantic Port" Mrs.
SHUTS was formerly Lady Hope, wife
of Lord Hope, prominent member of
the British peerage. She has long
been favorite on the stage Of three
continents
Many chaaEeA
May Yohe. whose mother was q
humble dressmalker near Philadelphia,
saw several kaleidoscope changes
from poverty and obscurity TO af-
huence and high position. whence
after q lofty tumble she drank the
dregs OF HES bitterest cup while
ekeing out an existence by playing
in q dime vaudeville show. Disaster
after disaster of one kind or another
logged her footsteps, and she laid all
her troubles to one cause-her one
time possession of the famous Hope
diamond, the gem stolen from Hindu
idol and which was declared to have
left a trail CT death and destruction
for all who wore It
May Yohe was chorus girl IN Lon
don when she met and married Fran
els Hope, son of the Earl of New
castle That was in 1898. Her hus-
band spent a fortune on her, then gave
her another fortune by loading her
with Jewels, among which was the
huge Hope diamond The stone
weighed 112 carats in the rough and
671z carats when cut. Every carat
was said to have cost a life or q life's
happiness. Queen Marie AntoInstte,
who was guillotined. was one Of its
owners.
Met Mater strong.
It was while wearing the Hope
diamond that Lady Hope met Major
Putnam Bradlee Strong, son Of the
late Mayor Strong, of New York The
officer was infatuated with her and
they eloped. They were discovered
at the Palace Hotel In San Fran |
cisco, probably through the display |
of the diamond Lord Hope divorced |
her and she and Strong went to |
Japan, returning after about q year
with an interesting assortment OF |
almond-eyed, serving maids, Jap dogs |
and Oriental curios.
Later she sued Strong, claiming he |
had disposed of some OF her jewels
His family compromised the matter,
It was said, and they were recon-
ciled- But they were not happy to-
gether. May Yohe, bewailing her de-
sertion Of Lord Hope, said: 81 wish I
had never left him He never raised
his hand against me gave mp Hope
to pick up q lemon"
In 1910 she married r. NJ Reynolds,
musician. The following year she |
was In such dire straits financially
that she lived in q tiny Manhattan
flat, doing all her own work at house
keeping and appeared in 10-cent
vaudeville. Her fall in caste brought
her into the limelight OF print with
such headlines as From Palace to 10
cent vaudeville house" II
But she showed much resiliency, ap-
pearing in the autumn of the same
to have wept over her sing
ing.
HIEtOFy Of Dfnmoad-
The sensational history of the
Hope diamond began about the mid
die OF the seventh century, when An
dreas Taverdnier. a French traveller
stole # from one Of the sacred tenn
Piles in India and took It to France,
where 1t was sold to Louis XIV.
The King had the beautiful gem
cut and polished, and gave IT to his
favorite, the beautiful Madame de
Montespan. The superstition con-
nected with the Jewel commenced at
that time Tavernier went on a II
Journey to Spain and met death He
was torn TO pieces by wild dogs
while on q hunting trip. Madame de
before acquiring the dia-
nond, was the power behind the
French throne. Afterward she lost
her influence and she was abandon
ID by the King.
The next victim OF this stone was
Ntcol Fouquet, who borrowed IL
rom the King to wear at q court III
Louis became jealous
because OF the admiration Fouquet
Produced with the diamond on his
'reast, and the intendant was be-
headed. Antoinette was presented
With the diamond by Louis XVI.
'hortly afterward France was torn
" revolution, and the Princess de
4amballe. who begged the jewel
rom Marie Antoinette, was muir
cred in the streets of Paris while
wearing It
GuinOtined Later.
Marie Antoinette was guiTlotined
ater. Louis XVI lost his head by
he same blade, and then for a time
be gem disappeared. For nearly
ali a century nothing was heard
( It 1t may have reposed in some
idden corner in the treasury of
rance, or in the hands OF a care
aker appointed by Louis XVI. No
ne knows. At any rate, It bodied
p again after a half century in the
ands of an English jeweler, who
eclRred he had bought IL from
who was dying of tuber-
llosis. The jeweler sold 1t to the
OF Lord Francis Hope.
Shortly after the scandal OF May