The sun., 1919-05-25
Kings, Sultans and Famous Beauties
Figure in Stories of Blasted Fortunes
and Violent Deaths Attributed
to Gems Sinister Influence

, went nowhere without many eyes
peering ahead and behind and TO
either side to make certain that
threatening kidnappers and the thou
sand and one other lurking evils that
were feared were thwarted.
Even in his gold crib-gift OF the
late King Leopold of Belgium-Baby
Vinson at night in the Mclean man
sion slumbered beneath ceaseless
vigil. Yet always those believers in
the black art persisted in their declara-
tions that they would not be denied
and that eventually their predictions
would be verified by some terrible
manifestation of the black influence
of the gem of tragedy And then, on a
bright, sunshiny Sunday, while pro-
| tecting watchers were everywhere at
| hand, this child Of fortune turned back
! across the road, just outside the gates
of the big Mclean estate, from a
! florists wagon whose occupants had
gratified the wealthy lads desire for
| a few seasonal blooms-and the Hope
diamond again was triumphant, for
| its owners house was plunged into
mourning az the wheels of the speed
Ing little automobile crushed the life
out of the boy whose name and pos
session had been made in story to cir
Gle the globe
Not all those who are familiar with
the history ascribed to the fateful
diamond accept the terrible record
attributed to it in its course through
recent centuries. Always there have
been-and some there are still-who
regard the gem as nothing eXtraor-
binary except in its inherent beauty
That none may deny, for it Is listed
among the worlds most beautiful pre-
cious stones. Even its recent history
as put forth from time to time wher
some particularly disastrous misfor-
tune overtakes the owner or his family
has been brought-and justifiably So
into question. for perhaps nothing II
the world to-day has had more lie:
written about it than the Hope
diamond.
Legend Goes Back to IS6s.
Each time the remote history of the
diamond is written some new tale o.
disaster is woven into the web. Jus
whence 1t came, or when, appears a:
uncertain as were untrue the claims
OF some of those who protested to have
suffered evil under its spell. For in
} stance. it would seem beyond DISPUTE
that May Yohe, American singer
never got near enough to the Hop
diamond to have seen its beauty, mucl
less to have WON it, as often she ant
others have proclaimed.
Nevertheless. so careful moulded ha
| been the tissue of these tales chat
: is impossible to ignore them. The,
arc taken for what they may be WORT
, in comparison to the less romanti
) story of the gem as revealed by thos
J professionally interested in the histor
: OF the worlds precious stones. Thu
legend goes back to 1868. which ap
, pears 10 be the first this particuia
gem came to notice, though then
was known as the great blue diamond
the name Hope of course not ye
having attached itself to the gem.
; Then a French traveller, by nam
Tavernier, appeared in Paris with
! diamond of marvellous size and color
, ing. Only vague accounts were give
: regarding how he came in possessio
= of it. Some thought 1t had been stole
y from its place among tho ornament
e of Hindu idol. More insisted 1t ha