Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-14
BY ELEANORE BROWNE

and gray envelopes which sheath
the dossters of international adven-
curers. There is. for example. a
packet of official documents in the
huge steel cases in the police presi-
1ency" of Vienna: another in Paris.
and others in Berlin and even Mocow,
marked quite simply, the bluebird
pearl"
1t would seem as If "bluebird''
pearl should bring its gentle owner
happiness. The very fantasy of it
suggests beautiful women and gallant
men, ardor of the lips ana heart. in
t7gues under the rose. perhaps. and
JathomlesS pride of possession. To the
international police. however. the
"bluebird pearl stands for tragedy.
mystery. and q thief hunt that spread
Across Europe. Il is these things
hat are written most plainly in the
records in the strong box at Nienna;
: he romance. though. is vivid between
the lines Of the formal documents.
The last entry in these records OF
he "hluebird" WAS made but a little
while ago. The first was written more
Than % wears ago. in NuScoW-then
The second city OF in" Cars.
Before that. Of course. there was
he history Of The ''I'uehird" that lead
back across centuries Ghcngis Khan
removed it from the finger of one of
his taNorite houriS and presented it
some say with his compliments. others
declare he threw in kiss 10 a beauti
fui Princess OF the Orlow family of old
Russia. In Russian legends one may
follow the course of the ''bluebird"
down 10 Napoleon, then TO Germany.
then back to old St. Petersburg. II
Is Interesting to observe the similarity
between the description of 1t in the
Vienna police records OF today and the
poetic tradition of it as found in an
old Slavic manuscript written during
xhe time of the first Car Nicholas.
And then. with this description in
mind, to follow its course from one
beautiful woman TO another-and
through the life Of the most startling
criminal the world has ever dealt
with
The old manuscript, now in the
Moscow archives, bears the signature
of Prince Sartai who describes him
self, quite simply. as Khan of Tar
tary and Potent Lord of the Middle
Horde" One thinks of this ancient
recorder as a bloodthirsty Tartar, yet
of the hluehird pearl which was then
called The Moon of Caucasia," he set
down:
This precious hauble was formed
from the song of a maiden who lifted
her silver voice To the moon in an in
vocation of love. The heavenly spirits
that direct the witcherieS Of the opal
esCent orb that dominates the night
ordained that the maidenS prayer be
answered and that a token of her viz
lures be sent down TO her. Where
upon the moon gods made her wishes
Into a great round pellet and vanished
it with the rays of night. This token
~ the night orb's favor for the gentle
maiden was carried down TO her on
moonbeam, whereupon she was re-
Ceived with appropriations by the
mighty ancestor of GhengiS Khan and
taken by him into the household of
his best women
The 20-year-ago president of Wen
mas police put into his records a
description of the "Bluebird' which
reads:
This pearl is OF perfect symme-
try, fiawless. and of little more than
10 millimeters, tabout half an inch)
in diameter. 1t is of rich. rides
cent shean, of velvet softneSS. its
hues varying with eXtraneous light.
Under lamp or gas light it is pale.
In the daytime its colors reflect the
warmth of the sun. In this respect
it is unique and thus may he i'm
mediately identified. 1t is the prop
erty of the Baroness Lii SchukoW-
sky, of Austrasse Gate and is to be
returned, if recovered. to her"
y =
HELVING into the bottom of this
- dossier of the "Bluebird'' in the
Vienna archives, one comes upon this
opening paragraph on one OF the
latest sheets in the folder:
1T is reported by Mai. Lyfertz, di-
rector of Investigations, that the pearl
generally Known as the Bluebird, was
stolen on the night of Fifth March
from the Countess Marie MindsZenty,
now attached to the State Opera, while
she was entertaining a party of guests
in the foyer of her private suite of
opera apartments. The Countess re-
ports certainty of the time and man
ner of the theft because of her recol-
lection that she examined the pearl,
which is fastened to q platinum neck
chain, before she placed it round her
neck and is, therefore, certain of
having hung it there. Immediately
thereafter she entered her foyer and
spoke with her guests. She did not
leave the room before she missed the
pendant. A search of the apartment
was made at once. with no result.
Certain facts noted below indicate to
Maj. Lyfertz that Paul Sewers has
once more stolen this pearl
And in that last observation of Maj.
Lyfertz, one of the youngest of inter
nationally famous detectives, is the
20-year story of the Bluebird Pearl
and of Paul SEWERS. who began to
steal the Bluebird 20 years ago and
stole it regularly, from the most
beautiful threats and slenderest
fingers In Europe, one after the other.
For Paul SEWERS was no ordinary
sem thief. There is scant record of
his ever having committed any crime
other than his thefts of the Bluebird.
This has been the 20-year mystery of
~ hn "a has ha filed tho
police of half score of European
CAPITALS. A romanticiSt would conjure
him as some blood descendant of that
ancient maiden whose wish was made
INTO a jewel by the moon and who was
received with appropriations in the
arms of her sentimental Khan. Any
sort of imagination could describe the
coursing in his veins of his maiden
ancestors fascination for the Blue
bird, u fascination come down to him
through centuries. For since the first
time his eyes rested on the Bluebird,
on the hand OF the Baroness Schuk-
owsky, he has stolen ii from every
owner, collected a ransom for it when
lie ran out OF funds, esca ped the police
and went into hiding-until he wants
it again.
AS he left q complete record OF him.
self, with positive identification, each
lime he filChed his favorite pearl, this
strange adventurer spent his time in
The interim between his amazing
Jhefts in changing his personality.
It was workman on her estate who
: disappeared with the pearl when it
belonged to the Baroness Schukowsky.
After years employment this work
man. whose forged credentials indi-
Gated that he had been a gardener on
IN imperial estate outside Vienna,
was gradually promoted in the