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TIEN Vinson Walsh McLean, ten
years old, the "$200,000,000 baby,"
was killed by a casual automobile
In front of Friendship, the McLean
Washington home, the supersti
tious people of the country shook
their heads with an "I-told-you-so"
nlr and Invariably they were heard
to exclaim: "The 'evll-eyV Dope
diamond Is active again 1"
Presumably almost everybody has heard of the
Hopo diamond and of the long history of mystery,
misfortune, shattered hopes, blasted fortunes and
.violent deaths which is declared to center about
the famous gem. Sulllco It to say that the Hopo
diamond Is n sapphlre-bluo stone of A karats;
that It made its appearance in Franco In 1008;
that It is believed by the superstitious to have the
-evil eye;" that Its published history, which is
probably largely Imaginary, would seem to bear
out its evil Influence on the fortunes of Its many
owners, and that the parents of the dead boy nrc
the present owners of the gem, so far as the
world knows.
The "$200,000,000 baby" was the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Edward Deal McLean. He was expected to
Inherit a vast fortune from his grandfathers,
John R. McLean, the owner of several newspa
pers, and Thomas F. Walsh, a mllllonairo mino
operator of Colorado. He slept in a gold cradle
ttm g! ,f Klng LeoPold of Belgium, a partner
with Walsh in the famous Camp Bird gold mine
In the San Juan district of Colorado. He had
live nurses In live of the finest mansions In Amer
ica. He had a private car, which carried him to
Palm Beach, to California, or wherever ho was to
o. He had a half dozen automobiles of his own.
From the moment of his birth Vinson was fa
Jious as the most carefully guarded baby on earth.
A small army of guards, detectives and attendants'
and a corps of doctors, and nurses watched over
him 24 hours In the day. When ho was nn Infant
lie took his nirlngs In a baby buggy which was a
veritable steel cage locked by special padlocks.
This was one of the precautions against kidnapers.
Then came a moment when the vigilance of his
attendants was relaxed. Slipping away, tho boy
started across the street. A "flivver" bearing a
West Virginia license and containing three women
came along and ran him ddwn in front of his
home!
It was in 1CGS that Jean Baptlste Tavernler, a
French traveler, appeared in Paris with a diamond
of marvelous size aud coloring. Some said it had
been stolen from its place among the ornnments
of n Hindu idol. More Insisted it had been taken
from the palace of the Grand Moguls of Delhi.
"Wherever It camo from, tho story places It Im
mediately afterward In the possession of Louis
XIV, who placed it among tho crown Jewels of
Franco and permitted It to be worn by Mme. de
Montespnn.
Thus tho diamond is launched upon a career of
111 fortune and disaster and tragedy.
It wns not long, so runs the story, nfter Traver
ser sold It to Louis XIV for 2,500,000 francs and
a barony, that Travernler was torn to pieces by
wild dogs while ho was on a hunting expedition.
Mmo. do Montespnn's fall Is part of history.
She was supplanted soon by Mme. de Malntenon.
At this time the diamond weighed 07 karats.
Tho story says that in tho rough It was of 112
karats, and that the king sent it to an Amsterdam
jeweler to be cut and polished.
Along with other court Jewels tho diamond de
scended upon the death of Louis XIV to Louis XV.
Tradition permits several of his favorites to have
worn it, and so tho lives of all of these are sup
posed to have ended in tragedy, failuro or worse,
iouls XVI camo Into possession of tho stono In
course of time, and through him it went to Mario
Antoinette, who wore It, extending tho samo privi
lege to her friend, Princess do Lambnlle. Qenuino
history records that Mario Antoinette died on tho
guillotine, and that tho princess was torn to pieces
by a French mob nnd her head carried about upon
a pike.
The stono was lost sight of about 1702. Then,
after a span of 88 years tho stone reappeared in
1830. In tho meantime tho story writers again
reduced its size to 41 karats. Wherever tho gem
was In those years of mystery, stories aro numer
ous today that It still was performing Its mission
of blighting lives and fortunes.
One of theso ncco its attributes to Daniel
JEUason, a Jeweler of London, who got tho stono in
1830, a story that after It was supposedly stolen
Irom tho royal treasures of France by n Paris
mob tho gem was sold to an Amsterdam Jeweler,
William Fals, who recut the etono to Its present
dimensions. The story goes that Hendrlk, a son
of William Fals, stole tho Jowel from his parent,
who died a ruined man. Then this record dis
poses of Hendrlk by suicide, after which tho
stone got into possession of one Francis Beau
lieu, to whom tho story ascribes a death by star
vation. It was tliis man who sold tho stono to
Eliason.
From Eliason It passed Into tho ownership of
Henry T. Hope, a banker of London, and ac
quired tho name under which It now is known.
Tho price Is stated to be $05,000. It is not clear
that Hope suffered greatly through his possession
of tlif illniiiond; nevertheless stories are to bo
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found that ho suffered financial reverses and other
personal misfortunes.
Hope Is credited with having given tho dlnmond
to his daughter at tho time sho married tho sixth
duko of Newcastle In 1801. But apparently It was
the fiction mongers nnd not sho who bequeathed
tho gem to her son, Lord Francis Hope, that it
might get sensatlonnlly Into tho tifo of May Yolio,
the American actress.
This part of tho story is mere fiction. It Is truo
that May Yoho married Lord Francis Hope. It
is true that sho eloped with Capt. Putnam Brad
lee Strong, son of a former mayor of Now York.
Lord Francis obtained a divorce, nnd tho wlfo
married Captain Strong, only to be divorced a
second time.
But May Yoho, although she has been quoted as
saying that sho wore tho Hope diamond only
twice and that her troubles were duo to its malign
influence, probably never even saw tho stone. Cer
tainly Lord Francis never had possession of it.
So, when the story goes on to say that he sold
It for $108,000 to Joseph Frankel, u Now York
Jeweler, tho stntement is untrue.
It Is truo that Frankel had tho gem In New
York. Where nnd from whom Frankel acquired
tho stono never has been made clear, but tho
stono went back to Paris and into tho possession
of Jacques Colet, who bought It from Frnnkel.
Colot has been reported as having killed himself
after losing his mind.
Beforo that tragedy, however, tho diamond is
reputed to hnvo passed Into tho ownership of
Prince Ivan KanltowskI, and tho legend promptly
disposes of tho prince at tho hands of u mob of
Russian revolutionists. Thenco tho story skips to
tho murder of Mile. Ladue, to whom tho Russian
prince had loaned tho diamond. A Jculous ad
mirer Is charged with this murder.
Next In the legend of tho Jowel Is listed Simon
Monchnrldes, of whose identity there appears- to
bo uncertainty. But the logend Bends him riding
closo enough to a precipice to bo thrown over and
killed. Just beforo his death Monchnrldes Is cred
ited with having sold the diamond to Sellm Hablb
a Persian, who acted as agent for tho Sultan
Abdul Hamld.
One version of tho next chapter Is that Hablb
was drowned In a wreck and the dlnmond lost.
Tho publication of this wns later explained as a
ruso to throw tliloves off tho trail. This version
takes tho stono to Constantinople, where It cuts a
wido swath in violence, mlsfortuno and death and
finally brings about tho end of Abdul nnmld.
Be nil that as It may, It appears that Instead of
having drowned with tho gem In tho shipwreck
Hablb got back to Paris with it. It was sold at
auction for $80,000 Juno 21, 1000.
Tho gem then pnssed Into poasesslon of P, o
Cartler, nnd tho Cartier firm brought it to this
country. In January, 1011, announcement was
made Umt tho stono had been sold to tho McLean
family and that tho purchaso pfico was $180,000
Irs. McLean woro tho stono at least onco In pub
lic, according to tho nowspapers.
An authoritntlvo nrtlclo by T. Edgar Wllison In
tho Jewelers' Circular Weekly about tho tlmo of
tho McLean purchaho btates tlm the "evil eyo"
reputation of tho Hopo diamond date from tho
publication of u sensational artlclo In 1001, when
MYj!0y9JL'AY
Frankel brought tho stono to
New York. Wllison says the
authentic story of the stone
begins with 1830, when Ella
son sold It to Hope. Ho
traces It through tho nopo
heirs to Its Palo at miction to
Frankel In London In 1001.
Hablb bought It In Purls and
it wns sold at auction In
Paris when tho Hablb col
lection was disposed of In
1900. It Is believed, though
It hns never been proved, that
tho present stono wns cut
from the C7-knrat blue flu
mond that formed a pnrt of
the stolen French regalia.
No mention of 111 luck hnvlng
befallen Ellnson, Hopo or tho
Ncwcastles was ever made. Frankel was prosper
ous whllo ho hnd the stone and Hablb's misfor
tunes camo after he sold tho stone. Sir Frnncls
Hopo never hnd tho stone nnd May Yoho never
saw It. All of which states T. Edgar Wllison, as
aforesaid.
Nevertheless and notwithstanding, tho reputa
tion of the Hopo diamond Is probnbly blnsted for
all time. If It hasn't tho "evil eyo" thc-ro are
millions of superstitious people who bellevo It has
and will give credence to everything evil they may
rend about It.
They mny, In tho courso of tlmo, even nttrlbuto
to its malign Influence tho nutomobllo nccldcnt
which ltiiulo Vinson McLean nt his birth tho solo
heir to tho great Walsh fortune. In 1003, when
automobiles were rare, Vinson Wnlsh, brother of
Mrs. McLean, was killed In a smashup at Newport.
Mrs. McLean, who was then Miss Evelyn Walsh,
was also In the car and received Injuries which
mndo her an lnvnlld for a year.
Two other children hnvo been born to Mr. and
Mrs. McLean, both boys, one of whom Is four und
tho other a yenr old.
At the tlmo of tho probating of his grandfa
ther Walsh's will It was found thnt thore was
only $0,210,000 to bo divided between tho two heirs,
of tho McLean union, Vinson and John R., Jr.
Young McLenn wns a democratic youth. For
several years his boon companion wns a small
negro boy. His tutors snld he was an exception
ally bright student, and ho was popular with his
mates.
Ho wns fond of animals. Fifty-six Shropshire
sheep wcro sent all tho way from Colorado to Bar
Harbor by express for him. They camo from tho
big Walsh ranch, Wolhurst, near Denver. He
himself directed the purchnso of a great Hock of
white Brahma chickens, ducks and turkeys, a Rus
sian wolf hound, six blooded terriers, t",o Great
Danes and a half score of other dogs and a great
number of ponies.
Are tho McLeans superstitious about the beau
tiful gem? Nobody seems to know definitely. But
one of the stories about the stono since It, has been
lu their possession heeiiiH to Indlcatu thnt Its evil
reputation had Its effect upon them.
Anyway, as the story goes, there was some hitch
about tfio payment of tho purchaso price of tho
stone. It evidently was not becauso of lack of
money. Thero was a law suit. In tho courso of
tho controversy stories were printed to show that
Mr. McLean harbored a feeling of timidity be
cnuso of tho evil history attributed to tho stone,
nudfthnt ho stipulated that tho Jewel should bo
taken back by tho Cartler firm In tho event that
any tragedy occurred In tho McLean family within
six months. t Whether that story la truo Is not
clear, but eventually formal announcement was
made by attorneys connected, with tho suit over
tho purchaso price that a compromise had been
effected.
The superstitious who bcllovo In tho "ovll eye,"
which is world-wldo belief that neither Christian
ity nor civilization has been able to kill, will
pin their lalth On tho evil spell of tho Hopo dia
mond to this fact;
Vinson Mi'I.i'iin was probably the most carefully
guarded child In the world, yet u casual autotnobllt
iii in iiloui: und killed hlui.
ALL OVER THE STATE
- ,
Nebraska News Gathered from' All
Sections and Dolled Down to the
Facts for Busy Readers.
Edison 1b In tho midst of a building
boom.
Plymouth is soon to hnvo an arti
ficial Ico plant.
A group of Alma business men havo
organizod a $100,000 flour milling com
pany. Bids for a slt-mito stretch of pav
ing between Amoa and Fromont will
bo re-advertised.
Tho police department at Lincoln
Is bolng strengthonod In anticipation
of a "crime wavo" this fall.
A movoment hns boon started to
movo tho county seat ot Nuckolls
county from Nelson to Suporior.
Ono Alma roal estnto doalor In tun
days sold eight farms for which tho
nggregato prlco paid was 84,950.
The now Nebraska federation will
move its hondmiartcrs from Omaha to
tho Midwest building at Lincoln soon.
Plans for a boot sugar factory at
Culbortson hav taken doflnlto form
and the succoss of tho vonturo la as
eured. Frank L. Rain was, elected grand ex
alted ruler ot tho Elks at tin national
mooting in Now York. Ills homo is at
Fnlrbury.
Tho Farmers' Tolophono company of
Dodgo county was given authority to
increase rates by tho atata railway
commission.
G. A. Hunt, oarly settler and a mem
ber ot tho leglslaturo from Saline
county, died at his homo in Croto at
the age ot 73.
A. B. Moles, of Falrbury, was in
stantly klllotl whon his nutomobllo
was struck by a Rock Island engine
near Glndstono.
A potltlon is beforo tho stnto rail
way commission for tho building of u
light and power transmission lino from
Aurora to Glltnor.
The twelfth annual convention of
the Nebraska state federation of labor
will moot at Omnhn, August G for a
session of threo days.
Alson Colo of St. Paul, undor eon
tenco of death for murder, has boon
given another ropriovo by tho got
ornor until Soptombor 19.
Tho county assessor's roport filed
with tho board ot equalization, shows
a reduction o 2,022,7G0 in tho tax
ablo wealth ot York county.
Spontaneous combustion caused by
tho Intense heat of tho sun destroyed
tho tanks and contonts of tho Stand
ard Oil company nt Tronton.
A spoclal election has been called
for Hickman to voto bonds to provldo
an olectrlo light nnd power trans
mission line from Collcgo Vlow.
"Jimmy" Lnngloy, who will bo re
membered by tho oldor rcsidonts of
North Platte, died at his homo in
Portland, Juno 30, ot stomach troublo,
Tho law licensing tho sala of cigar
ots and clgarot matorlal and placing
cigars and tobacco under tho samo
provisions, bocomos offcctlvo July 18.
United States District Attorney
Allen hns rocelved his instructions
from tho department ot Justice to put
tho homo brow and broworios out of
business.
Tho cltlzons of Falls City havo or
ganized a Homo Building company
and about 50,000 has been subscribed
to the undertaking which la to pio
mote tho building ot homos and routal
proporties.
Frank Ohnmacht, Jr., employed at
the Wostorn Brick & Supply company
plant, Nebraska City, was severely in
jured whon a charge ot dyna
mlto which ho was placing to blast a
high bluff oxploded.
The Hamilton county assessor's re
port shows a decroaso of 1,487,970 in
the taxablo wealth of tho county.
Real estato Bhows a gain of over
1,000,000, but personal proporty has
fallen off 2,610,490 since last year.
John H. Hanna, a pioneer of Ne
braska who came to this atate In 1867,
died In Los Angelos. Mr. Hanna first
settled in Richardson county and later
went to Johnson county, where ho re
mained until he moved to California.
Application has been made to the
state railway commission for leavo to
lssuo 2,600,000 of stock in Cinch Lock
Nut company, Application is made
through Ed Bignell, tho Inventor, und
incorporation will bo undor tho laws
of Maine
Tho Bontrlce board of education has
let the contract for tho now Belvldore
Bchool building at a contract prico of
21,487. Hereafter a tralnod nurse
will bo employed by the schools, tho
oxpanse to bo mot by tho local Red
Cross chapter.
Temporary organization of Otoe
Post No. 1 has boon made nt Nebraska
City and application for a chartor has
boen mndo to tho American Loglon of
tho atato of Nebraska. Permanent or
ganization will bo completed as soon
as tho charter is granted.
Tecumseh world war veterans have
organized an American Legion post
with a charter momborshlp ot thirty
Blx. Tho mystery surrounding tho death
of Theodore Marsh, a young man who
formerly lived at Fromont, which oc
curred at Sterling, Colo,, last January
und which was pronounced by a
coroner's Jury as Biilcldo, lias boon
cleared up by the confession of C. B,
Roach, who says ho shot Marsh after
forcing him to write a note to his
relatives. Roach, who is Insane, has
been takon to the sanitarium at
Tho railway commission will uliortiy
issuo nn order permitting tho Neorav
kn tolophono companies now charging
tho Burleson Installation rates to con
tinue theso charges until tho first ot
Octobnr.
Prof. Clnudo K. Shedd, formerly jf
tho Iown stnto collcgo ot agriculture
and mechanic nrts, will havo charge
ot testing tractors undor tho new
Nobrnskn law requiring all typos ot
tractors to stand nn ofllclnl taat of
tho University of NobrnBka.
Tho cltlzons of Mullen have filed a
potltlon with tho stnto railway com
mission asking that Burlington trains
Nos. 41 nnd 42 bo required to mnko
rogulnr stops at that placo. Tho potl
tlon Bays that tho rocolpts for the past
six months from passongor traffic has
been 10,000.
A doclslon ngnlnst the cities Booking
to hnvo the rates equalized has boen
mado in tho Hnstlngs-Grnnd Island
oqultnblo rnto enso which was heard
by Traffic Manngor Chambors of the
fodernl railroad administration June
11. Tho dnta and nrgumonts worosub
mlttod by W. H. Young and E. J.
McVnnn.
Directors of tho Ashland Farmoro
Union Co-oporntivo association are
planning to build an elevator soon.
Tho slto selected is that sovoral years
ago occupied by tho P. S. Docker
elevator, nonr tho stock yardc No
attempt will bo mndo at this tlmo by
tho Farmers' union to put in con
oral Btore.
Osteopathic healers woro much pro
voked ovor tho omission ot tho word
"nntlsoptlcB" in a printed copy of tho
now law passed by the leglslaturo roe
ulatlng tho practlco of osteopathy.
The omission proved to be a clerical
orror in copy turnishod by the stato
sennto, according to Secretary ot
Stato Amsberry.
Joe Collott, a member ot the famoui
Sixth regiment, U. S. marlneB, has re
turned to his homo In Hampton. Ho
went into notion at Chateau Thierry
aud was uhot through the left arm by
a machine gun noar Solsbons,-, Re
turning to tho front ho reached the
Champagno region boforo another ma
ohluo gun bullet again put him out.
Stato Agents Sam Mollck, of tho
stnto law enforcement bureau, claims
to have dlscovorod a still In full oper
ation and to have found n quantity ot
"moonshine" whisky In Custer county.
Mr. Mollck also found out how to con
fuso vicious dogs. When two savage
stng hounds rushed at the officers they
woro immediately put to flight by a
flash light in tho hands of tho officer.
A long battlo within tho ranks of
tho Nebraska Independent Tolophono
association against inviting tho Boll
men to membership was ended at the
hist mooting of tho association when
tho word "Independent" waa struck
from tho name of tho organization und
tho secretary ordcrod to mako tho by
laws conform to tho now deslgnatloa
ns tho Nebraska Tolophono associa
tion. According to a bill passed by the
last logislnturo, chlropodlstB or pedl
artists will bo pormlttod horoafter to
practlco only nftor ltconao has been
logally granted. In order to obtain
such llcenso, all chiropodists will be
obliged to mako application to the
hoard ot chiropody oxaminors. Those
who havo practiced In the state
less than ono year will be roquirod to
take an examination.
R. B. Howell of Omaha has boon
selected chairman ot a permanont
cpmmlttoo to roprestut Nebraska In
tho national campaign to obtain fundi
and select; a memorial for the late ex
Prosldont Theodore Roosevelt. Othor
offlcors of th pormnnent organization
aro Don L. Lovo, vice-chairman; Joha
W. Toole, Omaha, oeorotary; P. L.
Hall, Lincoln, treasurer; S. C. Bassett,
Gibbon; Charlos McLood, StantonT
Adam Breede, Hastings; R. L. Met
calfo, Omaha; Charlos H. Sloan, Gon
eva, and A. C. Shallenberger, Alma.
Tho state railway commission ha
declined to approvo a schedule of oil
rates proposed by the fedoral railway
administration. Tho proposed rates
would mako a third Increase in oil
ratos In Nebraska torrltory. Altho
the federal railway administration baa
boon given authority to establish
ratos, It forwarded Its proposed oil
rates to tho state commission for ap
proval. The commission In giving its
reason to the director general, say
it does so because it has not been
shown that tho railroads in Nebraska
need an increase on intrastate traffic.
Forty-two counties havo returned
abstracts ot assessment totaling 225,
172,272. Last year the samo counties
reported a total of 219,572,347. The
indications are that the total assessed
valuation of tho stato will be slightly
hichor than last year. If there la a
falling oft In tho total it will bo small.
The stato lovy will bo around 13 mills
as compared with 8 mills last year.
July 10 was tho last day under tka
law for the counties to roturn ab
stracts ot aBsossmont, but as usual
many counties havo not completed
thuir ruturns. Tho state board must
meet July 21, according to law. It
will remain In continuous session at'
least five days to complete tho work
ot equalizing aauossed valuations be
tweon counties and classes ot prop
erty. Stromsburg has let a contract for
paving tho city square and ono tor
the streets running from the square
tor the distance of one block eaca
way.
Reports received at Fromont head
quarters indicate that the oampalga
for Midland college funds Is going for
ward satisfactorily. Weat Point over
subscribed Its quota of 25,000 and at
Foutanello 15,000 has been pledged
and the effort is still progressing.
President Yearian of the synod and
the publicity agent, are making tkelr
headquarters In Fremont during tka
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