The Oregon daily journal., October 24, 1920, Page 58, Image 58

THE ; OREGON SUNDAY JOUBNAI. J PORTLAND, SUNDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 24, 1920.
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How tke Legend of tke "Unlucky"
Blue Stone Stolen from tke Hindu Idol
Fourteen Hunc red Years Ago
Has Its Counterpart m tke Histories!
of Many Otker Famous Jewels
of "Evil Omen
rITH the sixteen thousand dollars I
received from the sale ot my
precious collections ot ivories and
parlor furniture, which I had to sell so
suddenly, as I explained last week, when
Captain Strong so nonchalantly tofd me
Without a moment's warning that we were
broke again, we sailed from Buenos Ayres
for Europe.- Once more I was In search of
work work with which to support us both.
Captain Strong during all the time I knew
him never -did any work other than that
which was necessary to keep me thorough
ly uncomfortable in his presence.
When we arrived at Cherbourg I told
Captain .Strong I was going to London,
where I was loved by the people, and that
I would try to get a good engagement
there. He proposed that he remain in
Paris with half our money and wait until
, I had rebuilt our fortunes. I was glad to
leave him there. I knew, he would come
to me whenever I got aoney, unless. he
succeeded in getting tramp himself which
was very uniiiceiy. i was not sure, too,
how England would receive m If I were
accompanied by the man, who had stolen
me from one of England's nobles Lord
Francis Hope.
I wondered how London would take to
ine. I wondered if the Johnnies would
come back I wondered If the Prince of
Wales would come to the theatre to
my opening, if I should have one, as he
did in the old days, bringing with him his
cronies and admirers. I knew that if I
appeared for a. first night without the
Prince of Wales in the box my doom would
be sealed. London would know f was not
to be "taken up" again.
I found this same hesitation in the
minds of the managers when I announced
to them that I was back and wanted an
engagement The public in London is a
treacherous uncertainty, different from
the public in America. Over here a woman
who has gained notoriety m the divorce
courts or who has been the heroine of a
scandal may go on the 'stage and attract
Sreat audiences for a while, making money
r her managers, Just ti curiosity. In
England the public ts not so sordidly cu
rious A woman who has the bar sinister
on her reputation is not welcomed, unless
there was something ghoul; her offense
which created more or less of public sym
pathy. And the theatre managers always
had to "be careful In those days not to of
fend in any way the Prince of Wales's set. .
' The Prince, later King Edward, was the
very foundation of the London theatrical
world as well as the social world. 1 at
tended one night the opening of a great
pectaele on which the producers had ex
pended more than fifty thousand dollars
a stupendous sum for a theatrical produc
tion then of which the star was a young
woman who had once been presented to
the Prince. She had been a model tor the
sculptor Rodin, and It had been at a re
ception at the sculptor's studio that the
(Prince had accepted the presentation ot
the model. . She was a charming young
woman, and the Prince had been pleased
with her.
Of course, word went through London
at once, not at all held back by the model
herself, that Prince Edward had chatted
with the model, and had expressed an ad
miration for her. That was the Prince's
way. If he liked a young professional
woman he would show that liking before
his followers in such a way that the would
be helped along immensely in her career
even if he never saw her again or forgot
her the moment she backed out of his
presence.
When the producers of the spectacle
were looking about for their star; one ot
their requirements being that? the star
must appear in a costume suggesting the
- nude in one of their scenes, they were
confronted with great' difficulties. There
were few prominent actresses who could
All the requirements as to figure and car
riage who would risk the criticism of the
public. The producers then hit upon the
Idea of engaging the Rodin model, who
was a young woman of good family and
who had histrionic ability. They remem
bered her presentation to the Prince and
the capital that had been made out of it,
and knew that the Prince would attend
the opening performance of any star, who
had been presented to him. This attend
ance of the Princeand his suite would,
the producers believed, quiet any criticism
of the daring scene and help "put the new
star over," as we would lay ia this
country.
Sure enough, the Prince, accompanied
by Lord Randolph Churchill, James Abbot
Whistler, the artiBt, Baron Rothschild and
others of his boon companions, was in the
box when the curtain rose. It was a beau
tiful spectacle, gorgeously staged, end
caused the audience to gasp as one mag
nificent scene after another unfolded on
the stage.' London never had seen, nor
hid any other dty for that matter, any
thing so expensive and Imposing. J
The sculptor's model was nervous at
first, but under the kindly gate ot the
prince and his suite she gained confidence.
At last came the moment for her daring
scene.- The producers .held their breath
.. while they watched the Prince's box from
behind peep holes In the wings. If only
' the Prince would show that he did not
By May Y,ohe (Lady Francii Hope)
' .CHAPTER XVI.
(Continued from Last Buniay.)
Copyright, 1920, by International Feature Service, Inc.
consider the scene an affront the play
would be successfully launched, they knew.
And they depended upon his good impres
sion ot the model to maintain his interest
When the young woman appeared on a
pedestal, garbed only in the wings of a
butterfly, every lorgnette in the audience,
after its owner had taken one look at the
apparition, turned to the box of the Prince
ot Wales. It the Prince had turned his
head away from the stage the spectacle
would have failed then, and there, and
during the next entre-act every one in the
house who aspired to any social preten
sions would have left the theatre. But the
Prince did the thing the producers had not
even dared to dream of his doing. He
clapped his gloved hands together, thus .
expressing to the whole of the Britisn
Empire his approbation of that scene and
its porfcrayer. Then, of course, the whole
audience applauded, and the producers '
presumably went to the public house Just
behind the theatre to hilariously open a
bottle of champagne.
But, alas! We women of the stage
sometimes simply cannot let well enough
alone. ,
The little model ras so rapturously glad
of her success and of the good omen re
vealed in that gentle clapping of the
Prince's hands that she lost her reason.
In. the next act ihe danced onto the
stage with a self-confidence that was al
most overdone. And the first time her
stage directions permitted her to stand
for a moment near the royal -box she de
liberately turned away from the action ot
. the spectacle and curtseyed to the Prince!
imagine the effect of such effrontery!
Of course she thought It would be a grate
ful thing to do to publicly express her
appreciation of the aoyal approval. But
he was too inexperienced, too unintelli- ,
gent and tactless to realise that the Prince
conld only give her his approval If It were s
to be considered as her due, not as a tavor.
The Prince rose immediately and stepped
out of the box. Lord Churchill, Whistler
and Baron Rothschild and tire others of his
suite solemnly followed. Not a minute
had passed before the aisles were filled
with beautifully gowned women ana men
in evening clothes silently making their
way to the back of the theatre. Even the
gallery gods began to whistle and shout.
When the curtain fell finally there was but
a handful of people in the stalls. The
manager did not dare to attempt even a
second presentation ot the play. They lost
their fifty thousand dollars and many-more
In obligated expenses Just because their
star had presumed to bow to the Prince of
Wales at the wrong moment!
So it can. be well understood that I was
nervous at approaching London. I had
been one of the favorite actresses ot the
Prince. Would he dismiss me from theat
rical London forever by refusing to occupy
the royal box? If be should It would mean
that poor May Yohe would be in a fair
way toward starting over the hill to the
poorhonte, with no other asset than a hus
band who was more of a liability than
otherwise.
Clement Scott, the famous critic, came
to see me at the hotel Just when I was
most discouraged. I told him of the fear
of the managers that I would not be well
received.
"We'll have to see about that, Mayslev"
he said. "Just keep up your courage until
to-morrow. I think, I can fix it up for you."
I had great confidence in Mr. Scott, who
was quite a power theatrically, and who
was liked by everyone in London. I slept
well that night. And the next morning
Just before noon I received a message from
the TTvoll Theatre telling me the manager.
Mr. George R. Sims, would 'like to come
to see me if I would set the time. Just
the day before Mr. Sims bad told me he
would like to present me in a new play.
but that he would he afraid, r wondered
what be would want to see me for, and it
he had changed his mind.
I asked him to come at once. He lost
no time In preliminaries after I had ush
ered him into my little salon at the hotel.
"I will offer you two thousand dollars a
week, Miss Tone, 'If you will go Into re
hearsals at once with a new revue, your
salary to start to-day.
I was floored. I gasped. Two thousand
dollars a week! I had hoped some man
ager would give ma five hundred!
"Of course I am ready this mlnufe," I
cried. "But tell me, what has changed
your mind?"
"Oh, Lady May, yon must not ask me
that," he replied smiling. "You must see
Mr. Scott-'
I did see Mr. Scott, and he told me. -He
had gone at once to Sir Arthur Sullivan,
of -Mikado" fame, and asked Sir Arthur's
assistance. Together the two men went
to see the secretary to the Prince of Wales,
and, begged an Immediate interview with
the Prince. Prince. Edward, approached
through the long, interminable channel
starting with his secretary aad ending up
with his privy chamberlain, granted the in
terview and met the two gentlemen ta the
chamber of his Master of the Robes.
Here, in this Intimate atmosphere, Mr.
Scott, of whom the Prince waa very fond,
pleaded the caue of May Yohe! Mr. Scott
told me the Prince .was very firm at first
In his refusal to lend countenance to my
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Layrftud'ft Picture of a Curious Legend of
. Napoleon and the Burning
of Moscow.
According to This Story Napoleon Wen Told That
si Great Hoard of Jewels Was Concealed in the.
Casket of One of the Russian High Priests in the
Vault of the Kremlin. He Found the Hoard, but
When the Coffin Lid Was Opened the Body of the
Dead Priest Stood Up and Cursed Him, Legend ,
Links the
ambassador from the Russian court to Am
sterdam, found It to a shop In Amsterdam
In 1773. He purchased It for 90,000 pounds,
and at once returned to Russia with It,
that he might lay K at the feet of Cather
ine, the Empress, to whom he had paid
msny attentions, but who hadrepulsed
and exiled him upon his diplomatic mis-
1
0
z
Orloff
Diamond,
Another
Famous
"Unlucky"
Gem, with
This
Mythical
Occurrence.
5i
The UaforranaU Princess Tarakhaaeffi
in H.r Cell ar Order ! . Catkria jk
Great AfUrWn Favorite, Orloff, Had
Brought the Girl, by False Lore Promises,
Back to Rsasia. Tho Orloff Diamond Had
Boon GiTom Hor as Part of tho Plot, and
It Was Thus, Lotead Says, Its History
of MUfortuno Began.
return to London. He declared that he
sympathized with me deeply and that he
always had liked me. "But, my dear fel
low," Scott told me he said to him, "what
a tempest, in a teapot I'd be kicking up,
you know, if I rare royal attention to her
return to the London stage. Newcastle
(the Duke ot Newcastle, formerly my
brother-in-law) would raise no end of a
row. and I'd be in for some bitter criti
cism." "But. Your Highness, Lady May is a
good sport. She never did a harm in her
life. She's a woman who fell in lore and
took the consequences with tho true Brit
ish spirit. If she were in fortune now it
would be different but she's down on her
luck and needs a friend. You're the best
friend she could hare."
The Prince walked away to h'is window,
Mr. Scott said, and thought silently for a
moment or two. Then he turned to Sir
Arthur.
"What do yon say, Sullivan It I attend
her opening will you go along? You know,
It anybody raises a tuss everybody will
merely say you filled me with wine and
lured me to the theatre. What do' 70a
say?"
"Done," said Sir Xrthur.
"It's a bargain," said the Prince,-and Sir
Arthur and Mr. Scott bowed out; and
rushed to the manager-of the Tiroli to tell
him that It he would provide a vehicle for
me the Prince and his suite, in which
would be Included, Sir Arthur added, some
of ihe city's greatest celebrities, would be
on hand In the royal box. Mr. Sims, the
manager, sent his message off to me he
fore his visitors left his office.
And the Prince came, and with him Sir
Arthur and Rothschild and a dosen other
notables. Including the Prince of Pless,
who then was visiting the royal family.
The revue was a great success, and, 'the
fashion set by the Prince, everyone in
London clamored for opportunity to get a
seat ia the stalls Just to see how I looked
i.o see if the new love and its disillusion
ments for which I had v traded the old
duchy and wits castles and famous Blue
Diamond, had been better or worse for me.
While I was in London this time I spent
many hours during my recreation periods
in the British Museum, poring over the
legends contained in various manuscripts
and ancient Toiumes associated with the
famous vnlucky Jewels around which much
of the history of the world has been writ
ten.
I found there, for instance, a wealth ot
lore about the great Orloff Diamond, that
mysterious stone which is so tragically
associated with the fortunes of the Roman
offs, the1 Imperial house ot Russia, which
knew no poaCe after the Count Grego!
Orloff brought to Petrorrad the magnifi
cent, sparkling itoie as a preitnt to tht
Empress Catherine. -
(O 1820. latceosUosol rtur Serrieo. Xac,
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The Orloff Diamond, as it afterward be
came known, was found in the eye of an
idol in a Brahmin temple on the island of
Beringham, in Mysore, by a French soldier.
The French soldier who eaw It there and
stole it was part of an expedition of French
explorers which visited Mysore in 1650.
He displayed his souvenir to his com
rades, who congratulated him upon obtain
ing such a handsome trophy of the expe
dition. The captain of his company
learned of the soldier's beautiful "piece of
glaas and ordered the man to show It to
htm. 'The captain at once recognized In
the stone a jewel of valuehow great a
value events prored he did not realise.
He told the soldier he had committed a
treat crime In stealing the souvenir from
the eacred idol, but agreed not to report
him for punishment It he would sell the
"crystal" for ten gold louia. The soldier
could do nothing else than obey. In fact,
the records of the expedition show he was
glad to get the money.
The captain then offered the diamond for
sals to the captain ot the ship which took
the expedition back to France. The ship
captain, was asked to mako his own offer,
and he at once proposed to pay the mili
tary captain two thousand gold louis for
the stone. The proposition was accepted.
On the way to France both the soldier
and his captain died from the plague. Tht
ship captain was ill when his boat landed,
and to defray the expenses of his medical
treatment he was compelled to sell the
stone to a merchant tor fifty loals.
Now ths stone disappeared for several
years. The Count G re tort orloff, a special
efOMMtataEicMa Soured,
Catherine was so Impressed by the
thoughtfulness of the Count and-by his
magnificent present that she allowed Mm
to repeat his attentions to her, and this
time she accepted them. . .
Misfortune feu
2ist upon the Rus
sian crown after
the Orloff Diamond,
as it came to be
known, was added
to the fickle Cath
erine's collection.
One of the imperial
sons was slain;
daughter of the Em
press was (Stricken
by a strange mal
ady and died. There
were rebellions In
many provinces
and repeated at
tempts against the
monarchy.
At the death of
Catherine the dia
mond was put with
the other crown
Jewels. When Na
poleon approached
Moscow if was hid
den in the casket
of a priest in the
Kremlin, together
with many other of
?,-j the most vaiaanie
?'"' gems in the -imperial
TSUlt. Leg
end links a curious
Incident with the
Orloff Diamond at
this time.
An officer of the
Imperial Guard of
Napoleon learned
from a Kremlin
attache who had
turned traitor that
M.7 Yoh. .nd Hr Fre.t BUTWEE
Huaband, Captain Smuts, jen in the casket.
Nephew of the Famous Boer The traitor even
General. Mr. and Mrs. Pftot to the
Smut. Now Liwe in a Subur- JgJ .
ban Home in Los Angeles. iy the bones of
the ancient priest
with the crown
Jewels piled among them. The officer
hurried to his chief, the Emperor, with
the news. Napoleon is said to have gath
ered his officers about him and to have
gone at once into the crypts of the Krem
lin. By his order soldiers fell upon the
holy casket and ripped off the lid.
There sparkled the hundreds of gems
In settings ot . all fashions, necklaces,
bracelets, rings and pendants. Napoleon
himself stepped forward to lift the great,
est diamond there, which he recognized as
the Orloff. But just as he was about to
bend down a vapory form rose out of the
casket, so the legend runs, and, standing
erect, revealed the figure of the ancient
priest whose last resting place had been
violated.. In stentorlair tones, the legend
says, the priest "cursed" the mighty Na
poleon, in yoking the wrath of Heaven upon
the Invader and prophesying a disastrous
conclusion of ths Little Corporal's dreams
of conquest
Another tragedy credited to the Orloff
Diamond was the death of the beautiful
Princess Tarakhsnoff. This Princess bad
incurred the displeasure of the Empress
Catherine by accepting the lore of a
courtier with whom the Empress herself
had entered Into an Intrigue. When Cath
erine discovered that she had a rlrat in
this beautiful girl she issued secret orders
that she be slain. But the Princess was
warned and escaped.
- When the Count Orloff was in Amster
dam, and, haying; purchased the great dia
mond, wrote his Empress asking permis
sion to return and again pay his court to
her, the Empress wrote him that he would
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The Hope Diamond in Comparae
sion with Other Famous
"UnlucaT'sGems.
(1) Th Kofc-t-Weov After ! Sfoad Cof
tla. A Historical 0m, Nw Oa of ta
Crowe Jewels of tho Eas;l!ah Empire.
fz Tke Famous Ill.PateS Orloff Diamond1,
Whoa History la Oee et Treachery aad
tUaater. S) Tho Rajah of Moat am. a
taeer Shaaae Dlaanoad ef SST Cant., W HU
a Weir History. ' (4) Tho Oreat Mosrol, a
Dlamoad StoeeoS la the Blood of Maay
Masancroa and With a Hlstery of Bad I.nek.
S The Oreat Jnblo Plaanoad. a Stoae
Arraaa Which Maay tVeaeada Cloater.
(S Tho Blae iieoe Dlamoad.
be allowed to regain his place in her af
fectionate regard only if he could lure the
Princess Tarakhanoff, who then was in
Holland, back to Russia.
Orloff proceeded at once to make rovs
to the Princess, who was living in safety
with relatives. She listened to such a dis
tinguished courtier ' with Increasing in
terest. At last she was his willing slave.
He persuaded her to tempt the wrath of
Catherine--by returning to his estates in
Russia with him, promising her that he
would intercede v with the Empress and
procure a pardon for her before any would
be aware that she had again come upon
Russian soil. To bind his promise he
hung on her throat his great .diamond
token, he said, of his ever enduring love.
The beautiful girl trusted him. But as
soon as she reached Moscow, disguised as
a maid in Orloffs suite, he turned her
over to secret agents of the Empress, first
snatching the diamond from Its chain
which hid it beneath her bodice. The poor
Princess was chained in an underground
cell and the waters of a near-by brook
were diverted so that tbey trickled
through the little barred window and
drowned her. (
The most famous of all the diamonds
whose sinister history Is recorded in ths
archives of the British Museum Is the
mysterious "Great Mogul," credited with
having brought about the downfall of the
ones powerful Emir Jemla, who operated
the famous Ootoonda mines. The Oreat
Mogul, which weighed nearly 900 carets.
Is said to have been found in the Golconda
68 years before Christ. It was lost in the
mystery of Oriental Intrigue unMl the
twelfth century, when It reappeared at the
Emir's court, haying been found In ins
effects of a high priest who was slain by
a temple girl. The vgirl ran to the Emir
at once with .the great stone, and it took
its place In the Emir's crown, while the
temple girl took her placeln the ruler's
harem as his favorite. '
There are no further accounts of the
gem until the Emir Jemla. This Emir
stole a beautiful slave frir! from the Shah
Jehan, of Delhi, and to win her affections
bestowed upon her his most magnificent
jewel, the Mogul. The Shah declared war
and conquered the Emir and demanded of
him the Great Mogul as a ransom. The
diamond never has been seen since.
The history of the famous Koh-i-noor,
the crown Jewel of Great Britain, is well
known. It also was a product of the Gol
conda mines, found In 15$0, and for many
years was in possession of the Mogul Em
perors. Eventually, after the downfall of
the Empress, It passed to the Afghan
rulers. One after the other of these were
dethroned or slain after the Koh-i-noor
came to them, Dhuleep Singh, the last of
them, finally surrendered his dominions to
the British Empire. Tracing the 111 for
tunes of his Immediate ancestors to their
evil diamond, Dhuleep Singh, with Orien
tal vindictlveness, presented the Koh-f-noor
to Queen Victoria, his conqueror, sec
retly hoping the evil Influence of the Jewel
would avenge his own downfall upon the
crown of his victor.
8o far, however, there has ben no start
ling tragedy associated with the British
royal family which the superstitious
might trace to the legendary -devil" la
this beautiful 100-carat diamond.
(To Be Continued "Next Sunday.).
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