GEMS OF EVIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16939, 13 January 1923, Page 3

GEMS OF EVIL.

THE ORLOV DIAMOND. STONE WITH A TERRIBLE HISTORY. (By Stuart Martin in “ Pearson’s Weekly.”) A little man wearing a heavy, gorgeous fur coat stepped out of a large private car and made JLus way to a smart yacht lying cuddled against the banks of the River Neva, just below Petrograd. * Lo you know who that is?” asked a British officer of a comrade as they watched the small figure dive down into the saloon of the luxurious ship. "No? Well, that is Rons Melikotte, the Minister of the interior for Russia, one of the richest men in t-lie empire, tie is a grandson of the man who brought the notorious Orlov diamond to Russia, a stone with a terrible history.” W here is the famous Orlov diamond now? Probably it is still in Russia, for id has not been sold with the ilood of Russian jewels lately coming to this country. Were it put on the market its appearance would cause as much stir as it the Ivoli-i-noor had been taken irom the British crown and offered tor sale. The value of the diamond is so great that it would take practically all the money ol Hatton Garden, the home of gems, to pay for it; yet it came to the Russian crown in a way which, reads like a page from the Arabian Nights. The late Tsar of Russia believed that the stone had an evil influence, and gave orders for it to be taken from the Royal regalia ; but it was too late. Disaster had already fallen on him—one more disaster in the long succession of tragedies which have marked the life of the Orlov diamond. The Russian records of this R-oyal hoodoo diamond were completed just before the final revolution which swept Tsar Nicholas off the throne and landed Russia in a welter of blood and agony f_rorn which it has not yet recovered. Special couriers had been sent over Asia, Turkey, and the Middle East to collect data connected with the stone. When they returned the famous antiquaries of Russia set to work to link up the stories, the truth of which was beyond question. Old documents and histories had been ransacked. Ancient shrines and localities had been visited. The temples of Persia and India had been searched for the story of the Orlov diamond. And the Tsar of all the Russias lived long enough to believe that the curse of the stone was still potent. When Lenin handled it after the Imperial sceptre had been dragged in the dust he turned to his companions and remarked: “Here is the Orlov stone which lias brought every owner to tragedy and death. How do I know it may not have the same effect on me?” Who knows but that the spell of the Orlov diamond is still working in Russia? EYE OF AN IDOL. In its first known rough state this sinister diamond was the eye of an idol in a temple near Trichinopoli. It had been the eye of the idol for many years—indeed, as long as humaq. records can trace backward. It was stolen from the idol by a Frenchman who was travelling in India. This Frenchman, named Go-lcoquet, was one of the stragglers after the siege of the city when the French were defeated by British troops. Goleoquet wandered through the country from town to town, a fugitive. He visited practically every* bazaar in Madras province trying to sell the diamond he had stolen ; but merchants distrusted him and were afraid to buy the stone. Knowing that they would tell the priests of the Hindu faith that he had such a diamond, Goleoquet rushed on, disguising himself as best he could. One day he saw the news of the theft of the diamond from the temple published. A Hebrew merchant to whom he offered to sell the diamond told him that the theft was known and that the Shah of Persia had warned his police to keep a look-out for the thief. Goleoquet was almost dying through hardships and despair, and the Hebrew, talking advantage of his state, offered him the equal of a thousand pounds for tiie stone. The offer, though far below the value, was eagerly accepted by the Frenchman. A day or two later an order was issued by Shah to the effect that the thief of the diamond had been traced to Ispahan, and he was to be seized, dead or alive, and the diamond procured. SOLD TO AN ARMENIAN. This news so upset the Hebrew merchant who had purchased the stone from the Frenchman that he sold it to an Armenian named Shafras, a dealer Shafi*as**1 itl not know that ,this was the wanted stone, and he gave the shrewd Jew £12,000 l’or it. Then he went out of Persia, wholly unsuspected, and unsuspecting that he had the great diamond of the Hindu deity in his posNow. Sliafras was one of the travelling men of the East who, in those cinvs. made a point of bringing treasures to European Courts, and Sliafras had previously brought small trinkets to Catherine the Great, whose Russian Court was the most magnificent that empire ever had. He decided to go straight to Catherine. but Petrograd (then called St Petersburg) was a long way off. and as happened in the. case of Goleoquet, he had not gone far on his way when the news of the loss of the stone followed him. This time the stone was described by the Hindus. Shafras knew that his diamond was the stolen one He had given a, large sum for it. He resolved to take a chance on it, for he knew that if he once reached Russia with it he would have made his fortune. Catherine the Great- was always open to buy gems. HIDING THE STONE. But Shafras was verv cunning. He realised that if he were caught with ihe diamond it meant death, whatever bis explanations. Where could ho hide it? Not in his clothes. It was too big for him t,» swallow . H • dare not keep it in his mouth. So lie lesHveil on a desperafe* plan. .He ml a long deep

wound in his leg and put the diamond inside, sewing up the wound with a, silver thread ! His wound, however, was just healed when he was arrested as he was approaching the. frontier. He was haled before the chief of the district, told that the diamond had been traced to him. that the previocs owners had been strangled for their part in its theft and concealment: and he was ordered to give it up. Shafras was a brave man. He told them that lie had never had the diamond, that the things told of him were told to screen the real thieves, that he was merely an Armenian merchant and that all he had in his possession was a handful of money to pay for his food as lie travelled. His story was disbelieved. He was placed in prison, and strong emetics were given him. No diamonds came to light. He was put into a bath of extremely hot water, and both he and his clothes were, closely examined. But Jiis wound had healed and the diamond was not discovered. Then he was tortured. Still he did not tell ; and finally he was released and told to clear out quickly. His money was taken from him, and so were the little goods he had with him. He tramped some way towards Russia, and then sent to his relatives for a little money. When it came he went into Russia in more comfort. COUNT ORLOV BUYS THE JEWEL FOR CATHERINE. The diamond was taken from Shafras’s skin as he stood before Catherine the Great in her court at St Petersburg. Shafras stated that lie wanted £40,000 for the stone. That was the lowest he would take. “Yet I warn ion,” he cried, “that, even as my blood is now staining the marble floor of your palace, so will the blood of those who own this stone stain the Russian soil.” No one paid any attention to his warning. Catherine wanted the diamond. hut she had not the ready money to buy it. She offered half the amount and the remainder in gifts | of land. Shafras refused the offer. i He left Russia with his diamond and i went to Amsterdam. There he came into touch with Count Orlov, the j famous Russian, who was travelling in j Holland at the time. After Orlov i had been told the story of how Ca-th- ! orine had liked the stone but could j not buy it lie asked the price. In the end Count Orlov, who was j fabulously rich, bought it and took it I and Shafras back to Russia, and presented tin? gem to his Imperial mistress. From that clay the diamond has taken the name of the count. Shafras had made a good bargain with the count. He demanded £70,000 down, an annuity of 2000 roubles and a patent of nobility. These terms were agreed to. Const Orlov would have sold his soul for Catherine’s sake. The diamond was worth the payment, for experts who have valued it since then give its price at £300,000. Its weight is ISo carats. But within three, weeks of buying it Orlov was murdered. Catherine died inside six months. VIOLENT DEATH FOLLOVED OWNERSHIP. And Shafras? Well, as soon as the bargain was clinched Shafras decided to stay in Russia. From being a kupets (merchant) he became a gentleman, and changed his name to Lazarev. He bought mines in the Urals and large tracts of St Petersburg. The ground rents of these latter alone were immense. The unearned increment in a few years made him a millionaire several times over. Then he, too, was murdered! , When the late Czar ascended the throne it was a descendant of Shafras who paid his debts and squared liis accounts. When the shadow of the revolution spread over the throne and the Royal Family, it was a descendant of Shafras who was called to the palace to arrange for the flight of the Czar and his family. You may find the names of these men in the records of the Ministers of the Czar. Melikoffe, the Minister of the Interior, and Deiavskv, the Minister of Public Instruction, were both descendants of the Armenian trader. “ Can you tell me the meaning of this curse which seems to have settled on us?” asked the Czar. “It has come,” replied Deiavsky gravely, “ because, as my forefather warned Catherine the Great, the Orlov diamond is in your Majesty’s sceptre. Wherever that diamond has gone there have gone also death, disaster and tragedy. We. too. shall share these now. Even Shafras was killed by an assassin because of the wealth which the diamond brought him.” J’lie records were fetched and laid before the Czar. He discovered that out of thirteen wearers of the stone only one had died in his bed. Who has it now?” he asked some days after he had ordered its removal from the sceptre. The reply came like a blow. “ Rasputin !” It is a matter of history that the monk Rasputin wore the diamond immediately it was taken from the sceptre. He wore it too on the day of his violent death at the hands oi‘ the avengers of his victims!