| Show Hope Diamond Is Hidden in Vault For 20 Years Fabulous and III Ill Omed Omed Gem Placed in Storage by Mrs McLeans McLean's Will WASHINGTON The The fabulous ill jew jew- jewel ew- ew ewel Hope diamond most el of history js is s locked up in m a storage vault for 20 years Terms of the will of Mrs Evalyn Walsh McLean revealed that al al- although although al- al although though Washington's Washingto s tragic society dowager had professed to scoff at atthe atthe atthe the curse said to be attached to the two million dollar stone she wanted all of her grandchildren to reach maturity before the carat 44 dia dia- diamond diamond diamond mond again sees the light of day The jinxed diamond together with all of Mrs McLeans McLean's other jewels- jewels including the even more valuable Star of the East East go go into storage until her fifth grandchild reaches the age of 25 on October 15 1967 On that date d tc if the seven grand grand- grandchildren grandchildren grandchildren children who will share are arc unable to agree on a division of the amazing amazing amazing ing jewel collection the gems will willbe willbe willbe be sold and the proceeds divided Will Be Up to Them Those who must decide 20 years hence whether they want to retain possession of the starred ill-starred jewel which left tragedy and misfortune in its wake are Emily Beale McLean 7 John R. R McLean III 7 Edward Beale Mc Mc- McLean McLean McLean Lean III 6 Evalyn Walsh McLean 4 Mamie Spears Reynolds 4 Ro Ro- Roland Roland Ro- Ro Roland land Walsh McLean 3 and Michael Patrick McLean one year old Mrs McLean who died of pneumonia pneumonia pneumonia monia also tied up for 20 years the remaining income from the estate of her father the late Thomas Walsh It was about this sturdy Irish im im- immigrant immigrant im- im immigrant migrant who discovered one of the worlds world's biggest gold mines that Mrs McLean wrote her revealing book Father Struck It Rich Certainly Mrs McLeans McLean's life l e was filled with tragedy whether pos pos- possession possession possession session of the Hope diamond did it or not Her first son Vincent widely pub pub- publicized publicized publicized as the million dollar baby because of his heavy bodyguard and gold crib was run over and killed by an automobile at the age of nine Then her marriage to Ed Ed- Edward Edward ward Beale McLean Washington publisher broke up Thereafter Mc Mc- McLean McLean Lean L-ean who had bought the famous Star of the East as a present to Mrs McLean at the time of their marriage lost most of his fortune and finally his mind Caught for 1000 10 In September 1946 Mrs Mc Mc- McLean's McLeans McLeans McLean's McLeans McLean's Leans Lean's only daughter the young wife of former Sen Robert H. H Rey Rey- Reynolds Reynolds Reynolds of North Carolina died from froman an overdose of sleeping tablets When the Lindbergh kidnapping case was rocking the world Mrs McLean permitted the notorious Gaston B. B B Means to fleece her of Means persuaded the Lady Beautiful ul that he had es es- established established es- es established contact with the kidnap kidnap- kidnapers ers and could return the Lindbergh baby for that amount Means went to prison where he died and a search of many months failed to un un- uncover uncover un- un uncover cover the Among earlier owners of the Hope diamond who met violent death or suffered a series of misfortunes were Catherine the Great of Russia Marie Antoinette of France and May Hope once the toast of Broadway and world capitals who died a charwoman |
