The Tragic Pearl
by WC Charnley
ISBN 978-0-85905-019-7, (2010, R), 28pp, illustrated, SC, B5, 50grams
$10.00* + POST
Some people regard pearls as unlucky. However that may be, an uncanny fatality certainly seemed to attend the big 'stone' that figures in this remarkable narrative. First found off the coast of North-West Australia, it was stolen within a few hours of its discovery and almost immediately stolen again. Thenceforth it passed rapidly from hand to hand until it was lost to view, but during its travels it brought death to at least four men who had never even set eyes on it! "The story is absolutely true," writes Mr. Charnley. "The case is well known in the annals of Australian crime, and I can furnish authority for every detail, even of the ultimate sale of the pearl in London. I have thought it advisable to suppress certain of the names."