MEN WHO HAVE ROBBED ROYALTY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2410, 10 May 1900, Page 60

MEN WHO HAVE ROBBED ROYALTY.

The latest royalty who has been robbed is Prince Henry of Prussia, who, during his visit to Siam, was " held up " by brigands, who exacted a ransom of two bicycles and lOOOdol. That he is not the only royalty who has suffered at the hands of the lightfingered community the following cases go to prove.

The most celebrated, as it was ths most audacious, robbery on^ record was undoubtedly the daring exploit of the notorious Colonel Blood, who, in the guise of a Doctor of Divinity, managed to cajole the keeper of the regalia, Mr Edwards, into permitting him and certain friends to privately inspect the priceless gems, so that, but for the opportune appearance of the keeper's son, Charles II would literally have lost his crown. As it was, several stones — ultimately, however, recovered — disappeared during the flight from and subsequent struggle with the guard. Blood, after a. brief imprisonment, was pardoned and "presented with a life pension of £500 — a perfectly incomprehensible act on the part of the King. This, however, was not the' first occasion that the Merry Monarch had suffered at a thief's hands, for during his exile, while staying at Cologne, he had come under the notice of Jack Cottington, alias " Mulled Sack," and by him had been mulcted in several pieces of plate and over v £lsoo in money. '" Mulled Sack's " political creed seems to have been of the broadest, for he had been detected at Westminster but a few months previously with his hand; in the Protector's pocket, from the consequences of which act he escaped for want of proof. His contemporary, Captain Hind, with a partner, likewise attempted to rob Cromwell, but was beaten off by the latter's escort.

On the night of the 16th September, 1792, the C4arde Meuble in Paris, where the Crown jewels of the fallen monarchy were stored, was broken open and rifled of its priceless contents.- M~ost of these, including the famous "Regent" diamond, now at the Louvre, were, thanks to an anonymous communication, found in a ditch near the Champs Elysees, but ifc was not till 12 years later, when a man, who was on trial for forgery, confessed to being concerned in the robbery, that the my&tery of their disappearance was solved.

Another regalia robbery was that of the crown of Holland, which in 1829 was carried off by burglars, who, having "kept it intact for two years,, disposed of some of the stones in America. These were, found at Brooklyn and recovered, the remainder being eventually discovered in Belgium. The late Duke of Branswick possessed a collection of gems valued at £600,000, which he kept behind his bed in a safe guarded by a complete service of electric bells, in addition to a perfect arsenal of revolvers guaranteed to operate with deadly effect upon the unauthorised intrude:'. Long did the world of rascaldom sigh in vain. At last, on December 17 ; 1863, one Shaw, a native of Newcastle- on-Tyne, who had contrived by means of forged references to procure the post of valet to the Duke, managed one evening, when his master had neglected to lock the safe, to deeannsp with the most valuable of its contents. The police were soon on his track ; he was apprehended at Boulogne with the jewels in his possession, tried, and sentenced to 20 years' hard labour.

In 1879 the Crown Princess of Denmark, while on a tour through "Europe, was robbed of jewels valued at £70j000. These were taken from the saloon of the vessel in which the Princess was travelling incognita by some expert thief, whose identity, by reason of his having escaped capture, has never hitherto been established.

Another chevalier d'industrie who is still wanted is the adroit gentleman who, when the Crown Piince of Sweden was "staying in June, 1888, at a Frazensbad hotel with the Crown Princess, surreptitiously entered their apartment and left with the contents of their jewel-case, worth over £20,000.