SUPPOSED ATTEMPT TO STEAL THE JEWELS AT WINDSOR CASTLE.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2140, 12 November 1875, Page 4

SUPPOSED ATTEMPT TO STEAL THE JEWELS AT WINDSOR CASTLE.

The south-eastern division of the Bucks police, under Mr Superintendent Dunham and Inspector Pearman, of Eton "College, are at present investigating'-a very extraordinary matter. About the 9th of this.month, in order to permit some building operations upon the premises of Mr Goodman, the boat-builder near Windsor Bridge, the waters of the Thames were drawn, off. lowering the river by Several feet. .: "While the stream was thus lower than usual, a man who was walking near a back cut adjacent to Cuckoo Weir, which is about half a-mile from Windsor Bridge, and on the Bucks side of the river, observed a piece of string fastened to the lower branch of a bush overhanging the water course. His curiosity was excited, and seeing something attached to the string he pulled it up, and found that it was a gentleman's japanned dressing case. Turning the. small key he opened the case and found it contained a large number of keys and other things. He at once placed the case in the hands of the police, and Mr Superintendent Dunham, upon examining its contents, found that in all there were 125 keys, the larger ones having been fastened on a /bunch at the top of the case. Upon one side ofcthe flat, smooth surface of the handle of two of the medium-sized keys are the words "Equerries.Stables. 100 Steps," and on the other side the word " Porter." The 125 keys vary in size from such as would open gates, posterns, and room doors to small ones fitting the jewel cases in the Eoyal apartments of the Castle. Besides this extraordinary collection of keys there were on the case pieces of wax bearing impression's of the key wards, two bottles of gold liquid for smearing the keys, in order to ascertain the shape of the locks, a box of vestas, and two large canvas money bags, such as are used by bankers. One apparently, from the coin marks, had contained gold, and the other silver. It is the belief of the police authorities that the * dressing-case and its contents were intended to aid some person in effecting an entrance from the "Hundred Steps" to the private apartments of the palace occupied by her Majesty and the Eoyal family, and to sweep off the priceless jewellery. Whoever' designed this daring scheme has been frustrated in a most singular way. Those who placed the case and keys in the stream, till some dark night a favourable opportunity might arise for the grand coup, fastened the string to a branch of the bush, which, when the waters of the Thames are at their ordinary summer level, was about a foot below the surface of the little stream, and thus •well concealed. They had not calculated upon the sudden drawing off the water—an unusual;-cirp cumstance—-which revealed the hiding place of the duplicate keys. On Friday Mr Superintendent Dunham, accompanied by Mr Inspector Pearman, proceeded to the office of Mr W. Seabrook, in the Lord Chamberlain's department at; Windsor Castle, and had an interview with the palace authorities