Rogues who rob Royalty.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 11756, 6 October 1902, Page 5

Rogues who rob Royalty.

Many are the attempts at robbing Royalty, but these are seldom heard of. On one 'occasion a rogue conceived the idea of starting a bo,gu&\ missionary society, lie accordingly had some note-paper printed with the title of his "society," and wrote to the King asking him to become

a patron. Our good-natured Sovereign at once complied with the request, and sent a donation of £25 besides. Armed with this evidence, the scoundrel next proceeded to solicit subscriptions! from the highest personages in the kingdom, and so successful was he that her netted something like

£7000 before he was found ou*. The IvaJser, years ago, entruated the greater -part of his private fortune to a well krown German banker for investment. Several other members of the Royal house eratiusted.lar,ge sums to the banker about the same time. Suddenly he was missed, and nothing was heard tJ him for weeks:- Then one day. his body was found in the river. He had speculated with the moneys entrusted to him, and had lost all. The loss to the German Royal Family was -said to have been nearly a million sterling. The servants in the Austrian Royal household are probably the greatest robbers tihat beset the Emperor —and they are legion. On the occasion of the Austrian Emperor? 9 jubilee, a great banquet was given, and the .chief oook alone pocketed £1,000 in commission. On the Imperial table a sum of £1,250,000 in spent annually. Half of that sum goes into the pockets of the various officials connected with the department. In Italy the King is cheated out of £12,000 a year over food, and in Spain matters are nearly as bad. At Madrid it is a rule that everything left on the table of the King after" a meal is divided between certain officials, who, of course, sell the wines and food) to well known hotel proprietors. The jewels of the grandfather of the present Queen of Holland were stolen in a singular manner. The official in whose charge they were was found lying insensible "on the floor of the room where the jewels were always kept. He had been drugged, and from the effects he never recovered. So it could hardly be regarded as a "put-up" job. A mward of £12,000 wan ,offered for the recovery of the jewels, but without success. Two years later a Frenchman, named Jean Romage, appeared) at the Dutch Embassy in Washington, and offered to restore the stones if the reward! was paid. This was agreed to, and the anam, pointed out a spot m Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn1, where he said the gems were buried. There they were found and brought back, were re-set, and are now worn by Qneen Wiihelouna. When the little Princess Yoi'ande was born, her father, the King of Italy, permitted the citizens of. his oaipital to present the child with a silver cradle. Soon afterwards it came out that the goldsmith who had made the cradle had never been paid. Who had appropriated the money subscribed was' nob clear, but the King paid for Rome's "gift" to his little girl out of hs dwn pocket.—"l.o.ll."