QUEEN OF SIAM’S PEARLS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVII, Issue 13685, 20 May 1912, Page 7

QUEEN OF SIAM’S PEARLS.

ROMANTIC STORY FROM BANGKOK Official Extradited. A romantic story of the Queen of Siam’s lost pearls, valued at £10,0,<11, wliich were stolen three years ago in transit between London and Bangkok, was told at Bow Street Police Court last month.

Paul de Boseck, aged 31, formerly the wharf superintendent at Bangkok, wa.-, arrested on the steps of the General Post Office, London, and was then committed to take his trial in the Straits Soltlemonts on a charge of unlawfully receiving two of the pearls, knowing taem to have been stolon. Tha wooden box from which the pearls were taken had boon sent back from Siam, and was produced in court. It way carefully examined by de Boseck from his place in the dock. EMPTY JEWEL CASE. This bos was scaled at the side with imoressive red wax seals, which were still unbroken and it had been bound with iron strips and carefully screwed down before it left London.

His Excellency Chong Qua, the King of Mam’s Chamberlain, on April 13, I DO;), ordered a rope of pearls for the Querni of Siam from the Association of Diamond Merchants, of Charing Cross, nid the pearls had been securely packed in this strong box for despatch. The pearls, in a case, were placed inside. the zinc inner lining was soldered ip, the screws in the solid lid were fixed. the iron clamps fastened down, and the box was sealed.

When the box reached the Queen of him it was apparently as secure as alien it left London. But when it was opened the pearls had gone, ami only the empty jewel case was, left. Thg ,oj of the lid had been cleverly split, the screws on one side removed, the zinc fining cut, and the jewels removed, without breaking a single seal. LOAN ON THE PEARLS, A dramatic statement, signed by de Boseck. was read in court. It ran:—

“About the middle of June, 1909, 1 was in the Siamese Government gambling House at Bangkok, with some other f.u.Mpeans. As usual. 1 met in this clen sj’, eral of the Chinese clerks and others belonging to the steamers. 1 left the c.imbting house about 8 p.m., a winner .f some 1 2000 tieals (Clod).” “A tieal is 6d,” explained cle Boseek cheerfully from the dock. "It was usually known,” his statement continued, “that 1, as wharf superintendent, lent money on the security of craning goods, and while at the gambling house I was asked by one of the 'kranis’ (steamer clerks’ for a loan of LOO tieals. “I told him that if he gave me seeur- » ! could advance him a couple of .housancl. At about 9 p.m. 1 received i visit from the- man in question. Ho asked me to make him an advance. He had security, he said, in tire shape of a small box of pearls. "! looked at these and believed that 1 would not risk much by lending him £7U or £BO, and so, after a lot of haggling, I agreed to a loan of 1000 tieals, handing him 920. 1 received a receipt signed '.Slang Heng.’ “Tlio following morning ho camo to aiv office and wished me to make a further advance. This 1 refused to do, as t nad not seen the pearls in tho dny- ■ c. “He then asked mo whether I would sell them for him. When 1 asked Jam for his authority to sell them he admitted thev were stolen. I wanted to know the name of the owner, but he said he did not know and I understood it was ert of a cargo. 1 gave him another Ai9 tieals, and the pearls became mine i ingfit of purchase.”