The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-12-20

from the public comment the pretended peculation
of The prince.
in the angry tomults Of the revolutionary struggles,
that, innocent 40 he truly was, many would but
believe them true; and this 10 such extent, that
the detection OF the robber and the elucidation Of
the felony had, at that time, become to the royal
f,miy and court OF the Netherlands an object of
the most intense sympathy and solciude. The
prince had served with great reputation as mill
tary man, and for many years. and, innocent as he
was, during this long atermssion, had been deep
ly Inundated by the reflection that nothing could
be detected by which to extricate him from SO foul
and unfouDded calumny.
The ecessity and the Justice OF extricating him,
at the period Of your petitioners retainer, had be-
come, from such considerations, then about to be
put conhdentialy before, and az ain further urged
upon, the government OF the United States, an adj
dliional motive for its good Offices and, as II thus
may be well conceived, il could but enlist the SYM
pathes Of this government in furtherance OF such
calculations, as well as ia the pursuit OF the pre-
ty which, in September, 1929, had been the sole
object then urged upon this gov eminent by the
minister of the Netherlands for the exercise of its
international functions
Enough should, in Justice, be here briefly stated
of those incidents which had so efieetually served
to shroud the felony in mystery, during the OBJ
security that had, thus far, hung over il.
The Palace of Lacken is celebrated for Its pecu-
liar beauty and was so, too, for the exceeding
splendor of lis furniture, which had been princi.
pally presented 10 the princess by the imperial
court of Russia The general facility OF access IN
Europe TO such buildings, during the absence Of
the ordinary occupsnts, 10 known ami IL is not
improbable thar the frlon may in this way have oh
tslned svew 81 Il The jewels rarlolned by him. had
hSSn KEEP, in piece Of the furniture OF the palace,
il external fern and appearance much after the
fashion of the oldlr sry writing desk IN use In the
l nlIsi States, OF which the door falls down TO
form the writing table, and TO- give access TO its
paper and writing materials behind il This door,
when closed, was faced on its outer front by large
plate OF looking glass; on which the use TO which
the upper portion was applied was indicated, In
plain gilt lettering, by the words " Caisse des Did
rIQnfs''
The felon, probably, thus having seen the indi-
cation of the contents OF The article in question: on
the night for peTpetratng the felony, with the as
sstance of small ladder, passed over the rear
wall of the square or which the palace is situated,
and which alone was not guarded by sentinels,
into the garden in its rear thence up to and on
the terrace stoop opening from the palace to
the rear garden The door was not fastened.
Through it, he went directly for the jewels to tbs
place, on the same floor; at but very short dis
lance, broke the front plate of glass, possessed him
self them, and returned again through the gar
den to and over the wall, by the aid of the same
ladder. with the property in his possession, and
threw the ladder into ditch near by. He, on the
same night, no doubt Immediately, and unob-
served, went out OF the city of Brussels mile or
two, and there buried the entire property in the
same state in which he had obtained it, returning
directly, on the night, to his ordinary resi-
dence in Brussels, and to his work as a mechanic
on the following morning, as il nothing unusual
with him had TRANSFERRED
During the intermission between the preparation
and the discovery of the felony in New York, on
The evening of the 18th July, 1881, nothing had
trsnspred the conduct of the feon duplicating
him, nor until the facts were in part disclosed by
one John Roumage, on that day, as hereafter
| stated.
The property had, until about two months pre-
| viously, been permitted to remain in the state in
which the felon had buried it. Nopart of it had
| either been kept about him, or converted to his
| use. He thus had entirely avoided all suspicion,
| and as has been seen, had eluded all the efforts
made TO detect him, or discover the least trace Of
| the property.
Ii was during this condition of the felony, the
wholly unfounded Impressions as 10 the prince had
| taken root.
When the public mind had thus settled down,
| and become quoted. the felon adroitly concluded
that he could then safely escape with the property
| from Europe to the United States. He accord
| ingly sent for lewd woman, whom he asserted
TO be, and who possibly was his wife, and tor their
| child, then about six years of age; dug up the
jewels, udely and unskilfully forced them from
their settings, injured the value of some, possessed
himself in their discovered state of about two-ffths
-four hundred thousand dollars in value-mainly OF
such selections as he thought least susceptible Of
identity, as well as most unlikely 10 attract suspi
cion if found upon him reinforced the residue with
e sen;nnEs' poI,Is,,s, dissems ana other nsseao
who was to accompany him as his wife, Of tht
s 70 y9f hf eis snd With he
which he had thus again possessed himself, con
| cesled in hollow walking stick, hollow UNI
brela stick and hollow toy for his child, and on
the person, and in the apparel of the woman, he
passed out Of Belgium on foot, through France,
| where he disposed of about $1,000 in value from
| among the smaller jewels, and of most ordinary
sales, tor their personal expenses and passages TO
| the United State, and arrived at Havre, where,
with the residue, and funds thus raised, he took
| pessage for New York, arrived about the 10th OF
July, 1881, and landed, wiz the jewels, eludine
the vigilance THE officers OF the customs at that
| port.
lie engaged board and apartments in a very re.
| spectacle French boarding house in the city, al
| which Roumage also resided Roumage was a
| Frenchman-a man Of education and gentlem any
| bearing, possessed of an astutc and penetrating
mind, but Of no moral re ci,ude. He soon ingrai.
| ated himself into the favor and confidence Of the
woman, and by his articles and cunning soon be
guiled her into an acknowledgment that heI
| husband had purloned the jewels OF the Princess
| Of Orange, and then had them, or at least large
| portion. Of them in his possession. He also.
| through her. induced tAe felon TO give him some
| specimens-falsely. Ia order 10 obtain them, sug
eesnng to him that he knew where he proba.
bly, could effect their sale. With these specimens
shortly before obtained, on the same day on which
your petitioner was retained, Roumage had waited
on the Cbevalier Huygns, displayed them TO him,
alleged that he had acquired information TO the
robbery, and had brought these with him as the
evidence OF it; that he, Roumage, would be ex-
| posed TO great personal hazard from the felon,
| should he become aware who had betrayed him;
| that, il the minister ~ the Netherlands would
officially engage, in vT.tlng, 10 pay Roumage the
| $4,000 ilorins, concealing the knowledge from
every body that he had disclosed these facts, he
would take such measures should, insofar as
Practicable, place the minister in possession of in
formation TO enable hun 10 accomplish his purposes
| The engagement for the $4,000 norins being at
| once made in writing, and delivered to Roumage,
| the minister Of the Netherlands imme daiely
after, on the same evening, retained your petitioner
| az te'ore stated.
In the first conference Of our petitioner with the
m mister, in reply 10 relation of The diaclos
which had been made TO him, and with reference
10 promised assistance, the expediency of an inter-
view with the person from whom the info rmaiion
minister that he had been placed, for the reason
stated, unser the most emphatic injunctions Of
stcresy. and he could not therefore, comply with