American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-08-28
A Wonderful Trunk and Skillful
RObberies.

THE Lisbon correspondent of the Lon
don Daily Meas, writing to that journal
under a recent date, tells the following in
teresting story:
One J. Sprungli, Swiss, has just been
arrested on a charge of robbery on board
the Pacific steamer .Liguria, from Liver
pool. For some time the police have been
the Liguria the Liverpool detective depart
ment telegraphed to the Bordeaux police
to send an officer to watch certain sus-
picious character On board, who seems to
have had the ill-luck to have been a pas
senger on other occasions when robberies
had occurred. Accordingly, at Bordeaux
NJ. Rumpler, an able detective, came -,on
board, bat he suffered so much from sea
sickness that he was unable to leave his
berth. The first night after leaving Bor-
deaux, when the steamer was in the Bay
of Biscay, series of robberies took place
several of the passengers missing watches,
rings, money and other valuables. This
naturally caused much excitement and i'll
feeling. Stewards were cross-questioned,
passengers looked suspiciously at their
neighbors, spies were set, but all to no
purpose. Before the vessel had reached
Vigo suspicious had gathered strongly
round NJ. Sprungli, and a telegram was
sent TO Edward Pinto Bastos, the Lisbon
agent of the Pacific Company, giving him
all particulars, and asking him to confer
with the police authorities.
For the last two years complaints of
thefts have been made by passengers of the
Pacific steamers, and about twelve months
ago very large robbery occurred on
board the Potosi. 1t now appears that
NJ. Sprungli was a passenger then. This
person has visited Lisbon. several times,
and has usually lodged at the Hotel Cen
tr., he al Iu hyrf 10
walters, being both liberal and affable,
after the manner of such agreeable gen.
tlemen. The police agents, Pamela and
Ferrcira, watched the landing of the pas
sengers Amo ng the first to come ashore
was M. Sprungii, followed by one of the
agents in plain clothes. The former took
a walk toward the railway station at St.
ApolOnia, made the round of two or three
back streets in the ALBANIA, and then took
intending to pass his baggage, which had
been landed in the meantime. Here, in
the presence of the officials, his trunk
was submitted to rigorous examination,
but nothing was discovered. As Sprungli
now. wished to leave the place, one of the
detectives declared himself, and said
he had orders to take him and his
trunk to the Civil Governors office
The Swiss protested strongly against
claim the protection of his Consul. How
ever, he was obliged to accompany the
police to the Civil Governors depart
ment, where another and more searching
examination was made of the trunk.
Nothing was found, and the search was
being given up, when CASTILLO Bianco, the
very able chief of the detectives, observed
narrowly the ironwork with which the
trunk was profusely bound on the out
side, and noticed that it was not riveted,
but screwed, and that several of the screws
seemed loose. He accordingly nscrewed
the iron bands, and then came a nice dis
closure. There were no less than sixteen
secret compartments, filled with money
and valuablcs. Brought to bay thus, NJ.
Sprungli became very much agitated, and
made clean breast of it. Among the
valuables were gold watches, chains,
brooches, diamond studs and pins, brace
lets, gold crosses, large number of SOW
ereigns, pearl necklace, and other cost
ly articles. Nj. Sprungli, say the public
accounts, is a native Of Zurich, about
thirty years of age. He speaks three or
four languages tluently, and is of gen
tlemanly and prepossessing appearance.
He was formerly merchant in
africa, but failed in business, and got
into very low wafer. About two years ago
he came to Europe, aud, according to his
own confession, struck out fresh line and
developed new ideas IN the calling of
chevalier dindustrie. HE plan has been
to travel by u,eil steamers, accompanied