The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-05-26
sPRUNoLE, THE srEiMsHIP THIsP.
A Rascal whose bold Robberies have Given
ORIENT Trouble TO Ocean Travellers

QUEBEC, May 23.-At the trial OF jean
SprunRle. the cunning steamship thief in Que
bee. Judge Yessier compllmented the officers
who captured him. remarking that twas fortu-
nate that thcrc were officers Of sufficient vigil
lance TO discover such clever criminals. Ho re-
minded the prisoner that after long trials and
an able defence he had been convicted on two
counts OF robbery on the high soas. and SEN
fenced him to the penitcntiary for three years
for one case, and two for the other Before tho
prisoner received his sentence he was asked II
he had anything to say why sentence should
not he pronounced upon him. In clear and
distinct voicc he read an able appeal for a sus-
pension Of Judgment, He said:
II is not with the desperation of drowning
man clinEng to nOnting straw That venture
to address your Honor. bun am here TO profit
by this first and last opportunity which the
when nothing but u miracle can save him. II
wcre allowed TO review my case from beginning
9Sa make %sH %sc o ins Sm
whom | am charged with rObbing the fl00
not 8. steps into the witness box and deliberate,
" s,wenrs TINT durne n convcrsation which |
had with him while wna in the prisoners
dock, offered him $500 cash, and more to como
from my rich relatives in Chicago and Phila-
dclphia. II he would let me of easy, a statement
which has been since contradicted and denied
by several witnesses. will not say much about
the ycars OF Imprisonment will have to suffer
for these mistakes following my sentence. but
the sral Of infamy Will I've impressed upon two
~
no longer"
The pr soner concluded his appeal by refer
rinS To the different statements made by the
witnesses who testified against him. His adj
dr.ss occupied two hours.
The evidence ELECTED at the trial revealed tho
nat that Sprungle WIS n terror to steamship
owners plying between the two continents.
Travelling under many aliascs as q cabin pas
srnger. he committed robborics that in nearly
every case could not be- traced To him. Being
highly educated. he was always u favorite with
his fellow passengers. SO profitable did he find
80 ut ha mil Ia INN TN
fortune in the old country.
His plan OF thieving was ns follows: Every
evening he retired to his statcroom ut about
o'clock. While his fellow passengers were In
the saloons dining he would enter their state
could find. So bold WAS he that he entered a
statrroom of lady on board the steamship Cir
cassian ut midnight and attempted to steal n
valuable diamond ring on her finger MS she
another baront on the same steamer were
robbed OF letters Of credit. lcwelry. and about
500 in, money Sprunglc's baggage was
searched. but nothing was found. except bot
tie OF hair dye In his vniisc Finding nothing
in his trunk the Captain and his assistant be-
gan To think thatth"y had done Sprungle wrong
in entertaining suspicious OF his being the
thief. but on turning over his trunk to see IN
anything was hidden in the ton. both Of them
found that the sorrow heads Mt the bottom had
been newly bnckcnrd. On examining the iron
bands with u screw driver they found that those
nj the bottom OF the trunk turned round when
looscncd ON enc scr"w. revealing beneath
each acnvity In the end Of the trunk six inches
deep. From one of these cavities they extracted
bills, and diamond studs and jrwrlry. With
the execution of the studs. the articles were all
claimed 10y the passengers. Fotty-ilve English
sovereigns wcrs also discovered in the OPEN
ings OF the trunk. packed in firmly with paper
An umbrella was found containing a cavity for
cOnceallng the stolen treasure.