Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1885-11-07
GREAT ROBBERiES.
How Royal Treasurics Have Reen Rined
by Thieves.


The story of Colonel Blood. who all
but managed to make Off with the
English crown jewels from the Tower,
is so well known that it need only be
referred to. But there are several
other instances less known, though
scarcely less peculiar. Nearly six
hundred years ago the great treasury
in Westminster Abbey was cleared of
some of the most valuable of its con-
tents. the sacristan and several of the
monks acting in completely with GER
tain thieves outside the walls. Some
Of the objects were never recovered;
but the richness of the booty hampered
the robbers SO much that when the
chief OF them was captured but two
thousand pounds worth was found in
his possession. SO carefully was the
robbery planned that the rogues sowcd
the graveyard with hemp. in order that
four months later it might serve to
conceal the proceeds of the burglary.
This crop. it may be added, was util-
lied for quite a different purpose. In
1440 the Republic of Venice narrowly
escaped being plundered of its vast
hoard of valuables by man named
Stammato, who, after secreting him.
self behind an altar in the cathedral
managed to gain access to the treasury
by means of false keys. Night after
4: night he removed objects of value, and
there seems little doubt that he might
have escaped with his booty had he
not been tempted to show one of hi.
countrymcn the Ducal cap of the Doge,
which he had inst conveyed TO his
lodgings. This misplaced confidence
q f-slt a M
two million ducats in his possession.
Anne of Denmark, Queen of James VI.
of Scotland, was robbed by
her maid of pearls and othe,
valuables. under the plea thai
these jewels We're taken to dress doll:
for the royal children. On the death
of Queen Charlotte an enormous guam
tjtv of precious stones. including dia
mond, to the value of nearly million.
was missing. On previous occasion
gold ever and a basin enriched with
gems disappeared from the royal
chambers. The latter were subse
quenIy found behind book shelf in the
Kings study. At n later date it wa:
officially announced that the diamond:
had. for the most part. been recovered
with the exception of the late King:
Star and Garter. valued at seven thou.
sand dollars. 1t was believed tina
George III. had removed them during
one of his fits of insanity. and had for
gotten where he put them. The gar
ter is. however. still missing.
During the disorders following the
revolution the French crown jewels
were stolen by the robbers. who climbed
the colonnades at the side of the place
Louis XIV. and thus gained entrance &c
the Garde Meuble, where they had beer
placed by the Commune of Paris.
portion of the treasure was recovered
from ditch in the Alec DIES Feuves. il
the Champs Elysees, but though Ma
poleon made every effort to collect The
stones, which had been dispersed
throughout Europe. many have disap
peared, it is believed forever. In this,
as in almost all the cases of robberies
of crown jewels. all the guardians o.
the treasures were suspected of com
plicitv. and to the end of his life Citizen
Sargent bore the title of Agate
owing to a popular belief that. on the
basis of the proverb which gives thieves
credit for knowing their own hiding
places, he had no difficulty in finding
the agate-onyX chalice which formed
part of the treasure tished out
of the ditch in the Champs Eiysees.
Since that time several more of the
crown jewels have vanished. and in
lS4s. during the transport of these val
uables to the treasury. two pendeloques
of diamonds and the button of a hat in
brill'ants suddenly d;sappeared. In
1904 the celebrated "Cup of the Ptol-
emies' was stolen from the Paris Mu-
scum. and within the last three years
the Church of St Denis was despoilcd
of some Of the regal ornaments. In
1850 the Princess of Orange was robbed
of her jewels at Brussels. and in 1877
the treasures Of the Cathedral of Toledo
were withdraw from public inspection,
owing to the numerous thefts to which
they had been subjected for many
years previously As for the Duke of
Brunswick, Notwithstanding the elabo-
rate precaution which ne took to keep
his diamonds. he was plnndered more
than once. and, to the scandal of the
Legitimacy, some of Don Carlos orders
went astray in peculiar manner
Charles l. helped himself to the contents
of the jewel-house when funds failed.
and Charles H., Immediately after his
accession, issued proclamation COM
manding all persons in whose posses
sion there were any of the crown jewels
sold by the Commonwealth to restore
them to their rightful owners. But.
though several persons were arrested
Tor not doing so, the scattered vaIua-
bfes came in so slowly that a new set
OF regalia became necessary. Edward
Ill pledged his crown and jewels to
the merchants of Flanders. and Henry
V. put his diadem in pawn to the Abbot
of Westminster in order to raise funds
to carry on the war with France. Not
to enumerate many similar transac.