Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-01-23
A PRISONER IN A TOMB,
He TRIED TO STEAL THE JEW
ELS FROM A DEAD DUCHESS.

He Thought That All the Ornaments That
Adorned the Corpse 1t Lay in State
Were Buried with the Body-He Broke
Into the Tomb and Fell Into a Trap.
Only few weeks after her return from
Brussels, where she had seen her son, re-
Gently crowned king of the Beigians, did
the Duchess Augusta eff Sachsen-Coburg
die, in her seventy sixth year. Nov. Is, 1881.
The admiration and love this adlnira-
bic princess had inspired drew crowds to
visit the body, as it lay in state in the resi-
dence at Coburg, prior to the funeral,
which took place on the 10th, before day
break, by the light of torches The funeral
was attended by men and women of all
classes, eager to express their attachment
to the deceased and respect for the family.
II A great deal was said and tabled con-
| corning this funeral. 1t was told and be-
lieved that the dowager duchess had been
laid in the family vault adorned with her
diamond rings and richest necklaces She
was the mother of kings, and the vulgar
believed that every royal and princely
house with which she was allied had con-
tributed some jewel toward the decoration
of her body.
Among those who were present at the
funeral of the Duchess Augusta was
Bavarian named Andreas Stubenrauch, an
artisan then at Coburg He was the son
of an armorer, followed his fathers pro-
fession, and had settled at Coburg. Stuben-
rauch had been one of the crowd that had
passed by the bed on which the duchess
lay in state, and had cast covetous eyes at
the jewelry with which the body was
adorned.
He had also attended the funeral, and
had come to the conclusion that the Ouch
ess was buried with all the precious arti-
cles he had noticed about her as exposed to
view before the burial, and with great
deal more, which popular gossip asserted
to have been laid in the coffin with her.
chung to his mind, and Stubenrauch re-
solved to enter the mausoleum and rob the
body
BREAKTNG INTO A TOMB.
The position of the vault, far removed and
concealed from the palace, suited his plans,
and he made little account of locks and
bars, which were likely to prove small hin
derances to an accomplished locksmith.
To carry his plan into execution he re-
solved on choosing the night of Aug. is
10, 1882 On this evening he sat drinking
in low tavern till 10 O'Clock. when he lett,
returned to his lodgings, where he collected
the tools he believed he would require,
candle and flint and steel, and then betook
himself to the mausoleum. The tomb was
closed by an iron gate formed of strong
bars eight feet high, radiating from cen
ter in sort of semicircle and armed with
sharp spikes.
He found it impossible to open the lock,
and he was therefore obliged to climb over
the gate regardless of the danger of tear
ing himself on the barbs Here he found
double stout oaken door in the floor that
gave access to the vault. The two valves
were so closely dovetailed into one another
and fitted so exactly that he found the
utmost difficulty in getting tool between
them. He tried his false keys in vain on
the lock, and for long time his efforts to
prise the lock open with lever were equal
ly futile At length by means of a wedge
he succeeded in breaking way through
the junction of the doors into which he
could insert bar, and then he heaved at
enc valve with all his might, throwing his
weight on the lever.
1t took him fully an hour before he could
break open the door. Midnight struck as
the valve, grating on it's hinges was thrown
back. Then, leaning over the opening,
holding pole in both hands, he endeav-
ored to feel the depth of the vault. In so
doing he lost his balance and the weight of
the pole dragged him down, and he fell be-
tween two collins some twelve feet below
the floor of the upper chamber. There he
lay for some little while unconscious,
stunned by his fall When he came to
himself he sat up, felt about with his hands
to ascertain where he was, and considered
what next should be done.
II A TRAP.
Stubenrauch was not the man to feel
either respect for the dead or fear of aught
supernatural With both hands he sus-
tanned the heavy lid of the coffin as he
peered in, and the necessity for using both
to support the weight prevented his pro-
fame hand from being laid on the remains
of an august and pious princess. Stuben-
rauch did indeed try moro than once to
sustain the lid with one hand that he
might grope with the other for the treas
! ures he fancied must be concealed there,
but the moment he removed one hand the
lid crashed down.
Disappointed in his expectations, STU
benraucha now replaced the cover and be-
gan to consider how he might escape. But
now, and now only, did he discover that it
was not possible for him to get out of the
vault into which he had fallen. The pole
on which he had placed his confidence was
too short TO reach the opening above.
Every effort made by Stubenrauch to
scramble out failed. He was caught in a
trap-and what a trap! Nemesis had fallen
ON the ruffian at once on the scene of his
crime and condemned him to betray him
self.
Morning broke. It was Sunday, and a
special festival at Coburg, for it was the
twenty fifth anniversary of the accession
of the duke, SO that the town was in lively
commotion, and park and palace were also
in stir. Stubenrauch sat up and waited
in hopes of hearing some one draw near
who could release him. About 0 O'Clock in
the morning he heard steps on the gravel
and at once began to shout for assistance.
The person who had approached ran
away in alarm, declaring that strange and
unearthly noises issued from the ducal
mausoeum. The guard was appraised, but
would not at first believe the report. At
length one of the sentinels was dispatched
TO the spot, and he returned speedily with
the tidings that there certainly was man
in the vault. He had peered through the
grating at the entrance, and had seen the
door broken open and crowbar and other
articles lying about The gate was now
opened, and Stubenrauoh removed in the
midst of an assembled crowd of angry and
dismayed spectators He was removed to
prison, tried and condemned to eighteen
months with hard labor.-Baring-G oulds
Historic Oddities.