St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-07
STEALING ENGLAND'S CROWN.

STEALING ENGLAND'S CROWN.
One of the Most Original and OAR
ing Robberies in Modern His
tory.
jewelers. Review.
Perhaps one of the most daringly con-
ceived and executed robberies in history
is that which occurred In the year 1878,
when the bold attempt was made by Col.
Blood and his associates to get away
with the crown. orb and sccpter of Eng
lish royalty. One is almost tempted to
wish that the scheme, carried SO far, had
been succeSSful-a feeling engendered,
no doubt. by the instructive sympathy
tempt daring deed. Blood was no or
binary thief or burglar. AS his title
indicates. he had served his king and
his country iii the army, and had been
gallant officer. His confederateS were
one Parrot, silk dyer, who had seen
some fighting in the civil war between
Roundheads and Cavaliers. and young
man named Hunt, a son-in-aw of the
colonel. Blood fancied he had griev
ance against the king, alleging that he
had not been sufficiently paid for his
services. He had INDUCED in
plots against the king and the
Duke of Ormonde, which failing,
he bethought himself of the crown
jewels as Offering rich plumber as well
as his coveted revenge. His plan was
ingenious. Attlred i'll a parsons habit
and accompanied by woman who
posed as his wife, he visited the Tower
of DODdOn. and requested to be shown
the regalia. The warder, a Mr.. Ed
wards, received them courteOuSly, and
conducted them to the jewel tower.
While they were inspecting the SYM
bOls of royalty the woman pretended to
be suddenly seized with severe pain
and fell III faint. Sympathetic, yet
cautious, Edwards sent his wife for re-
storatives. but did not leave the apart
ment. Mrs. Blood soon recovered suffi-
GENTLY to be able to stand, but as she was
still weak, she was invited into the
house to rest while. The ''parSOn"
and his lady returned in three or four
days with gift of some gloves as an
evidence of gratitude to their kindly
hosts. and from this sprang a friendship
and intimacy which eliminated in the
proposition by:BIood of a match between
his nephew really his son-in-law) and
that pretty gentlewoman," Edwards
daughter. Edwards was immensely
pleased with the idea, and invited the
parson and his wife to dinner the next
day, when the final arrangements were
to be made, Ostensibly for the engage
ment of the young people, but i'll reality
for the theft of the regal jewels.
At the hour appointed Col. Blood, his
"nephew'' and two friends, of whom
Parrot was one, appeared at the tower
and were met by Edwards with cordial
greeting. Edwards was arrayed IN
purple and fine linen for the occasion.
or, as we should put it nowadays, be
was ''gOtten up regardless" TO pass
the time until dinner was ready they
went into the jewel house, leaving the
nephew" at the door as sentinel.
Once inside work was quickly begun.
A cloak was thrown over Edwards, and
iron hook being used to close the nos
making the slightest noise. He
was told that to resist meant
death, but nevertheless he kicked,
struggled, and tried in every way to give
the alarm. He was then knocked on
the head with mallet, dagger was
plunged into his breast, and the con-
splratorS believed him dead. One man
put the globe into his breeches pocket.
Blood hid the crown under his cloak,
and the third man tried desperately to
file the scepter in two, 1t being too long
to carry away in its entirety. While all
this was going on Edwards son, who
had just returned from the sea, reached
the tower. He was met by the sentinel,
who asked him his business, to
which Edwards replied that he be-
longed to the house. Surprising that
the young man wished to see his
father, the warden, Edwards went up
stairs and promised to send his father
down. Hunt-tle ''sentiner'-immedi-
ately gave the alarm, and the cOnspira-
tors took flight. The old man Edwards
who had only been feigning death, i'm
mediately pulled the gag from his
mouth and yelled Murder! Treasonw
His daughter heard the cutlery and
rushed 10 his side. Seeing her father
wounded she Immediately ran out upon
crown is stolen!' The alarm being
thus given, Blood and his companions
found themselves in danger. They
nudged each others. arms and
thereby aroused suspicion, where
upon they quickened their steps.
Young Edwards and an officer of the
tower named Capt. Beckman were
by this time on the trail of the fugitives,
who had got beyond the main guard.
The alarm was again given, and the
sentry at the draw-bridge challenged
the men. Blood drew a pistol and
discharged it at the soldier, who was
SO terrified that he immediately
dropped. At the ward house,
| for some unaccountable reason,n effort
| was made to stop the thieves, and they
| gained the street. They then led the
mob in an excited chase after the mis-
creants, meanwhile making their way
| towards their horses, which were tied
at st. Catherine's gate. Young Ed
wards and Beckman were close at
their heels, however, and Blood
fred his pistol at Beck
man. Beokman lodged the shot and
| Immediately grappled with his oppo-
| nent, from under whose cloak he
wrested the crown. Edwards tackled
| Parrot and took the globe from him.
| Hunt and the other cODSpiratOr. hOwev-
| err, had stood not upon the order of their
going and had reached the horses, upon
which they galloped away. A cart.
however. turned abruptly in the street
| ahead of them. and into this they ran,
Hunt being struck in the head by a
| pole and dismounted. Both were
captured. The ending of the story is as
interesting as the beginning. The king
| Charles H. heard the case himself,
| and affected TO be Impressed by the
| gallantry of Blood and his fellow-con-
! spirators. He was inclined to be
clement with them, but when Blood
| (who, by the way, must have had
rare knowledge of the kings charac-
| ter said in a nOnchalant manner that
| he did not care for his own life, and he
| expected to suffer the extreme penalty
of the law, but that he belonged to a
! band of men sworn to avenge any death
among their number, and that, if he were
executed, the lives of the king and his
ministers would not be worth five min
utes' purchase, Charles gave way com
| pletely. He incontiuentiy pardoned
the whole gang, and, in addition, set
| tied Blood OH an estate in Ireland and
! gave him pension OF $500 a year. All
| this for ''reasons of state"
Poor old Edwards and his son. how
ever, did not fare so nicely. The old
man received the enormous sum of
$500 and his son e100, 'for signal serv-
| inQ I'm tbn ta Nari1y- cnmatimoc