The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-09-11
MISSING SINCE 1871.
Mystery sof the Disappearance of Some
Famous Jewels.

Where are Nine Du Barry's jewels?
This question is pugzling many persons
ut present Though she has been dead for
many years, this famous Frenohwoman
has suddenly become an object Of great in
terest throughout Europe, and all that con-
Germs her romantic life is regarded as of
historic Importance.
Nine. Du Barry was very wealthy, and
up to the present hardly any one seems to
have made the slightest effort to lay hands
upon the fortune which she unouestion-
ably left behind her
Divers go to the bottom of the sea in
quest of bullion, others spend years in
hunting after legendary wealth, but until
now no one seems to have given thought
to Mime. Du Barry's lost cashbox, with
It's wonderful collection of diamonds and
other gems.
History seems to give clear clew as to
the present location of these gems. On the
evening OF Jan. 10, 1891, Nine Du Barry
left the castle Of Louveciennes in order to
pay visit to the Duo de Brissac, her in
tentlon being to return on the following
day. During her absence burglars entered
her bedroom and carried off her Jewels
Moorin, Mime. Du Barry s faithful servant
had heard no noise in the house, and the
soldier who was on duty in front of the
castle was found intoxicated in neigh
boring wineshop.
The list Of the stolen jewels is still to be
found in the French archives and reads
like chapter Of "The Arabian Nights"
SO bewildering is the long catalogue of dia-
monds, rubies, emeralds pearls and other
precious stones
When the theft was made known, the
French public smiled in incredulity.
Mime. Du Barry was not popular, and the
revolutionary journals were unanimous in
claiming that the former favorite Of Louis
XIV had invented the whole story. 40
cording to the London Public Advertiser,
published at the time, the men who had
stolen the jewels came straight to London
with their booty.
There were five Of them, and on their
arrival they went to first class hotel and
ordered a first class dinner. Their lack Of
| luggage and seedy clothing did not tend
| to inspire confidence in the hotel keeper,
| but they succeeded In convincing him that
| they had plenty OF cash and only needed
| to get it changed into English money. On
the following day they went to Mr.. Simon,
| one Of the richest jewellers in London, and
| offered to sell him some precious stones at
a price which was scarcely one-sixth of
their real value. The jeweler bought all
of them, then asked them if they had any
| more of the same quality.
They said that they had, whereupon the
| jeweler, finding some pretext for leaving
his shop, fastened to tell his story to the
| police The latter had little difficulty in
| effecting the arrest of the five men, who,
1 finding themselves discovered, attempted
| to throw the diamonds in the fire. They
| failed to accomplish this purpose, however,
and the police took possession of the treas
ure. One of the thieves was an English
man who had before been frequently ar
rested on various charges.
Being informed of the arrests, Nine. Du
Barry came to London, accompanied by
her ieweler. The latter identified the pre-
cious stones, and his testimony was SO con-
| vincing that nothing seemed to remain but
| to punish the malefaotors and hand back
the property to its rightful owner. In
those days a crime of the kind was pun
ished with hanging. Nine. Du Barry,
| however, was not to recover her property
SO easily. The thieves positively refused
| to plead guilty.
The beautiful Frenchwoman went to
Newgate prison, where they were confined,
| laa5ar ;r+o = oo,,fo.,i,,, - Ia - -.
in +bis instance those charros svhich b 10,
worried vorders With 60 ,oanv NOV, rro ,1..s,
utterly frnitless The caIlons THAI ra,na,,,.
Cd st,,bborn as mia a,,d raf,,saa - -,
tn the scaffold at her behast The res,, 81
Voc that the lorlI chief i,,stica dao,,,as -
| their favor Tho cbaroes ape;nst +h.,,, h.
| said had not been nroved and f,,,.+ha.
mora no Eng,,sb trihunaI voc co,,,-,s st.
to inf,ict nena,tv fo,. a cr,, mo cor,, 49,
In a forei or, country Tho five4hiavo, +hs,,
were discharped Az to the iaue,s tn, tho
Govt, ygas ratber in = onandarv '--N
Tha thiaves had evidently stola, chow
hnt If thew were not NINE IN Rarr1,e
nronertv whose we've thew The Tna+te,
Voc in1an;onslv con,nror,isaa Tha &c.
ale xners ,,1scaa IN : oasa,tov ~, ,u tS%
was slammed the zeal Of the citv of T ,ondo,,
a,,d 1vera then ,,acad for 70 Ieer,;,,e ~;
HTa.srs Ranso,o Morl.,d a r., - s;1
= 1araa hanLin,, bns,nass N Del, Mi
800 Ngo-,horo,,oh Ho,,sa Tha,,,dar,ta,sa
10 xvas tbat tba ;e1ge,s ,yo1,,d , .O,, :,
| Lug. Nes' oAA.No VIZ 5S'SAo "SesA>- iAOAAAeeAh