The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-05
W%ILHELMINA'SO
SOME SIZE WILL WEAR AS QUEEN
ONCE BURIED IN BR0ORLY I'm.

Trey Were stolen, with 0ther Royal IoVelas
. FROM y Palace in Brussels IN ls00-Ths
Thief Came - This Country and Haid $780,.
o worth Near Greenwoed Cemetery.
Few New Workers. know that q considerable
part of tho crown jewels to DO worn by the
Princess Wilhelmina at her coronation as
Queen Of Holland In August once reposed in q
thicket in Brooklyn. Tho extraordinary cpl
sode which brought them here happened not
quite seventy years ago, but tho arising compli.
cations were a fertile source Of perturbation to
the State Department at Washington for years.
On the night of Sept. 1926. 1920. the palace
in the city of Brussels-Belgium being a part Of
the Netherlands then vas broken into and the
insignia, jewels and personal ornaments Of tho
Princess Of Orangc-a sister Of the Emperor Of
Russia-consistinR Of about 1901 carats Of
diamonds and about lS,462 pieces Of q rare and
peculiar description, coming under the desig-
nation OF court jewels" were stolen. Among
them were two large and brilliant diadcms Of
the Princess; a portrait set in brilliants Of tho
Emperor Paul of Russia and the Empress
Marin; q gold bracelet with the portrait of the
Emperor Nicholas engraved upon an amethyst;
two bracelets With the initials of King William
/. OF Holland, Of the Queen, his mother and
their family, in turquoise set with hair; por.
traits, painted in their youth, of tho Grand
Dukes Alexander, Constantine, Nicholas and
Michael, the brothers Of the Princess, and a tur-
quoise and gold talisman bracelet to which the
Princess attached a special and tender impor-
lance far beyond its value.
The palace Of Laeken was no less celebrated
for It's beauty OF situation and architecture
than for the grandeur Of its furniture, which
had been given in great part by the court of
Russia 10 the Princess. The jewels were kept
In one of the pieces OF furniture, a writing desk
of the familiar type in which the door falls down
to form the writing level, disclosing paper and
writing materials behind 1t. When closed. this
door was faced on its external by a large plato
Of looking-glass on which appeared the words
in plain gilt lettering. "Caisse.de Diamants."
On the night of the robbery the palace, ex-
cept for the servants in the basement, was I'M
occupied, the Prince and Princess being at
their summer home. The thief undoubtedly
know, or was informed beforehand, where the
jewels lay. There was but ono spot not guard.
ed by sentinels-the rear wall of the square On
which the palace stood. With the most pre-.
else calculation, by means Of a small ladder,
he passed over this wall into the garden and
gained the terrace leading from the palace to
the rear garden. Fortune favored him, for the
door was not fastened, and in he went directly
to the writing desk. Breaking the front plate
Of glass, he seized the jewels. and, retracing his
steps. escaped, throwing tho ladder into o ditch.
The discovery Of the robbery aroused intense
excitement. The Government OF the Neither.
lands offered a reward of $1,000 forms for the
arrest of the thief and the recovery of the
jewels. On Nov. 10, 1929, Chevalier Huygins,
Dutch Minister to the United States. sent Q
communication to the Department of State at
Washington announcing the circumstance at
tending the theft, and soliciting this Govern
ments aid in recovering the jewels and arrest
ing the felon. the supposition being that he
would set out sooner o. later for the United
States with his booty, which, according to the
Chevalier. was valued at about 81, 10000.
Month after month passed. until fourteen
months had flown by. and not the remotest
clue was discovered. 1t was at this period that
the Belgian revolution was coming to q head.
The Belgian subjects of the King of the Meth
erlands were hostile to the royal family. The
Prince was quite Indifferent to his pecuniary
obligations in Belgium. This gave him an I'M
pleasant reputation, 80 that part Of the Bel
gians regarded him with distrust and suspi-
cion. Subtle rumors went about, fastening
upon him the crime Of appropriating the jewels
ruse, designed to veil the act Of the Prince. The
With the Charge - Other f BelRissns s' SEEING t hrm
pass with all the civilized Governments at work
even a clue to his whereabouts, began to ridip,
Guile the idea Of a robbery. How could one of
susceptible Of identiacstion bo - eop@ 9EnittetE
they asked, without some trace Of It's author
DeulR uBVelOpeuf
The royal family, therefore, not only suffered
the loss OF me crown Jewels; but the Prince
he had served with reputation and the humilia-
ton OF the charge nearly carried him to the
grave' oh To prove his Innocence became the
jewels were a secondary matter.
On July 2s. 1881. a F~renchman. John Rou-
HHyEins, and surprised that industrio GM0d dipIo:
mat with, the announcement that he had dis
jewels lay. He said that he lived in a French
boarding house In New York city. There had
Ernied by a woman who passed as his wife.
Roumage ingratiatcd hiorseif into the favor and
fSat her ss@ Sp thS wG Gonst;. Th Po ninaiil Or t csrrs si%
} was the thief who had broken into the royal pal.
the t Neth SsGISn InG had 2sTi iessen %he tht sho T RGliG = 90
f %Sla Iba n his PlsSs $751; Of cop nee tans M and S started led
about 9 years old, After committing tho rob
berry PoIari went about q mile or:two:out of the
appeared at work as a mechanic the next morn.
ing at BF En Upon deciding, to leave the
them from their settings in a rude. unskiiful
) manner: injHring the value Of some. He kept
100000. These were mainly such separated
pieces as were least likely of Identification.
, Giles likely to betray him he reburied. informinR
his o9nsort of the exact spot,
walking stick. q hollow umbrella stick and a
hollow toy OF his child, he passed out of Bel.
glum on loot lntO Franco, where he sold about
$4,000 worth of tho smaller jewels that were
not calculated to arouse suspicion. Having
now enough money for expenses to the United
States, with his wife and child no sailed from
Havre and arrived at New York on July 20,
1881. Escaping the vigilance OF the customs
0 officers. they landed safely.
l Chevslier Huygins was overjoyed to hear all
this and could scarcely, restrain his oxuberance
But, containing himself. he asked coldly what
4 ocular proof RoumeGe could show. The
8 Frenchman drew forth some Jewels. These. he
said, he had persuaded Polarl to intrust to him
on the suggestion that probably he could effect
4 their sale. This was his evidence. RoumaRe
added that as he was exposed to great personal
I danger from POLAR, should the latter learn who
y betrayed him, the Chevalier must not only
8 promise in writing 20 pay him the 10000 aorinIS
I reward, but must keep the transaction secret
. should he give him information enabling him tc
: recover the jewels and arrest Polari. The
. Minister consented.
q At the same time. IN order to get besides the
T reward tho one.fourth part allowed by Congress
o 70 infoTpers of sm4gglers. RoumGge notified