The Washington weekly post., 1899-10-10
CARRIED OFF THE
QUEENS SU YER.

| " ~ IL I<F ~ ~ H. v L. ts
| Police departments on both sides Of the
Atlantic have received a warning from
the Dutch police to be on the lookout for
a royal official OF the name OF Leblanc.
who. until the moment of his sudden dis
appearance and departure for parts un-
known. held the Office OF chief custodian
OF the plate closet Of Queen Wilhelmina
OF the Netherlands. He took fight OF
September % last, and since then II has
been discovered that an immense guam
| uty OF silver and silver-gilt articles for
| use of the table and for use OF the toilet
mas vanished. the intrinsic value OF the
| objects stolen representing more than
l.Uo00- Holland Is a small country,
yet its Queen is one of the very wealthiest
sovereigEs in Europe, ard has collec-
| ton of plate that is surpassed nowhere
except at Windsor and 81. Petersburg.
| The theft in question serves to call atten-
| ton once more 10 the constantly increas-
ing number Of robberies and embezzle-
ments that are being pcrpetrated in Eu-
| rope al the expense of royal personages
The palace Of prince or princess of the
blood is just about the very last place
which one would expect to offer an at
I
as well as the entire vicinity, are not only
! guarded by the police set specially to
watch over the safety of its illustrious
inmates. but also by military sentinels
| and patrols Yet there have been quite
| number Of royal palaces which have been
visited professionally by burglars il re
/ cent years.
| Thus the King of Servia. about twelve
| months ago, had his desk broken open in
the royal palace of Belgrade, and robbed
| or all the money and papers contained
| therein, while King Leopold's brother and
heir. the colossally wealthy Count of
Flanders father of Prince Albert of Bel
GUM, who visited the United States) had
his palace at Brussels broken into twice
within the space of eighteen months, the
| robbers on the first occasion carrying of
| his gold and silver plate, and on the sec
ond visit the superb collection OF jewels OF
the countess. Queen Olga of Wurtem-
berg's palace on the shore of Lake Con-
stance, was literally pillaged by burglars,
and II was only the other day that
three OF the royal servants Of Queen Pia
of Portugal were found TO be working In
league with a gang of burglars, to whom
they had not only consigned a number Of
valuables belonging to the Queen, but
whom they had likewise arranged to ad-
NIT TO the palace with q view to its being
robbed in due form.
1t would be strange II the suspicious of
the Dutch police turned out to be well
founded, and the fugitive plate keeper.
Leblanc, had succeeded in reaching this
country with the gold and silver plate of
queen Wilhelm in his possession, for
II would serve TO recall to mind the fact
that some seventy years ago over 81, ,OOO 600
worth of the crown jewels of Holland
were stolen from the palace OF Laeken, at
Brussels belgium then belonging to the
NetheTi7nds). by burglar of Italian ma
uonaity named Carrara, who, after bury
ing & portion Of his booty in the outskirts
OF Brussels, came to the United States
with the remainder. Tempted by the re-
ward of $4,000 which had been offered for
the recovery OF the jewels and for the
capture OF the thief, a French friend.
whose acquaintance he made in New
York, betrayed him to the Dutch envoy at
washington, who communicated both
with the New York police and with the |
collector Of the port of New York
On the strength of this Carrara was ar
rested. But while the police were engag-
ed in tracing him, the man who had be- |
trayed him and Carrara's female accom- |
plice dug up all the jewels which had been
brought to this country, and which Cara
ra had buried on the outskirts of Green |
wood Cemetery, in Brooklyn, and sailed |
for Liverpool. The Dutch envoy at Wash |
ington, on discovering the trick that had |
been played upon him. caused the arrest |
OF the woman and of the informer on |
their arrival at Liverpool, where the Jew
els were recovered from them, while by
dint or threats and promises of reward |
the woman was induced to betray the |
place where the jewels were buried at
Brussels, with the result that ultimately
almost the whole of the gems which had |
been stolen by Carrara were recovered.
Both Balmoral and Windsor have been
visited by burglars, in spite of the swarm
OF detectives who invariably surround
her majesty. On the occasion Of the last
visit Of the late Shah of Persia to her
majesty at Windsor. his celebrated gold
sword belt, literally studded from one
end to the other with huge diamonds and
emeralds, and which formed so conspicu-
Gus feature of the state attire Of this
Oriental potentate, was found to have dis
appeared. Ultimately the belt was dis
covered hidden in a cellar in the castle |
underneath a lot of wood, where II had
been concealed by a dishonest servant,
who had stolen it from the Persian Off
cial intrusted with its guardianship.
Three years ago couple of soldiers of
the Scots Guards We're convicted of hav-
ing stolen a watch and chain belonging to
the private secretary of the Queen while
on guard duty. and Queen VictOria's sec
ond son, the now reigning Duke of CO.
burg. while staying with his mother at
was robbed OF several thousand
dollars worth of jewelry, which was never
The late Emperor of Russia, Alexander
III, was. prior to his accession 10 the
throne, the victim Of most daring rob-
berry. He was travelling incognito from |
Lividia to st. Petersburg on a visit to |
MS father. At roadside station between |
Moscow and st. Petersburg the train sud
ienly pulled up contrary TO regulations. |
and some strange people entered into the
in which the then czaro-
gitZ was travelling. When the train had
got little farther out into the country
he men set upon his imperial highness. |
md after binding ard gagging him, pur-
oined everything he had about him that
vas worth taking, and then left the car
1age while the train was I'm motion. In
hat condition he was discovered at the
lext stopping place. and the alarm was
II once raised. But the thieves were
lever caught, although the engine driver
vas sent TO derive a spell OF rest in ST.
'eria for being connected with the a. J
air. and several other railroad officials
fnFAvlr MT 1