The Savannah morning news., 1902-05-31

Robbery of the Treasure House OF
Edward I-Theft of the Crown OF
st. stephen of Hungnry-The Hon
ors of Scotland stolen to Save
Them-COI. BIood's Attempt on the
English Crown.
From the New York Sun.
1t is hardly possible that anything
can happen to the crown of England
between now and the coronation cere-
monies next month; for if anything is
carefully guarded it is probably that
rather uncomfortable article of head
gear. But twice in the past that crown
or one of its predecessors has been in
danger from robbers, and other
crowns in Scotland and in Hungary
have been stolen from their keepers.
The first time that a crown was in
danger, an actual crown, not merely
a throne, occurred in London in 1903.
In that year King Edward l was
marching to Scotland to fight Will
liam Wallace, and the palace at West
minister was deserted by all the men
who usually dwelt near the King. Only
the Queen and her attendants and the
monks OF Westminster were in or near
the palace.
In the Chapel of the Pyx, between
the palace and the Abbey church, was
stored the royal treasure, heaped up
by Edwards predecessors and added
TO by him to provide for his Scots war.
There was more than one hundred
thousand pounds in money. equal to
more than one million pounds now,
besides the regalia of many Kings,
Saxon, Norman and Plantagenet-a
treasurer large even now, and in those
days enormous.
The knowledge of this treasure, so
much of it in money or jewels easily to
be taken away and converted into
money, led Richard de POdeliCote,
dealer in wool, cheese and butter, who
had had losses, to think of recouping
himself from the Kings treasury. He
saw that the little door leading from
the palace to the abbey was not
watched since the King had gone, and
Inspecting the premises he decided to
make an illegal raid on the treasury.
Carrying a ladder, pretending proba-
bly, to be a workman repairing the
Abbey roof. he entered the precincts
and waited until the place was closed
for the night. Then he placed the lad
der against a window, climbed up and
tying a rope around his body, dropped
in the Chapter House. Thence ne
MADE MS way DOluIy INTO the ClOlSltIS.
The first time he visited the place
he was contented with the silver cups
in the aumries or cupboards in the re-
fectory of the abbey; but having found
how easy it was to rob he decided to
carry out his plan and to rife the
treasury itself.
Now he needed assistance, and he
seems to have obtained it from those
who should have guarded the treas
no Of he al
many aided him we do not know; all
the monks We're arrested when the
robbery became known, and some of
them were hanged. But it is not likely
that the forty-one monks and the
thirty-one lay brothers were engaged
in the attempt.
Podelicote in his confession took the
entire blame on his own sholders; but
he was too loyal to his accomplices,
for he said that he worked on the
Chapel of the PyX from eight days be-
fore Christmas, 1902. to April "a, 1903
more than four months, that Is. lie
may have done the breaking and en-
terng alone; but as he had to work
IN an. open and frequented passage be-
tween the Chapter House and the
cloisters to take out stones, lift and
replace pavements, it is certain that If
he did the actual work alone he had
friends in authority in the abbey who
knew when not to see the traces OF
his labors.
At all events he said that he enter
ed the Chapel of the PyX on April "a.
the eve of st. Marks Day. Il stayed
there all that night and all the next
day and the night after that, choos-
ing and arranging what he would
take: and the night of April &c he COM
mitted the robbery, taking out his
plumber and hiding it in the ground
back of st. Margarets Church, just
east of the abbey.
lie took pitchers, cups with feet
pouches full of jewels and vessels of
gold and silver, a crucifx of gold
known as the Cross of Meath. dishes
and saucers, spoons. rings, brooches.
crowns and girdles, stones and money
But desnite his confession 1t was
proved that some of the monks did
more than merely keep their eyes shut.
The sacristan was strongly suspect
ed. Another brother sewed hemp seed
in the cloister garth that when 1t grew
up 1t might offer hiding place for
small articles; an outsider, not a monk.
suddenly bought horses and arms and
fine raiment.
William de Paleys. who guarded the
palace gate, let the burglars in and
out. Under his bed were found the
1eweled case in which the golden cruel
fix was kept, and other Valuables taken
from the treasury.
The Kings crown the burglars did
not touch. though they took other
crowns and things that they could melt
down and break up These they sold
in London and other towns.
How the robbery became known is
not. of record: but probably some con-
federate betrayed Podelicote and his
accomplces. The King was very an
CRY and ordered a searching investiga-
ton. All the monks and their assist
ants were sent to the Tower; and after
the ringleaders had been hanged, were
kept there for nearly two years.
This is the first unsuccessful at
tempt on a crown. The first success
full attempt was made in Hungary in
1889 Albert Duke of Austria and King
of Hungary had died suddenly, leaving
his widow expecting to become a
mother.
The Hungarians almost at once in
vited Wladislas of Poland to marry the
Queen and take the crown of their
country; but the Queen of Hungary de-
termined that she would not wed I'M
I'll her child was born, and that even
if Wladislas accepted the offer, he
should not be crowned with the sacred
crown of St. Stephen. Once so crown
ed, she knew that her rights and those
OF her son, if she bore one, would never
be regarded.
Elizabeth decided to steal the crown
of st. Stephen, and hide 1t until her
child was born if it should be a son,
she intended to have him crowned at
once and trust thereafter to the loyalty
OF her people.
Thus deciding, she took one of her