The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-05-26
THE STEALING OF CROWNS
BRITAIN'S AND SEVERAL OTH-
 FRS.

Robbed and st, stephens Iron
 Crown of Hungary Was Left, and How Colonel Blood stole the Eng
 liah Grown and How He Was Par
 doned.
 It 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 it's 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 crown was in
 danger, an actual crown, not merely
 throne, occurred in London in 1865 In
 that year King Edward I was march,
 ing to Scotland to fight William Wal
 lace, and the palace at Westminster
 was deserted by all the men who usual-
 ly dwelt near the king. Only the queen
 and her attendants and the monks of
 Westminster were in or near the palace.
 Tn the chapel of the Pyx, between the
 palce and the Abby church, was stored
 the royal treasure, heaped up by Ed
 wards predecessors and added to by
 him to provide for his Scots war. There was more than e10000 in money, equal to more than G1,000,000 now besides the
 regalia of many kings, Saxon and Nor mana treasury 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 above abbey was not watched since the king had gone, and inspecting the premises he decided to make an illegal raid on the treasury. Carrying ladder, pretending probably to be workman repairing the abbey roof, he entered the precinct and wait ed until the place was closed for the night. Then he placed the ladder against a window, climbed up and ty-
  the Chapter house. Thence he made his way bodily into the cloisters. The first time he visited the place he was contented with the silver cups in the aumries or cupboards in the refectory of the abbey; but having found how easy it was to rob he decided to carry out his plan and to rifle the treasury itself Now he needed assistance and he seems to have obtained it from those who should have guarded the treasury, the monks of the abbey How many aided him we do not know all the monks were arrested when the robbery became known, and some of them were 1 hanged. But 1t is not likely that the | fl monks and the S1 lay brothers were ! engaged in the attempt.
 Pedelicote in his confession took the entire blame on his own shoulders but | he was too loyal to his accomplices for | he said that he worked on the chapel ! of the Pyx from eight days before 1 1902, to April "A, 1sOS-more than four months, that is. He may have done the breaking and entering alone; ! but as he had to work in an open and | passage between the chap ter house and the closters, to '1ke out stones. lift and replace paveme .s, it Is | certain that if be 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 entered the chapel of the Pyx on April "A the eve of St. Marks day. He stayed thsre all that night, and all the next day, a tub ftar cLnoaipo arranging what he would take; and the night of April 26 he committed the rob- oery, taking out his plunder and hiding It in the ground back of St. Margaret's church, just east of the abbey. He took cups with feet, pouches full of Jewels and vessels of gold and silver, l crucifix of gold known as the cross if Meath, dishes and saucers, spoons, 'ings, brooches, crowns and girdles, stones and money
 But, despite his confession, it was proved that some of the monks did nore than merely keep their eyes shut The sacristan was strongly suspected. Another brother sowed hemp-seed in he cloister garth, that when it grew up t might offer hidng place for small irttcles; an outsider not a monk sud- ienly bought horses and arms and fine aiment. William de Paleys, who guard d the palace gate, let the burglars in md out. Under his bed were found the eweled case in which the golden cruci- ix was kept, and other valuables taken rom the treasury. The kings crown the , burglars did not touch, though they ,, ook other crowns and thingvs that ! hey could melt down and break up. , These they sold in London and other , owns. How the robbery became known , g not of record; but probably some 7 onfedrate betrayed Podelicote and his ccompliees. The king was very angry nd ordered a searching investigat ton, :, III the monks and their assistants were ent to the Tower; and after the ring :. eaders had been hanged, were kept ' here for nearly two years. . This is the first unsuccessful attempt Il crown, The first successful at- empt was made in Hungary in 14S9 -lbert, duke of Austria and king of z Hungary, had died suddenly, leaving \ is widow expecting to become moth r. The Hungarian almost at once n- ' ited Wladislas of Poland to marry the q ueen and take the crown of their ,, ountry; but the queen of Hungary de- Il srmined that she would not wed until CT child was born, and that even if - Tladislas accepted the offer. he should Y !, nf f,o ,n1 N1rit, 1,a l VI