The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-12
STOLEN STATE JEWELS.
Precious Regalia and Crowns Have
 Been Spirited Away.

The sensational discovery of the disap- pearance from Dublin Castle of the pre- cfous rcgalia of the Order of St. Patrick Is most elegant reminder that even the most jealously guarded treasures are not always safe from the evil designs of clever, enterprising thieves
 It Is some 236 years since the regalia in the Tower of London had a narrow es- cape from the fate which has apparently overtaken that of the Order of st. Patrick. Having eoncocted a plot with three kindred spirits, a notorious rascal known to history as Colonel Thomas Blood, induced the keeper of the Grown jewels to admit him and his oonfederates to view them.
 No sooner was the door of the chamber closed, in accordance with invariable practice, than cloak was flung over the keepers head, a gag thrust Into nis mouth, and an iron hook fixed to his nose. These impedments failing to quic; him he was knocked down and stabbed the thieves immediately making off with the crown and globe
 Next moment the keeper, who had been knocked senaeless regained conscious. ness and, hearing his shouts, hls daugh- ter rushed out, screaming, Treason treason! The crown is stoieni" The thieves were speedily run down and. not. withstanding resistance, were captured With the jewels in their possession
 with an insolence all his own. Blood boasted that 1t was "a bold bid for q crown, and refused to make any con fession except to the King In person. The efeminate curiosity of Charles II secured not admission to the royal presence. bul pardon and reward. for his daring In Irish estates, worth f50O A year which were granted to the daring ruffian.
 of IIaII nave cost c12o,O00 about seventy-nve years ago, actually underwent the in. dignity of being stolen by burglars Fol nearly couple of years they had 1t r their possession; and eventually some ot the gems from it were found near Brook. lyn in the United States. The other. subsequently, came to light In Belgium and were ultimately restored to thei, original purpdse.
 Perhaps the crown of Hungary han ,,r. dergone more vcissitudes than any other European crown, A long time ago. owint to the extinction of the royal male line there were several candidates for tn, Hungarian throne; and eventually the Diet bestowed the crown on their owr nominee.
 Having been persuaded to appear ir public in his coronation robes, with the crown on his head, the new sovere' gr was swooped down upon and carried of by the King of Bohemia, crown and all Much disappointed, the Hungarians thereupon made Otto of Bavaria uhei, monarch on condition that he made it hls business to steal back the missing crown
 To effect this purpose, Otto made his way into Bohemia disguised as a mer. chant, recovered the precious crown, nc started back to his kingdom with :. concealed in a cask slung at the rear o a wagon. In the course of the Journey however, 1t was nearly lost again. fci the tolting of the vehicle caused the casl to fall into a deep ditch. It was only fshed out with great difficulty, but iti adventures were ended for time witt it's arrival in Hungary.
 The next person to tamper with thS crown was the widow of King Albert Aided by one of her ladies she stitched II up in a cushion and smuggled 1t across the River Danube into German territory where she herself sought refuge.
 When pressed for ready cash, she raised nearly 5000 ducats upon the crown, whjcl she pledged to the Emporer Frederick Countless lives were lost and much blood shed before 1t could be recovered and re stored to Hungary, but once again there 1t was locked up in strong fortress and guarded night and day.
 For the space of a couple of centuries the crown had comparatively quet time, though at the time of the revolu tion 1t had a narrow escape. In order tc protect 1t from the Austrans it was where 1t lay concealed for nearly fifty years.
 It was then dug up from It's hiding place, much the worse for its extraordl nary experience. and conveyed to the Hungarian capital. Since then the crown of Hungary has not figured so conspicu- ously in the romance of stolen royal em- blems.
 Other crowns have been stolen at diff ferent times, among them that of Scot land. When that country was divided by the English under Cromwell the crown with all the other royal regala was ie- Iioveo for safety to Dunnoltar Castle.
 Finally the invaders captured Edin burgh. and when they were laying siege to Dunnottar the defender of that plac' was urged to give up the crown and other property, so that 1t could be con cealed from the English in some remote castle in the Highlands.
 This the officer refused to do, and, con sequently, plan for stealing the pre- cious jewels was devised by the daughter of the Earl of Mar, which was success fully carried out by the wife of the min ister of kineff. a parish four or five miles distant from Dunottar.
 From the English general she obtained permission to visit Dunottar and. witt the crown concealed in her dress she mounted her horse for the return jour ney, being helped into the saddle by -he English general himself. Her maid fol lowed on foot with the sword and scepte. secreted in bundles of lint, which 1t was pretended were to be spun into thread.
 They passed safely through the Englist lines. and, on arriving at Kineff, tht crown with the other articles, was buried by the minister secretly in tho churchyard. He afterwards made care ful record of their burial so that in case of his death his> relatives or friends should know where to find them. It only remains to be said that they were in dut time returned to the Scottish capital.