The Raymer enterprise., 1911-08-17
THE CROWN
JEWELS

hioscow-or as the natives call II.
Maskva-might almost be described
as a city within city; that Is to say,
there Is the Kremlin. and a town out.
side OF that again. Kremlin IL derived
from the Slsvonic word Krim, which
signifies a fort. 1t is built on a bill.
surrounded by high turreted wall
sixteen feet thick. This wall varies
from thirty to sixty feet in height.
and Ia furnished with battlements.
embrasures and gates.
Within the Kremlin are most Of the
government offices. including the
treasury. In the treasury are pre-.
served the state Jewels. These costly
possessions are kept In a large well.
lighted room To which visitors are
freely admitted.
One morning. on opening the mu.
scum for the day. there was great con.
sternation among the officials and at.
tendants when II was discovered that
no less than three crowns. two scep.
tres, diamond belt and a diamond
tiara were missing The circumstance
was at once reported to the keeper OF
the jewels-General Kuntzler. This
official had many subordinates under
him. but he himself was held entirely
responsible by the government for the
safeguarding OF the Jewels. General
Kuntzler had occupied the position for
about two years. after long and I'm.
portant military service. When he
heard OF the robbery he was 80 af.
fected that his mind gave way. and
before the day was over he shot and
killed himself
Az the affair was very serious
one for all concerned. no time was
lost In summoning Michael Danevitch
and enlisting his services. Among
the crowns carried OF was the one
worn by the last king OF Poland. It
WAS a magnificent bauble, so thickly
encrusted with gems that It was worth
In American money something like
$250.0OO. The affair must have been
very carefully planned and arrange.
ments made for conveying the articles
out OF the country at once, or OF ef.
fectually destroying their identity. In
their original condition they would be
worth nothing to the thieves, mas.
much as no man dare offer them for
sale: but by taking out the gems and
melting the gold. the materials could
thus be converted into cash. Dane
Witch ascertained that when the mu.
scum was closed In the evening preyl.
Gus to the robbery being discovered,
everything was safe.
1t appeared that It was the duty OF
the chief subordinate, one Maximofr,
to go around the hall the last thing.
after 1t had been closed to the public
for the day. and see that everything
was safe. He then reported to Gen.
cral kuntzler. This had been done
with great regularity. II so happened.
however. that the day preceding tho
discovery that the jewels had been
stolen was an official holiday. when
all public government departments
were closed. This holiday had favored
the work OF the thieves, and some.
time during the forty hours that
elapsed between the closing OF the
hall In the evening before the holiday
and the discovery OF the robbery on
the morning after the holiday the
jewels had been carried of. The holi.
day was on a Wednesday. On Tues.
day evening Maximon made his round
OF inspection as usual and duly re.
ported to his chief. According to that
report everything was safe: the place
WAS carefully locked up and all the
keys deposited In the custody OF the
general. who kept them in an Iron
safe In his Office. 1t was pretty con.
clusively proven that those keys never
left the safe from the time they were
deposited there on Tuesday night un.
til Maxlmof went for them again on
Thursday morning. During the whole
OF Wednesday Maximoff and the at.
tendants we're away. Maximoff was a
married man. with three children. and
he had taken his family into the coun.
try. kuntzler remained and there
was the customary military guard at
the treasury. The guard consisted Of
six sentinels. who did duty day and
night. being relieved every four hours.
Danevltch was satisfied that Gen.
erai Kuntzler had been entirely limo.
cent OF any completely In the affair,
and he could see no reason for suspect.
Ing MaximofI. There were twelve
other subordlnates. They were charged
with the duty OF dusting the various
glass cases In which the jewels we're
deposited. and Of keeping the visitors
In order on public days. II was pos.
aible that one or more OF these men
had been corrupted and proved false
to the trust. Without a confederate
on the inside II was hard to see how
the thieves Ind effected an entrance.
The treasury was large white stone
building. with an inner courtyard,
around which we're grouped numerous
government Offices. At the gateway
OF this yard a sentry was constantly
u0cfeh Tho miiaaiifu was sItiiatpd In