New-York tribune., 1920-12-19
Their Worth Is Even
Beyond Expert
Estimate
British crown Jewels form
the greatest and most valu-

Moor OF bloody history, the sapphire
Of Edward the Confessor, the Stuart
sapphire, the Stars of Africa and tn,
pearls Of Queen Elizabeth. Their
value cannot even be estimated. TIL,
Stars Of Africa alone have beef
valued at $7,5o0,00o.
And yet it was not until the tim.
OF Edward VII that the British
crown jewels were in any way ade
quately guarded. For thousane
years they were at the mercy Of tht
petty thefts Of minor retainers. A
typical example Of this is what was
supposed for couple Of centuries tt
DO q magnificent aquamarine which
had first figured as surmounting the
crown of James II. But when it
came to be examined critically few
years ago it was found that the orig
inal jewel had been stolen and re
placed by ball of colored glass.
Yet, despite the many petty depreda-
tions, only one concerted attempt at
robbery on the grand scale has been
made on them.
Sold Under tho Commonwealth
This was the famous attempt Of
Colonel Blood to steal the state
crown Of Charles II. Major General
Sir George Younghusband, the pres
ent Keeper Of the Jewel House, de-
scribes this exploit in his book, The
Jewel House, published by the Doran
Company. Under the Common
wealth the crown jewels had been de-
stroyed or dispersed by order of Par
lament, and, with few exceptions,
they were sold for ridiculous sums.
The exceptions were one or two
pieces that were accidentally over
looked in the general dispersal, but
the net result was that Charles II
came to the throne under the Res
toration with the necessity of supply
ing himself with a practically full
equipment of the crowns, regalia and
jewels required by a king.
The first order for new crowns
and jewels amounted to S1,5OO,OOO,
figured in terms of money at present
values, and, of course, there were
additions from time to time. But
Charles II took no especial precau-
tlons. AS was the fashion with his
predecessors, he appointed a Keeper
of the Jewel House, who lived in the
Royal Palace at Whitehall and had
many valuable prerogatives and per-
quisites, but the jewels were lodged
in the Martin Tower of the Tower
of London, guarded by Talbot Ed
wards, an aged gentleman of seven
ty-seven years.
There was only one door to the
Martin Tower and no window on the
lower floor. The jewels and regalia
were kept in cupboard, with barred
doors let into the wall of an interior
room on the ground floor, and the
old gentleman who was the guard
showed them to casual visitors for
small fee. He lived on the second
floor with his wife and daughter and
came downstairs when called.
No Sentinels on Guard
Iherc was no sentinel over the
Martin Tower, the principal reliance
for safety being on the garrison Of
the Tower, but the sentinels at the
gates were in the habit of admitting
visitors rather freely. After a man
had visited the Tower a few times.
so that the guards came to know his
face, he was allowed to enter with
out question.
Colonel Blood was an Irishman of
good family, who had been a soldier
OF fortune. A casual visit to the
Tower showed him the inadeouacv
with which the crown jewels were
guarded, and a little observation
convinced him that an ATTEMPT to
steal them would be by no means
hopeless. Disgusting himself as a
country parson and associatine with
him temporary Mrs. Blood he sue
ceeded in making friends with old
Mr.. Edwards by the simple device of
having Mrs. Blood faint while look
ing at the crown jewels. The sv,n-
pathetic Edwards took Mrs. Blood
up to his apartments to be revived
and, Of course, the Bloods came back
many times to express their graft
tude.
After they had established their
position with the guards az freely
admitted visitors to the Tower
Colonel Blood proposed marriage
between his son-related to him in
the same degree as was Mrs. Blood
and Edwards'a dauoL+or rL.