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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1953-11-18, Page 7Stole Rich Jewels From Royal "Train As an illustration of a daring robbery, take the theft of the jewels of Lord and Lady Dudley in December, 1874. Lord and Lady Dudley were • leaving London to spend. Christ- mas on their country estate at Witley Court, Worcestershire, Their intention was to take the 0:30 p,m, express from Padding- ton on Saturday, December 12th, and they drove to the stationin his Lordship's brougham. Following behind/the broug- ham in a "growler", a four -wheel- ed cab, were two of her lady- ship's waiting women, each nuts ing on her lap ponderous jewel boxes and other articles such as a lady of the period carried with her on a journey of this nature. In those boxes were jewels said to be valued at $250,000. The Dudleys arrived about 6;20 p.m„ with the servants im- mediately behind them. Porters and statign employees were per- haps a little excited because the Prince of. Wales, later King Ed- ward VII, was to travel by that very train. His Royal highness was proceeding to Windsor to join the Royal mother; he was, of course, travelling in a special "slip coach,". 'which would be slipped at Slough. The newspapers of those days were looser in their reporting of matter's appertaining to the pri- vate lives of Royalty, as witness the following from 'The Times' of the next day, also reporting the mishap to Lord and Lady Dudley, It seems that the Rev. Dr. Norman McLeod, speaking near Glasgow, had been asked about reports that Queen Victoria was — and' I `quote — "morally and mentally incapitated for work," The' Rev. Doctor said be had just r'etur'ned from Balmoral where he had seen Her .Majesty. "I leave it to Mr. Disraeli to explain, for I cannot comprehend it. I have had the honour to minister to the Queen for the last thirteen or fourteen years. I have seen her • in the highest prosperity and hap- piness and in the very depths of her distress. I have not seen the remotest trace of a moral or men- tal weakness, but Her Majesty has just passed through an attack of rheumatic -gout, which so of felted her hands that for some time she was utterly •unable to sign her name. Site also suffered from severe neuralgia." This setback to the health of the .Queen may possibly have affected the temper of her Heir apparent, and so indirectly affect- ed the disappearance of the jewel- lery belonging to Lord and Lady Dudley. But let us take the story as it comes to hand. The four -wheeled cab stopped in front of the station, and one of the waiting women took the jewel cases and put them on the pave- ment for a moment while she `turned to assist her companion to alight from the cab. In those few moments the jewel cases vanished. The maid who had put the jewel cases down at once rushed after Lord Dudley and told him in a few words what had hap- pened He alerted the station- master, who in turn alerted his staff, while Lord Dudley mobiliz- ed his servants, valets and so forth who had gone on ahead to look after the heavy luggage, And it was at that dramatic moment that the Prince of Wales arrived to entrain for Windsor. With the station -master, Lord Dudley approached the Prince and begged that the departure of the train might be delayed a little so that a search might be made. There was a slight alter- cation between the Prince and the peer, but the Prince was adamant and the train left as arranged. The Royal coach was slipped at Slough and the express made Don't et Your Car Become A Criminal That is the slogan of a drive by police chiefs and the Federal Bureau of, Investigation to cut down on the alarming number of automobile thefts. The big= point is "that most stolen cars be- come involved in crimes. Many are in fatal accidents,especially those pursued by police, the FBI says, Professional actors in the pictures below show how an un- suspecting motorist can become an unwitting partner in crime by leaving his car parked with doors unlocked, althpvgh he carefully removed the key and took it with him. Other important "dont's" are Don't leave valu- ables in view,whether the .car is locked or. no, Thieves don't mind smashing a window. And above all, don't leave your keys Auto thief on lookout for motor- in your unattended car. ist to leave his car briefly.' Thief drives to underworld garage and pays to have stolen car disguised. First step is to change the license 'states. As soon as the owner is out of sight, thief moves in on car. Owner took key with him, but thieves can start car other ways. Then car gets new paint job, while thief waits -Impatiently- He may go on to rob a bank, crock ,a safe ar stage aiioldup. its fust scheduled stop at Read- ing. Here Lord Dudley summon- ed the station -master and the guard and insisted that the train be thoroughly searched before it was allowed' to proceed. This was done but nothing was found. Lord Dudley then told her ladyship and the servants to pro- ceed to their destination, but he kept Miss Scott, the waiting woman who had put the jewel cases on the pavement, with him. Then he chartered a special train and with Miss Scott returned to London. It was late when they arrived at Paddington. For in those days peers of the realm not only ex- pected people to obey their or- ders but, what is more, their or- ders were obeyed—except by the Prince of Wales. Late on this Saturday night Lord Dudley ordered his jewel- lers in New Bond Street to open up. They did so. And Lord Dud- ley summoned detectives from Scotland Yard. Together the peer, the police and the jewellers, drew up a list of the missing jewels Then, in the night, lists were printed and the next day, Sunday, pawnbrokers all over England were being circulated. Then a real mystery began. There appeared in 'The Times' the following inspired statement: —"We are informed on undoubt- ed authority that the amount of the loss of Lady Dudley's jewels is not half what it was first stated to be." On Christmas Day, Lady Dud- ley's father wrote a letter to the 'Perthshire Constitutional' say- ing that the jewels were worth only $75,000. He also pointed out that Miss Scott was "a stout Want Better School — Parents in Center Township near Kokomo, Ind., set up picket linos to protest their children's attendance in school building they term "unsanitary and dangerous." Some 345 pupils turned the dereonctcotion into an impromtu holiday. dle-aged Scotchwoman" who was in service with Lady Dudley be- fore her marriage. She had put her feat on the jewel cases but they were taken from under her foot. "There can be no doubt," he concluded, "as to the maid's faith- fulness and honesty." No more was heard of the dar- ing robbery. T.JoiFe.M FRONT �,.t; --o You probably don't think you life? * * * You prabably don't thing you do. 'If you suddenly 'developed the symptoms of .pneumonia, chances are you'd call your doc- tor in a hurry! If the brakes on your car didn't properly hold, ,you'd undoubtedly take it light to a service station for repairs. * 5 5 In either case, of course, you could simply trust to luck that nothing serious would happen— but you don't because you know the risk is far too great. ▪ * * But wait a minute. Are you as careful as 'you think? Without even realizing it, you may be taking chances every day with something just as dangerous — fire! * * 5 You know, "fire hazard" isn't just a term used to frighten peo- ple. Instead, as the National Board of Fire Underwriters points out, it refers to conditions and ,practices which year after year have proved to be the cause of thousands of fires. If you don't want to risk losing your home, your family and your life, the sensible thing to do is to check your home and your habits for are hazards, Best place to start is with the "Big Three": Matches and smoking, misuse of electri- city and petroleum and its prod- ucts. Together, they cause near- ly 50 per cent of all the fires that occur. * * Lei's hart at "the very begin - ring. Suppose' yen are a smoker. Careless us'e of 'matches and singling materials causes over 25 percent of all fires. So ask yourself these questions: * 5 ' 5 1. Do I ever 'smoke in bed? 2. Do I ever throw lighted or butts out the car window when I'm driving or into wastebasket at home—instead of using an ,ashtray? 3. 1)o I "ever put a cigarette, or cigar, or pipe down ones table or chair and forget about it? 4. Do L leave matches around where ,child r e n can reach them? * 5 5 1f the answer to any of these questions is "yes," now's the time to make it "no," Misuse of 'electricity comes next—the cause of over 12 per cent of all fires. Do you overload electrical circuits by tryitfg to run too many appliances from one outlet? Do you, ever use oyer - size fuses, or tinker with the 15- anipere ones which should be used in most household circuits? Do you continue to use electric cords after they have become worn or frayed? Do you buy cords or appliances without mak- ing sure they are of the best quality, and Safe? Does the "home handyman" in your house try to repair defective electrical appliances himself? Then you're in line for an electrical fire. * * * Petroleum and its products ranks 'third on the list, causing almost 9 per cent of the country's fires. Does that affect you in your home? It does if you ever "quicken" a fire with kerosene, or if anyone in your home ever uses gasoline to do a home dry- cleaning job. Gasoline is explo- sive and will ignite at room tem- perature. Its vapors will spread throughout the house, and it takes only a tiny spark to set it off. Kerosene, wheel heated, acts just like gasoline...Yalu can never be safe using fluids in your home. ,,Iyou must use them at all—for gesphne-powered ma- chinery, or for, stoves and heat- ers—keep diose liquids outside the house, in safety cans. * * * Folks, these days, do a lot of worrying about "The Big Four" —when, if ever, they're going to get together and what, if any- thing, they'll accomplish toward a lasting peace. Which is all very well; but for practical, everyday purposes, a little more attention to the above-mentioned "Big Three" would be effort far better - spent! Queer Records They are at it again — those queer sportsmen who achieve stunt records. There's the Bav- arian 'vho rode a motor -cycle across a tightrope between two high mountains — and the Am- erican who played billiards with his nose as cue, producing a break of forty-six! Remember•"the schoolboys who held a freckle -counting contest some time ago? One boy was found to have 3,961, When he was 67, George Brown pushed all his belongings 2,000 miles across Australia in a wheelbarrow. A cowboy rode 2,700 miles to New York on a bull. And, in a very queer race in Brussels, siXty waiters, each holding in one hand a tray and five glasses of water, walked a mile and three-quarters. The winner covered the distance in 13 minutes, 29 seconds without changing hands or spilling any water! In New Hampshire a woman threw a rolling -pin 70 ft. 7 in. Another woman won $100 for listening to gramaphone records for 106 hours continuously. She was taken hone delirious. .tole .Ar Kiss And Won- 'A Fortune • Kisses' can be aengerous weap- ons if .you don't take care how, when, where and whom you em- brace. ' Put too much passion into it and you can injure yourself. When ter boy friend kissed a Kidderminster girl good -night he dislocated her -jaw and she had to go to hospital. On leave from Korea, CorpOrai Wallace Leavitt hugged his mother so hard that he cracked one of her ribs. Not so long ago, too, a medical journal reported the case of two sweethearts meeting again after a long parting. They fell into each other's arms, hug- ged each other lovingly, and later the girl complained of a pain in her chest. X-rays show- ed a fractured rib! Occasionally it's the one who gives the kiss who comes off worst. One American romantic actor played so effective and passionate a love scene that he broke his nose and received $200 compensation for "injuries suffered in the line of duty." But, the most ludicrous end to a kiss was experienced by two Can- adian teen-agers who clinched on a porch. Parents in the house heard shrieks, dashed out and found the pair locked together. The dental braces on their teeth had become entangled. Kisses need to be timed and the place chosen with discretion. A kiss given to her husband, Scott McKay, by Joan Morgan, the actress, meant that she had to cancel her passage on an air- liner for New York. The place was ..ondon Airport and her baggage had just been passed by the customs. The rule is that kissing must be done before the chalk is scribbled on the suit- case; otherwise contraband could be transferred from mouth to mouth. If you pick a street for a fond embrace, make sure you're in the right country. A Stockholm sailor greeting his girl out of doors was fined for "scandalous behaviour." U. S. servicemen in Japan have been ordered not to do their courting in public as it offends local customs, They should have been wise to that for it's not entirely safe to kiss in an American street, particul- arly if you're in a car at the time. A fine of $100 was imposed on a Tennessee couple who kissed in a car. "They would stop right in the middle of the street and start kissing," commented the police. "It happened four or five tines and they caused a traffic hold-up." Another car kiss — in North Carolina — had fatal eonse- quences. The driver lost con- trol, the vehicle plunged into a canal and both ho and his girl were drowned, Kiss a stranger and the re- sult is usually a slap on the cheek, But after a New Yorker kissed a pretty blonde he found that his wallet had disappeared. They Really Ate The plantation kitchen was a kind of senetuary, the cook a .kind of priestess. The dogtnas of her cult were not written down; they scarcely ever knew the precision of measures, but were carried On otraditiOnally with such vague oracular hints as "a pinch Of this" and. "a taste of that," "add to taste" and "turn when ready," "don't leave it in the oven too long," "the fire must be just right," with no commitment as 10 precisely what was "ready" or "right" Or "long." It may never be known how malty creations Of these kitchens have found their way into the making of those collections call- ed' cook -books, but from the do- mestic departments of theme Tidewater Maryland plantations have come two dishes which seem to have placed the state's name indelibly on the world's bill of fare, They are Maryland beaten .biscuits and Maryland fried chicken , . . Abundance ruled at table. Oysters, were brought to it in uncounted numbers. Duck were served not in braces but in do- zens; a half chicken with wing and leg unsevered was a mere first helping; the succulent soft- shell crab arrived in heaps. And every one ate abundantly, not scorning the accompanying vege- tables, hot breads, gravies, sau- ces, puddings and pies ... Nor is it surprising that from such abundance, and its ameliorating influence on character and dis- position, grew the cult of Mary- land hospitality.—From "Tide- water Maryland," by Paul Wilt - sack. A similar thing happened to a sixty -seven-year-old man in New Jersey. An Australian shop assistant succumbed to temptation and saluted a charming customer with a kiss. He was fined $5.00 and regretted his action until some years later, when the wo- man died and her will was read. She had left him $60,000 be- cause she had treasured that stolen kiss se much. He came off rather better than the young Londoner who was bet fifty cents by a friend that he wouldn't kiss a girl asleep, in a train. He won his bet but lost it -again, plus $5, when he was fined for "assault and interfer- ing with the comfort of a pas- senger." One single kiss, say the med- ical experts, can spread 4,000 bacteria and rob you of as much as 180 seconds of life. But the courts won't uphold this point of view. A Los Angeles judge gave a woman a divorce on the ground that her husband had refused to kiss her for the past two years because he felt the practice to be unhygienic! After reading all this, are you still prepared to go ahead with such a dangerous pastime? Modern Etiquette Q Is it all right to held the form In the hand at the dinner table while talking? A. NO: if One has entered a lengthy conversation, it is much better to lay the Toric en the plate while talking, Of course, this dOes not mean that one must lay the fork down quickly 10.' each "yes" or No." Q. When . a woman la preper- ing to leave her home Within a few minute6, and caller arrives unexpectedly, whet should the woman do? A. She should not hestitate to tell her guest she has an appoint - Mont, but that she hopes her guest can stay a Sew minutes anyway. Q. At a widow's second mar- riage, her first husband being deceased, should she invite the family of her first husband? A, Yes, indeed, if the relation- ship has always been pleasant. And furthermore, these people should make every effort to at- tend, Q. Is it good manners for a girl to ask her escort for a cig- arette? • A. This is quite all right, An attentive escort should, of course, make such a request unneces- sary, but should he be forgetful enough, it is perfectly proper /Or the girl to make the request. Q. When invited to join a group in some sport you have never played, but which you would like to try, what should you do? A. First, be frank to admit that you have never played the sport. Then, if they insist upon your joining them anyway, it is quite all right to take part. Q. What is the proper' Length of time for a young woman to wear mourning for her father? A. This depends entirely upon her feelings in the matter. The custom of wearing mourning is not so strict as it formerly was. Many people do not consider it necessary at all. Q. When a man is registering at a hotel for himself, Lis wile and their sixteen -year-old daugh- ter, how should he sign? A. Mr. and Mrs. Robert L, Ful- ton, Miss Betty Fulton. Q. If two women friends have always remembered eaelt other's wedding anniversary with cards, and one's husband has passed away, should the other woman continue the practice? A. It would l;a much more tact- ful not to do so, Q. If a man and a woman are walking together during a rain, and both have umbrellas, should each one use his own umbrella?.. A. This might prove awkward. It would be much better if both were to walk under the man's larger umbrella. Perky duck seems unruffled with arrow through its neck .. . Fowl Experience Is (H)arrowing — Syracuse archers have been hard on wild fowl lately. Two luckless birds in less than a month have chanced to fly in the paths of sharpshooters' arrows, Both survived, though the first, a seagull, complete with arrow, still eludes capture. The latest unfortunate is a wounded duck, pic- tured with Edward C. Jones, chief of the Syracuse office of the. •American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, who netted it. Jones removed the arrow from its pierced neck and plans to keep the bird in custody until it recovers from lis "arrow - deal," i .., and scorns food offered by rescuer when arrow is removed.