STOLEN CROWN JEWELS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1622, 13 December 1912, Page 7

STOLEN CROWN JEWELS.

REMARKABLE ALLEGATIONS. Bv Telesrapli—Press Association—(Jopyriffht London, December 11. Despite the official denial tlie "Daily News" asserts that the Dublin Castle fewels have been returned. . The authorities, the "News" declares, knew where they were within six weeks of the theft. Mr. Lawrence Ginnell, Independent Nationalist M.P. for Westmeath, has asserted that the' jewels have been within reach of 'he authorities ever since they disappeared. A PREDICTION BORNE OUT. The Dublin Crown jewels, valued at <550,000, disappeared on the eve of a Royal visit to Ireland in July, 1807. It is interesting to recall that a suggestion was put forward at the time in tlio London "Globe" by a correspondent signing himself "Lex." It was, briefly—ana this had been more than once hinted at—that the 'insignia had not been stolen at all, but merely keptout of the way till'after the Royal visit, in order that there might be no installation of Knights of the Order of St. Patrick. Tho correspondent implied that this solution of tho mystery had been formulated by Sir-A. Conan Doyle. His reasons were these: In the first place, the Bedford Tower was tho ono building.in the castle into whicli the most enterprising burglar would find it hopeless to effect an entrance unobserved. His second argument was based on the nature of the articles stolen. The Most Illustrious Order of the Knights of 'St. Patrick was expressly founded to consolidate a union between England and Ireland. In view of events in 1907 the investiture of a knight -would possess unusual significance; and tho quieter matters appeared in Dublin the smaller figure would the Sinn Fein party ciit. "Lex" recalled a conversation with a prominent member of the Irish revolutionary organisation, which took place shortly before tho theft. The subjeot was how, in view of some of Lord Castletown's utterances, ho had been selected for tho vacant ribbon. The reply was; "It matters little; there will be no installations, at least not in July." Two questions, he added, would suggest themselves to anyone who had looked into tho very peculiar circumstances of the theft :— 1. Assuming the safe to have been locked, why did the thief—if he was a thTef— leave it open when his operations were complete? 2. Why out of 24 gold collars were only five abstracted? : It was quite evident that the removal, if there was a removal, must have been effected in daylight, which 1 meant that tho operator dare not carry or conceal a parcel sufficiently bulky to attract attention. This suggested tho explanation of question No. 1. On the theory first stated the star and five collars merely would he removed as being amply sufficient to prevent the installation, owing to the impossibility of having duplicates manufactured within tho time. It may be added that tho author of this ingenious explanation was quite convinced that the star and collars would mysteriously reappear. Indeed, a rumour was current in certain circles in Dublin that the jewels had been found in 1907, but that the authorities in Dublin Castle were in no hurry to disclose the fact, and make certain officials ridiculous. -