This is from the "The Appeal" (St. Paul, MN) newspaper dated February 4, 1899.
CAPTION:
CROWN JEWELS BURIED IN BROOKLYN.
WILHELMINA'S TREASURES WERE ONCE CONCEALED IN AN AMERICAN CEMETERY AND DUG UP AFTER MANY YEARS.
The crown jewels worn by the girl queen of Holland at her coronation were once buried in a Brooklyn cemetery.
One year before the outbreak of the Belgian revolution these jewels were stolen from the court in Brussels, where William I held forth. It was said that the thief or thieves were intimate friends of one of the trusted court servants; that one day while cleaning the aparmtents the servant was made to drink drugged wine and that the strong box containing the jewels was broken open while he was unconscious and the jewels taken out of the country.
On July 28, 1831, a Frenchman by the name of Jean Romage appeared in the Dutch embassy at Washington and asked to see the ambassador, Baron Huygene. This man declared that he knew the man who had taken the crown jewels and that he would be willing to reveal his whereabout if he would receive an assurance that the $25,000 reward offered by King William I would be forthcoming at once.
Baron Huygene gladly gave a written assurance, and then Romage accused an Italian by the name of Polart as the thief. Romage confessed that he had became acquainted with Polart's sweetheart and that the latter had betrayed to him the story of the theft. He had quarreled with her, and, to be avenged on him, she told of his crime and the place of concealment is a Brooklyn cemetery. When search was made they were found there and returned to Holland, but Polart had been warned before he could be arrested and was never apprehened.
on March 21, 2013, 9:10 pm