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Theft

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crime

The Greatest Unsolved Heist in Irish History

Scandal, conspiracy, and cover-ups in the theft of the "Irish Crown Jewels" from Dublin Castle.
Dan Nosowitz November 4, 2021
crime

How the 'Queen of Thieves' Conned French Riviera Wealthy

The cat burglar and fake countess swindled and stole her way through La Belle Époque.
Caroline Elenowitz-Hess May 4, 2021
libraries

How German Librarians Finally Caught an Elusive Book Thief

For decades, often using a fake identity, he stole antique maps worth thousands of dollars each.
Jeffrey Arlo Brown November 23, 2020
York, England

Dick Turpin's Tombstone

The final resting place of England's most notorious bandit.
Fort Collins, Colorado

The Old Main Bell

After being lost for nearly a century, this historic bell finally returned home after its mysterious theft.
Gateway, Colorado

Sewemup Mesa

A remote sandstone plateau named for a legendary cattle rustler.
objects of intrigue

What's Silver, Purple, and Very Well-Traveled?

The Codex Argenteus—a beautiful and mysterious bible from the sixth century—is now safely stowed in Sweden.
Erika Harlitz-Kern July 31, 2019
Ledburn, England

Bridego Bridge

The site of the notorious Great Train Robbery of £2.6 million, one of the biggest heists in English history.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion

This Philly landmark has a giant butterfly pavilion, three floors of insect displays, and withstood a $40,000 heist.
women

The Prussian Grifter Who Swindled Her Way to Her Own One-Woman Show

Bertha Heyman lived a life in and out of jail and on and off the stage.
Sabrina Imbler May 10, 2019
women

The Liechtensteinian Lady Burglar and Her Mysterious Trunk

Barbara Erni stole from countless inns thanks to a chest with a secret hidden within.
Sabrina Imbler May 6, 2019
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The 'Dowager Empress' Crystal Ball

The world's third-largest crystal sphere has sat in the Penn Museum since 1927 with the exception of one outlandish theft.
Stirling, Scotland

Grave Robbing Headstone

A grave marker depicting a body snatching tableau on a 19th-century tombstone.
Gastro Obscura

Tulip Vodka

Flower bulbs are the main ingredient of this quintessentially Dutch spirit.
Gastro Obscura

Scrumpy

This rustic cider's name derives from an English term for fruit thievery.
libraries

How Two Thieves Stole Thousands of Prints From University Libraries

They almost got away with it.
Travis McDade August 24, 2018
found

Found: Foxes Stealing Shoes in Japan

And they would have gotten away with 40 pairs, if it weren't for the police.
Christina Ayele Djossa June 1, 2018
crime

Found: A Pickpocket's Coin, Used for Ill-Gotten Gains

In 18th-century Russia, a two-kopeck coin could be worth much more than face value.
Natasha Frost May 18, 2018