Robber Gallery

The Great Train Robbery-'commando raid frees train robber

Front page of The Illustrated London News reporting on the latest episode in the Great Train Robbery saga. As Ronald Biggs clambers with there other prisoners over Wandsworth Gaol wall, the rest of the exercise squad obstruct the prison wardens. Following his escape, Ronnie Biggs fled to Brazil where he fathered a child and successfully evaded extradition by the authorities. In 2001, Biggs voluntarily returned to the UK to serve the remainer of his sentance, but following ill health was released from custody the day before his 80th birthday, on compassionate grounds

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

Coconut crab, Birgus latro

Coconut crab, Birgus latro. Handcolored engraving by Fournier after an illustration by Vaillant from Charles d'Orbigny's Dictionnaire Universel d'Histoire Naturelle (Universal Dictionary of Natural History), Paris, 1849. Coconut crab, Birgus latro. Handcolored engraving by Fournier after an illustration by Vaillant from Charles d'Orbigny's Dictionnaire Universel d'Histoire Naturelle (Universal Dictionary of Natural History), Paris, 1849. Date:

© Florilegius/Mary Evans

Earl of Crawford tomb robbed, 1881

Four scenes relating to the tomb robbery of Alexander William Crawford Lindsay(1812-1880), 25th Earl of Crawford, 8th Earl of Balcarres. 1. Dunecht House, near Aberdeen. 2. The Chapel. 3. Entrance to the vault. 4. The vault, with the shelf on which the coffin lay(marked with an cross) Date: 1881

© Illustrated London News Ltd/Mary Evans

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