Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-09-14
The Paris Cathedral of Norte Dame Robbed
of 100000.


From the Boston Traveller. Sept l01
We extract the following paragraphs from
the last letter received from Spiridon,D our
Paris correspondent, dated August 26:
We are at this moment in good deal of
excitement in consequence of a successful bur
glary committed at the metropolitan church in
this city, to the loss Of the cathedral of at least
500, ,O00f.. $3.50, ,O0O0 and speak merely of the
pecuniary loss-the moral loss is irreparable
Every person who has done Paris must
have visited the treasury of Notre Dame, which
Is kept in the vestry room, for it is one of the
shows of Paris. While it is not comparable to
the treasures Of Italian and Spanish churches,
it is interesting for the visitor sees the gorgeous
vestmeats Of the metropolitan clergy at state
ceremonies, some of which (such as the cos
tunes given by Louis XVII upon the baptism
OF the Duke Of Bordeaux, by Napoleon on his
marriage, by Louis Philippe upon the mar
riage of the Duke of Orleans, and the return of
Napoleon's ashes, and by Louis Napoleon on
the baptism Of his child) are historical, and
great variety Of ecclesiastical ornaments, cro-
ziers, taper holders, crosses, etc, in massive
gold, adorned with the most precious stones, all
of great intrinsic and historical value. and
many of them important by their great anti
guilty. These treasures are kept in an outlying
building connected with the cathedral and
built purposely for these treasures, which are
therein kept in iron closets secured by massive
doors. As every person pays ten sous for en-
tering this place, (the Church of Rome has al
ways been distinguished by the Jewish instinct
for turning penny considerable harvest of
half francs must have been reaped eyery wear
from this field which the burglars have de-
spoiled. The large space of ground which lies
between the river Seine and the Cathedral has
been for good many years past used as the
workshop where the stones and other objects
wanted In the repairs of the fabric are pre-
pared for their places.
Yesterday morning when the workmen went
to resume their labors they were surprised to
see good many ecclesiastical vases scattered
over the ground. They notified the officers of
the church, and the latter instantly discovered
the treasury had been entered by burglars and
all the golden sacred furniture il contained
and estimated, as 1 have said at Sl60. 600 in
value, had been carried of. The police were
instantly sent for; their Investigations led them
to the parapet wall of the quay, and upon lean
ing over the wall and looking towards the wa
ter they discovered a rope secured in the iron
ring above the level of the water. Thinking it
probable the rope had been used by the burg
lars, they entered a boat and attempted to de-
tach it from the iron ring. They found it tight
ened by an object under water and pulling il out
of the water they found a large fishing net filled
with great many objects belonging to the
treasury, but all of them stripped of their pre-
cious stones: The police are now employing
divers to search the rivers bottom.
This discovery has led the police to pre-
sumo that the burglars, after having secured
their frst portion of prizes in the net and sunk
1t in the river, returned to the treasury, to
empty 1t Of its contents, but were put to flight
by some noise, probably the barking of
Watchdog placed there, and in their haste let
fall or threw away the ecclesiastical furniture
found In the yard, and contented themselves
with running off with the diamonds, rubies and
other precious stones. The police feel assured
they will soon capture the burglars You may
well conceive that a robbery of this import
ance, and the loss of such valuable objects, has
made deep impression upon US. The treas
ury OF Notre Dame was sacked at the ReyoIu-
tion Of July, and all the ecclesiastical vest.
ments thrown into the river, where they were
discovered by some fishermen several months
afterwards