The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-12-30

Witchcrars Jn u Cathedral.
ROW TIE FRENCH MINISTER OF PUBLIC Is
TTRrcrrov WAS noopwNKED-THE "JiM-
NJ" SUCCESSFUL WHERE THE DlsiNG-Rop
FAILS.
6otue time ago brief telegram from
Paris announced that the French Minister
OF Public Instruction had given permits
sion 10 Madame Cayaiiba, an Italian gypsy
and WITCH" II search for the treasure
supposed 10 be hidden in the Cathedral OF
st. Denis, the burial-place OF most Of the
kings and many OF the leading generals
and statesmen OF France.
Madame Cavailha claimed that the fact
that the treasure existed had been revealed
10 her by supernatural agencies, end eN-
pec.ed 10 recover Il by means OF the steel
diving-rod. After many searches, which
resulted in the injury Of the tombs, and
created great deal OF excitement aiIplg
lhc surcrStitlous, the sorceress confessed
herself baflled, and disappeared, whether
on the traditional broomstick Is not stated.
Now comes the sequel. Although the
uiylng-rod was not potent, the "limmy
was, and the crcdulous Minister OF Public
Instruction Is sadder and wiser man.
A Paris letter says:
The guardianship and management OF
Int vi tue D'-ttt VI 81. tP'h'' -
entrusted TO five employees porter, two
bcadles, q sscristan, and biz assistant-who
perform taeir daily duties. each IN turn
taking the night-watch. These watchers
begin their supposed vigil at SHUTDOWN by
quietly sleeping on couch placed in the
yestry adjoining the trcasurC~ro0m. which
contained all the most valuable relics OF the
tlefunct soyercgns OF France. But among
these sleepy guardians there was one who
was always on the alert--a little dog, who at
the slightest noise barked furiously. Those
who had been by special permission allow
ed TO visit the treasure-room cannot have
failed 10 sec the little terrier, who was 2
fayorltc Of all during The day, but uual-
proachable when on guard at night-time.
With these precautions 1t seemed impossi-
BILE for a stranger 10 enter the church, and
more particularly the room which con-
tanned such precious mcmentoss OF by
gone royalty in Republican France. Mon.
sieur Geoilroy, the night guard, entered
npon his duty at jo'cnck on the eve Of the
theft, and after making his usual rounds
without seeing anything Suspicious. he LETT
the church TO take his supper, forgetting TO
let loose the dog, but carefully closing ana
locking the doors after him. The doors OF
the church are heavy. but the locks were OF
The robbers evidently seized this oppor-
tunity 10 execute their nefarious designs.
and entered the basilic. Advancing along
the right aisle they passed before the tomb
of Francis l., when they crossed over the
altar balusirade and entered the treasure
chamber, after forcing open three olken
doors. On returning at O'Clock the
Waterman, finding all the doors broken
open, rushed into the treasure chamber
only to find that msst OF the valuable relies
had disappeared. He ut once gave the
alarm, but 10 traces OF the robbers could be
found. Among other articles stolen
Rre all the crowns but one, in
Guiding thai OF tharIemagnc, which dates
back from A. ID. Geo: seven chalicos and
their covers, two OF which date from the
seventeenth century, and are chefs d'0urFe
OF chasing; the magnificent censor given
10 the abbey OF st. Denis by Napoleon L.,
which is over three feet high, and weighs
over twenty-five pounds; another more
modern censor, but OF great artistic value;
two shrines OF the thirteenth century, OF
great historical value: cross OF gold
sulmounted by precious stones, and an
other in rock crystal, which belonged to
Madame Elizabeth, OF France, sister
TO Louis XIV, the martyr OF the French
httOiutlons II tsl~ln anu ut>H RiNtb ~.
Napoleon l.; two canon's crosses OF mas
siye gold, and the pastoral cross OF Cardi-
nal Molet-in all thirty-iive articles. a
pair of steel pincers were found in the
froasure-room that were used in forcing
open the glass cases containing the valua-
bles. The thieves evidently knew all about
the interior management Of the building,
as they had even taken with them a piece
Of poisoned meat for the dog II he should
be loose. For some cause the thieves
omitted TO carry of q small casket which
contained 1900 francs in gold. All the
Jewels that were not stolen were securely
locked away the next day, and ut u
meeting Of the chapter held in the
church letter was addressed to
the Minister OF Fine Arts, i'll which
they disclaimed all responsibility Of the
loss. A list OF the stolen objects, carefully
made out by Monsieur Lanet, the commits
saire OF police, has been printed and trans
mitted to all the jewellers and gold and
silver merchants i'll and about Paris, and
numerous judicial searches by the police.
A few DAYS ago the archbishop received q
letter, couchcd in insulting terms, saying
that the crime had been committed
by the writer and his accompiices,
who intended TO return and capture
the remaining jewels. The letter con
cludcd 10y saying that all the stolen
articles would be returned II the caskot
containing the $4,000 francs were handed
over in their stead The authorities arc
under the impression that the THEFT has
been committed by one Of the Numerous
bands Of gypsies that infested Saint Denis
ut the time Of the robbery, but who imme-
diately started for scissors after The theft.
Some people imagine that il is not improb-
able that the soIcercSs has found the trca-
sure not through the medium OF her wand
and the patronage OF the minister on pub
lie education, but by hiring the assistance