The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-01
YALE MUSEUM RIFLED.
Young Vcrrili PurlOlns from tho Geo
graphical and Geological Collection
Articles Worth $4,000.

Ru0EhtcaI ana IOOtOSicui NOitecttOu
Articles Worth $4,000.
New Haven. Conn.,. Jan. 31-A sensa
tion was created in New Haven this
afternoon when 1t was discovered that
thefts amounting to $4,000. and prob
ably much more. have been made from
the Peabody museum of Yale univer-
sity. and that the thief Is son of Ad-
olson T.. Verrill, professor of zoology
and curator of the geological collection
of the university.
The thefts have extended over con-
siderable period of time. and the exact
amount of them will probably never he
known. as the young man who took
the exhibits and relies from the mu-
scum has forgotten the exact number
of pieces that he took. The thefts COW
er a period of at least two years, and,
although the fact that valuable potter
les, specimens of minerals and arrow
heads were missing was known to those
at the head of the museum. no COM
plant was made until about a month
ago. Then Othniel G. Marsh, profess
sor of palentology and curator of the
geological collection. and Professor Ad-
olson f.. Verrill, curator Of the ZOO
logical collection. the two heads of the
museum, laid the matter before the
police saying that they had been un
able to solve the mystery. The detec-
tives were not long in deciding that the
thief was some one who had keys to
the cases contairins the collection. and
they soon suspected young Verri.l.
Ills Mcndacitv Proved.
The son was taken before his father
and Professor Marsh. but he firmly de-
MED all knowledge of the thefts. That
same evening n detective searched the
home of the young man and found a
large quantity of very valuable pottery
there, which at once fixed the robbery
upon him. He confessed when con-
fronted with this evidence, gave up all
that he had in his home belonging to
the museum. and also furnished the
descriptions of the relics and addresses
of all the dealers to whom he remem-
bered having disposed of his thcfts.
This information made a long list.
including curio dealers In this country
and abroad but 1t was incomplete. as
the thief could not remember all the
transactions. Since then the police
and the authorities of the museum
have been busy iii)recoverng the stolen
property. About $4,000 worth has al
ready been returned. and as Professor
Marsh says. the museum will not lose q
dollar in the end. 1t is presumed that
Verril's father has made good the
wrongdoings of his son.
Albert II. Verrill resides at ~ Carmel
street. He Is the eldest son of Profess
sor Verrill. one of the stanchest and
most respected members of the Yale
faculty. Young Verrill Is about %
years of age and graduated from the
university i'm the class of '93. He was
always an eccentric sort of q boy, but
after graduating became an assistant
to his father.
Married Below His StatiOr.
He soon fell in love with a girl named
Mccarthy. who was much below his
station in life. and who was objected
to for this reason by his family. De-
spite this fact. he. married her This
ostracised him, and he went into the
taxidermy business In Orange street.
He Is bright fellow, and his good work
soon won again for him his fathers
favor. and the latter aided him in his
work, sending him all over the coun-
try in search of rare specimens for his
skill.
In this work Professor Verrill al
lowed mis- son free access sto the cases
of the museum, and thus the young
man committed the thefts. For more
than a year Verrill robbed the cases un-
der the very eyes of those in charge
He knew that he was not watched, and
he took his pick of the collections,
which. altogether are the rarest and
most valuable i'm the world. In some
instances substitutes. which We're moth
ing more than cheap limitations. were
put In place of the original articles.
No arrest has been made and none is
likely to be made. Professor Marsh
has done everything i'm his power to
keep the story from the public. not only
on the ground that it would bring grief
to the professor and Mrs. Verrill, but
also because the authorities of the
museum fea- that II will injure the
museum by keeping persons from de-
posting collections here.