The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-09-01
Capturing a Statue
-sGts.--
With Paint, Wig and Beard a
Work Of Art May Easily
Be Made Repulsive.

"~r
full career l have the honor Of plan-
ming various schemes which have
taken a conspicuous place in point Of
audacity In the records OF crime. but
perhaps III none Of these transactions
was such audacity more prominent
than in the incident Of the carrying or
Of the Apollo statue from the residence
Of Sir Titus Blaydes. Bart. the statue
In question being the work OF the
famous sculptor Apelles md being
valued by experts Mt $25O.OO
One evening ! al sitting in IL restau-
rant finishing an after dinner cigar
when a short. foreign looking man. Ok
pensively dressed. came and sat down
beside me.
Excuse the liberty | take In ad.
dressing YOU he began courteously.
speaking with a strong foreign accent,
but In perfect English. but your fame
has indirectly reached my ears. l
think | have the honor Of addressing
Mr.. Godfrey VipceY
''That is my name" | returned. much
amazed. May ! ask what you desire
with meY
: He came very close and, sinking his
voice, said In a whisper, II want you
to carry off for me the Apollo statue
from the house of Sir Titus Blaydes
at Longworth Court"
One glance at the card told me all.
1t bore the name OF Count Antonio
D%elarocca. the famous millionaire col.
1nn4n,s ~ tI,n Os%tr,,n Vy1,npH fp0l1npx, nj
Milan contained priceless glorles Of
ancient masters.
~ recognize your ame count. and
shall be glad to be Of service to you.
But may I ask what constrained you
to fix upon me n the instrument OF
your designs"
81 CHANGED to be present at your trial
v the Wigmore case. when. as you
will remember. you escaped with n
light sentence, though the evidence
showed you to be m artist In crime. |
kept my eye upon you, resolving to
offer you this delicate mission directly
the government no longer required
your services"
II shall be delighted to do all in my
power for you count. but first Of all
you must tell me in detail what you re
4ulre DONE
"Most certainly" he made answer. az
he offered me a cigar and relit his own.
During the past four years have
made countless offers to Sir Titus
Blaydes for hissApollo. the offers being
made through secret agents Of mine.
VAy, n ntvsssn IL, TIM Ian ,snpnf wand mt
part with the statue to a rival collector
such az myself. My last offer was no
less than $25O,OOO. but this also was
unhesitatingly refused"
He paused and blew a great cloud
from his cigar. Then he resumed: II
an a nan OF iron will, and what ! set
my heart upon l always obtain. Sir
Titus has proved u~namenable to fair
means. l will now assnil him with the
only Observation-Disclosures Yes, mere.
~ stratagem, not robbery. for OH the
day that you hand over to me the Apol'
10 statue l shall forward him anony.
mously the sum of $25O,OOO. And you,
my friend. would receive $4,000.
Come, Is the bait sufficiently tempt
ingY
Before we parted he gave me his adj
dress In Milan, for which place he was
leaving on the morrow, and 1t was to
this address that l was to convey the
statue IL my efforts proved successful.
ma add that he left with me the
sum Of $500 as a guarantee Of good
faith.
On the following Monday | journey
ed down to Longworth court, md.
mingling with the crowd. entered the
spacious mansion, | soon gained ad-
mittance to the gallery.
The more | contemplated the bust
ness the further and further away did
the counts reward seem, and by the
time l reached London ] was In u de.
spairlng mood. | retired to bed. resolv-
ed 10 think no more of the matter,
though on the following morning ]
visited two OF my oldest chums. Jack
Grimes and Tom Harris, and put the
case to them. They sneered at the af'
fair, declaring 1t was Impossible.
II therefore came about that the
matter passed out of my mind until
the end Of November, when 1t was
brought back to me In a curious man.
ner.
happened to enter 4 theater one
night where a play was being enacted
In which q distracted hairdresser. be-
ing pursued by a statue which had
been miraculously endowed with life,
suddenly conceived the Idea OF paint.
Ing her face and dressing her In mod
ern attire, II M to render her appear
ance more conventional when she was
tracking his steps.
An idea flashed through my brain
when ! Witnessed this Incident, did
not walt for the end 0f the play, but
leapIRg into \ hanson, drove to our den,
where, by a lucky chance, found
Grimes and Harris %ansc0need In arm
chairs and smoking peacefully,
They both looked up quickly, hut did
not speak,
my plan II this" went on, speak,