The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1900-04-12
Capturing a Statue
With Paint, Wig and Beard
Work of Art May Easily
Be Made Repulsive.. .

IL Be Made Repulsive. 4
SAAsasHssssssasssssssa
In the course of my long and event
| 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 in none of these transactions
was such audacity more prominent
| than in the incident Of the carrying off
| Of the Apollo statue from the residence
Of Sir Titus Blaydes, Bart, the statue
in question being the work Of the
famous sculptor Apelles and being
valued by experts at $25O,O0O. ... -.
One evening / was sitting in restau-
rant finishing an after dinner cigar
| when a short. foreign looking man, eX-
pensively dressed, came and sat down
beside me.
excuse the liberty 1 take in ad-
| dressing you," he began courteously,
speaking with strong foreign accent,
but in perfect English, ''but your fame
has indirectly reached my ears. l
| think l have the honor of addressing
Mr.. Godfrey VinceY'
''That is my name," returned much
amazed. May 1 ask what you desire
| with meY'
He came very close and, sinking his
voice, said in a whisper, 81 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
| Delarocca, the famous millionaire col
| lector of the antique, whose gallery at
| Milan contained priceless glories of
ancient masters.
| II recognize your name, count, and
shall be glad to be of service to you.
| But may l ask what constrained you
| to fix upon me as the instrument of
your designs2' '..r
| II CHANGED to be present at your trial
| over the Wigmore case, when, as you
will remember, you escaped with a
light sentence, though the evidence
showed you to be an artist in crime
kept my eye upon you, resolving to
| offer you this delicate mission directly
the government no longer required
| your services"
81 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-
quire DONE"
| "Most certainly" he made answer, as
he offered me a cigar and relit his own.
During the past four years l have
made countless offers to Sir Titus
Blaydes for his Apollo, the offers being
made through secret agents Of mine,
for naturally the baronet would not
part with the statue to a rival collector
such as 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: Il
am a man of iron will, and what / set
| my heart upon l always obtain. Sir
Titus has proved unamenable to fair
means. l will now assail him with the
only observation-disclosures Yes, mere
ly stratagem, not robbery, for on the
day that you hand over to me the Apoi
10 statue shall forward him anony.
mously the sum of $25O,OOO. And you,
my friend, would receive $4,000.
Come, is the bait sufficiently tempt
ingT
/ Before we parted he gave me his ad-
dress In Milan, for which place he was
leaving on the morrow, and it was to
this address that l was to convey the
statue If my efforts proved successful.
I may add that he left with me the
sum of $4,000 as a guarantee of good
faith.
On the following Monday l journey
ed down to Longworth court, and,
/ mingling with the crowd, entered the
spacious mansion, soon gained adj
mittance to the gallery.
The more / contemplated the bust
ness the further and further away did
the counts reward seem, and by the
time 1 reached London l was in a de-
spairing mood. retired to bed, resolv-
ed to 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 it was impossible.
/ 1t therefore came about that the
I matter passed out of my mind until
the end of November, when it was
brought back to me in curious man.
ner. -.e... r.
I happened to enter a theater one
night where a play was being enacted
in which a distracted hairdresser, be-
ing pursued by statue which had
been miraculously endowed with life,
suddenly conceived the idea of paint
ing her face and dressing her in mod
ern attire, so as to render her appear
ance more conventional when she was
tracking his steps.
| An idea dashed through my brain
when witnessed this incident. did
not wait for the end of the play. but
leaping into hanson, drove to our den
where, by lucky chance, / found
Grimes and Harris ensconced in arm
chairs and smoking peacefully.
They both looked up quickly, but did
not speak
my plan is this" went on speak
Ing very slowly, so that their rather
sluggish brains might follow me. =,
propose that we three disguise out
selves as police officers, you two a.
constables and as inspector. W,
J arouse Sir Titus Blaydes one night ant
inform him that we have reason to be
Heve that burglars are in the house..
while he is waiting and am ther.
I to keep him company, you two fellows
make track for the gallery, and wher
you get there you proceed to make III
: the statue In the guise Of 9, moderf