The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-26
FISHERMAN'S RING
 STOLEN FROM POPE
Ornament Removed from Fin-
 ger of Leo's Corpse
HAS INTERESTING HISTORY
Cardinals Excited Over Loss Of Jewel That Is Used to Seal Bulls and Is Symbol of Pope's
 Authority.

New York. July 25.-The Herald's Rome correspondent cables the following:
 4The ring of the fisherman which should have been found on the hand of the pope has disappeared. It is not so much question of its material as of its extrinsic value. for the ring of the fisher man is used to seal the papal bulls and is the outward sign of the authority Of the pope.
 When the cardinal camerlingo certi- fles the death of a pope, he receives the ring of the fisherman from the chamber lain of his holiness. It is then destroyed in the presence of all the cardinals at the first meeting of the sacred college af- ter the pope's death.
 ''But when Cardinal Oreglia, the pres- ent camer1ingo, had certified to the death of Leo XIII. Monsignor Bisleu was a prey to the deepest despair, and had to admit that the ring had disappeared. Cardinal Oreglia, who had, as is the cus- tom, brought his declaration of having re- celved the ring from the papal chamber lain, all written out, had to put 1t back in his pocket
 ''Monsignor Bisleti can give no infor- nation as to the robbery. The theft must have taken place between the day of the death of the pope and the morn ing of the following day, when Cardinal Oreglia officially certified to his death. During this time large number of pers- ons entered the death chamber.
 Causes Sensation.
 ''The disappearance of the ring has caused a tremendous sensation at the vatican, where 1t Is the sole subject of conversation.
 Tn the meantime, in the certificate of death of Leo XIII, all allusion to receiv- ing the ring has been suppressed.
 Friends of Monsignor Bisleh hope that when the seals are removed from the cabinets of the late pope the ring will be found in one of them, but very little confidence is felt. The ring should never have left the popes hand, and everyone denies having touched it."
 At the first meeting of the congrega- ton of cardinals after the popes death, when the famous ring should have been broken, the ceremony was omitted, and 1t was put on record that the ring for the moment could not be found.
 Twice Lost.
 
 been lost twice before. Among the state papers preserved at Simanicas, near Val ladolid is a letter from Count Olivares, then Spanish ambassador at Rome, to Philip IT., dated September 5, 158S, say ing: "Sixtus V. has been very ill from vexation. Vexation to which I refer was the missing of the fishermans ring. He carried 1t with him in purse, and he discovered that he had been robbed of it by a cup bearer. Unless the publicity given to the affair enables him to punish the man. he will not do so or even dis miss him. The pope would do anything to avoid showing the world that his conh- dence had been abused"
 In September 1899 the late Pope Leo was one day insistently asked for an audience by an under servant and yielding to curl osity he granted 1t, whereupon the man entered and kneeling said:
 Ring Restored.
 ''Your holiness, have to restore to you what has been loss not only to you but to the world" After these words the man proffered the pope the fisherman's ring which had been found Pope Leo looked at 1t in surprise and then solemnly putting it on his finger said 'The thanks of the church are due to you my son. I shall see that you are rewarded"
 The next day the man called at the treasury and was given three dollars. The ring has never been seen since, as Pope Leo privately hid 1t or locked 1t away, so great was his fear of losing 1t again. So far 1t has not been discovered. but the vatican authorities assure the Associated Press that the ring will undoubtedly be found
 On two other occasions the ring was taken from the papacy by force. In 1897 the F'renchrepublicans invaded the vatican and despoied Plus VI. of all his valuables, and among them the fsherman's ring It was returned the next day as it had no intrinsic value