The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-13
Advertiser Bureau,

Two goblets, pieces of a silver commit nion set. valued at $500. were stolen from the vestry room of St. Paurs Episcopal Church last night by an unknown per- son. The chalice and the paten of the set were not taken by the tnief who left them in a lavatory attached to the eastern wall of the church.
 It is thought the articles were stolen by some person familiar with the church and its premises.
 The theft was discovered at s:3o o'clock this morning by M. R. Jarvis. who su- pervises the sexton in taking care of the building. MT. Jarvis found the door of the vestry room opening upon the church yard open. The wardrobe in which the communion set was kept was open and the casket containing the silver gone to- gether with a few linen napkins used in the communion service. The drawers of a washstand and a table had been opened and their contents lay upon the floor.
 MT. Jarvis at once notified the police of the robbery and diligent search was at once made for the silver pieces. none of which could be found at first After wards. however, the casket and the chal- ice and the paten were found in the lava tory in the rear of the church.
 It is thought the thief hid himself in the church last night when the front door was opened during a meeting of the vestry. The vestrymen adjourned about s:3o and the thief was probably in the church at that time.
 The introduer then at his own leisure entered the vestry room and opened the wardrobe door, probably with key as the lock bore no signs of violent usage. He took the casket out of the church by the vestry room door which was un- locked from the inside.
 The casketw as then taken into the lavatory and forced open and its con- tents removed, the chalice and paten be- ing left on the floor and the goblets taken away.
 The chalico was about eighteen inches in diameter and may have been deemed too large to be carried conveniently and secretly. The paten was a small plate. The goblets were about nine inches high. Each piece was ornate and bore inscrip- tions.
 It is not known what time the theft occurred. The vestrymen left the church before 9 o'clock and the service may have been removed at any time between then and daylight this morning.
 Nor ts there less mystery as to the per- sonahty of the theft. He may have been we'll informed about the plans and surroundings of the church and have entered with the set purpose of stealing the silver or he may have been only a sneak thief who slipped in the vague hope of findifk something of value. The key to the south door of the church has been missing since Saturday and the door has had to. be barred with 6 chair, but the observance of the key is not | necessarily 6 clue.
 | The communion service was presented to St. Faults Church by the members of the Ernest Workers. the ladies society of the parish, as a memorial to the late Right Rev. R. Ii. Wilmer. Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Ala 1 bama. It consisted of four pieces of
 solid silver. beautifully decorated and ap-
 propriately inscribed It was asked for
 the first time on Palm Sunday March 21, 1909 by the late Right Rev. Woodward
 Barnwell. who succeeded Bishop Winner.
 The service was therefore highly valued
 by the members of St. Paurs Church.