The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-14
LYING IN WAIT
FOR PAPAL LOOT.
Relatives, Vatican Attendants ana
Even Prelates Eager to Seize
Iooss Gifts

Relatives, Vatican Attendants ana
Even PreIates Eager 10 Seize
LeO's Gifts.
From the New York Herald.
'erhe presence in Rome of personal
relatives of the Pope from Carpineto,
as chronicled in the dispatches, must
not be taken as showing wholly dis
interested motives on the part of these
mountaineers," observed yesterday one
who is we'll versed in Roman Church
affairs.
1T has been an acknowledged and
tolerated custom for centuries that i'm
mediately following a Pope's death his
relatives, if they be present; his per-
sonal servants the Noble Guards and
even prelates in attendance in the Vat
lean when the death occurs, to lay
hands on everything of value in sight
that belonged to the dead Pontiff.
Among these looters there is some
show of respect, not toward the dead
Pope, but toward each other for by
common courtesy the actual relatives
are permitted to seize the most val
liable things. Always it happens that
much is, carted away that did not
really belong to the Pope In the past
II has often been that works of art,
rare vases. pictures. gold and silver
chalices. and even the furniture, have
been taken. so that whole apartments
have been stripped and had to be re-
furnished by the new Pope.
Before his death Plus TX. accumu-
lated an immense number of presents,
given him during his Pontifical jubilee
year. None of these articles were re-
covered after his death. His relatives
and the Vatican servants took all of
them. That is why so many rare
things are now to be seen in places of
Europe and America-that are truly
said to have once been in the Vatican,
This is how dealers get hold of them.
So soon as he can do so, the Gamer
lengo affixes the seals and drives at
tendants, especially relatives. out Of
the palace. and yet he knows the ira
ditions and has to be lenient.
Pope Leo XIII. had received many
presents, some of them from America.
It need surprise no giver of these pres
ents to see his gift back in America
again. purchased from Roman curio
dealers. any more than it need sur
prise the public that Carpineto rela-
tives of Leo Kill have a sudden in
terest in Vatican matters. In some
measure the right to carry out this
strange custom explains the interest
Italy mas IN the fortunes OF IHlS anu
that Papal candidate.
When it was reported that the Ital
ian government had decided to sur
round the Vatican with police pro-
lection, this was to prevent footing
on too wholesale scale. But ii can
not prevent it wholly. 1t is an old
custom. Everybody winks at it and
feels that relatives have some rights.
Prelates are more than likely to be
found assisting in the concealment of
rare bric-a-brac in the Vatican until
the Italian soldiers depart and the loot
can be safely removed.
The same authority explained that
for a week past. or ever since Leo
XIII. was taken ill. the pontifical tall
Ors, a firm composed of three brothers.
has been busy making robes for the
new Pope. AS it cannot be told who
the new Pope viii be, and how large
or small he may be of person. three
different robes are provided. One is
for person Of Hampollas build, say
six feet in height; a second for man
of medium height, like Ferrari. and
the third of a small man. Then who
ever is chosen there is a robe in readi-