Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-02-16
Member Of the Faculty Of University
Of Pennsylvania Victim Of
Fraud.
COLLECTION is OF NO VALUE
He Devoted His Life to It and Ex-
pended Nearly Million DOL
lars on 1t.


He had scarcely got to rest in his
grave before the historic value of his
gift to The university was attacked.
RUmors that had been current for
several years as TO the authority of
the history he gave to the gems it
contained took definite form. An in
Nestigation began which resulted last
week in showing that it was col
lection of baubles of no antiquarian
value whatever. that the man who had
given his whole life to the acquire
nient OF engraved gems and expended
vast fortune in their purchase had
either been Systematically deceiver or,
what was more unlikely, had deliber
ately planned to deceive prosperity.
Either belief is supported by evil
dence. The faculty of the university
OF which the professor was an honored
member take the charitable view.
They point to the whole life of the pro-
fessor. the expenditure of his fortune
his pursuit of his loved science tx
tending over half a century. and mis-
unseltish pride in his collection the
use he made of it, his leaning and his
open character as demonstrating the
impossibility of his knowingly being
party to such a tremendous fraud.
Was Famous Expert
On the other hand, the professors
knowledge of gems which ranked him
as the first expert in the world is Op-
posed to the theory that he could have
been deceived He was not a mere
closet antiquarian. He had visited
and lived in all classic countries, was
thoroughly informed on the most re-
condite incidents of their history
their archaeology and art, and all his
long life had been given up to the
study of his subject.
II any person was equipped by eX
perience and knowledge to pass upon
the authenticity of the great collection
he made it was Professor Sommer-
vile himself And yet it is shown
absolutely that almost the entire col
lection is bogus. that it's history is
fraudulent and the carved and en-
gIaved stones themselves We're made
in German workshops for the most
part, all within period of forty
years.
In importance these revelations sur
pass any that have hitherto been made
The university had scarcely settled
unsatisfactory enough, the cOntro-
versy over the Hilprecht collection of
BabylOnian stones when it was called
upon to deal with this more serious
one. It's ambition to take first place
in the study and advancement OF
archaeology has received double
blow. and from its own friends. The
suspicion of the authenticity of such
collections extends to other museums
and the doubts that were cast upon the
Cesnola collection Of Cypritic stones
in the New York Museum of Art are
revived with no likelihood of ever be
ing laid at rest.
Victim of Frauds.
In the matter of Professor SOmmer
villes collection, however, there is nc
doubt. He was either the victim of
the best organized scheme of fraud
ever devised or he planned and exc
cuted it himself and went to the grave
satisfied with his labor. 1t is not un.
likely that in part both of these con-
tentions are true. He was a mystic
and an enthusiast. He was deeply
imbued with the spirit of the Buddhist
religion. among whose people he liv.
ed for many years. He adopted their
dress and accepted much of their faith
and in the Hindo temple which he
caused to be erected in the museum of
the University of Pennsylvania he
spent his last days, clothed In priest
ly dress, surrounded with his treas
ures and writing learnedly and elo-
quently on the history of engraved
baubleS.
Notable among these was the cameo
illustrating the Triumph OF Constan-
tine" 1t was purchased by him for
$4,000 after negotiations extending
tod \
history is told in monograph which
he published at the time of its pur
chase, from which the following is ar
extract:
In 1855 Catherine II presented the
gem to one of her ambassadors. AT
ter his death at Athens it was SOLE
with his objects of art. Subsequent
ly it fell into the hands of a bankin,
house, from which it was purchase,
by a Greek named Tuerck, who pious
ly guarded it for 80 years. On hi
demise it came to Enzendorf, Austria
when through purchase it became par
of the glyptic collection in Syria
after fully six years of correspond
ence and efforts on my part to pun
chase it from its last possessor il
Syria | succeeded in its acquisition
by purchasing it at special meeting
OF MS nelrS ana II is now dOmlclled II
my collection in the University o
Pennsylvania, | hope never again t,
be removed.
This antinque cameo, The Triumph
of Constantine is of great import
ance in itself and by far the most i'm
portant of all similar works of tn
lower empire hitherto discovered.
A Stone Cameo.
1T is a maculated sard of dark tol
toise shell color The maculation
of light marsala wine color an
white. 1t is a stone cameo of cor
siderable dimension III IS centime
ers). nearly five inches long and o,
er three and half inches wide, bt
ing the eleventh in point of magn
tude of those already existing, an
in historic interest it ranks third i
the series devoted to the memory c
the great emperor.
"puring the later years of the lif
of Rev. c. W. King, NJ. A., Trinit
college, Cambridge, England, l Co
responded with him concerning va
ious gems in my collection.
ITO him l am indebted for man
points and much Information in regar
to this gem. AS he saw only a phi,
Geographic autotype there were a nun
Der of important features overlooke
by him, which. happily, l am now el
able IltO state In this article, espe