The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-04
PANIC aALLrarra "Pu1LBpr
A Mysterious visitor Forces the Project
OF the Seine TO Act.

A Mysterious Visitor Porces tho Project
Of the Seine TO Act.
PARIS. Aug. 9.-Tremendous excitement
relgns throughout the city. The Place de 10
Conoorde 10 filed by an Immense throng adj
vanolng toward the Chamber Of Deputies
and chanting q new song calling for ven
geance or the assallant OF the glory OF
France. The sendarmes are powerless to
stay the progress OF this mighty army OF
citizens. II 10 a. II the march to Versailles
had come again.
Around the Column Of July another vast
oonoourse Of people heaves and waves. The
Place dc 10 R6publlque echoes with shouting.
Even In the Halles Centrales the market
women are utterlng curses loud and deep.
Tout Paris" 10 Wild with anger. The cause
was q sudden descent Of the police to-day
upon the galleries OF the Louvre and Luxem-
bourg. Seventy -eleht masterpieces were re-
moved under orders from the project OF che
Seine, and several were serlously damaged In
the hurry. The superintendents OF both col
lectlons were arrested, together with several
attendants, and all the illustrated catalogues
were confsoated.
1t appears that this morning Q traveller
reported to be an American entered the
Louvre and began al inspection Of the paint
ings. One Of the hrst to come under his
notice was C~orreagio'1 Marriage Of st. Gath
Nr'~-e %hsA SAiA ta NssSh SO sAAeNN
Is represented az sittlng naked In the VlrEtn.s
arms. When the stranger saw this nude
figure he turned pale, then blushed fiery red.
and finally placed both hands over his race
and fed into another room.
Here, to his apparently Increased dlsmay.
he came upon the Pastoral" Of Boucher. In
this picture 10 seen o shepherd reading to his
love. who Is reclining upon the sward with
several sheep lying near her uncovered
limbs. When the visitor saw this picture he
caught his breath. %shuddered. staggered back
ward and fell into the arms Of o guard. to
whom he exclaimed. Shameful Shameful
is II not. monsleur2" replied the guard
respectfully. "Thousands instead Of hun
dreds Of Parlsians should oome TO gaze at
these masterpieces, yet day after day one sees
here only hordes Of foreigners. Helas. la
belle Francel"
wretch" shrieked the visitor. THAT vile.
filthy. obscene and disgusting picture should
be burnedl 1t will corrupt my countryi'
Thereupon the foreigner ran auiverlne TO
another room. while the guard In his turn
fell half ~falntIns into q chair. The stranger
now found himself face to face with David's
Rape Of the Sa Dimes" Here II seemed that
he went entirely mad, for he began tearing
the clothing from his back. and before he
could be stopped he had hung his coat. his
waistooat and his linen duster over the paint
ing In Q wild effort to shut II out from human
gaze.
A few moments later he rushed into the
Rue de Rivoll and springins into q hacre
babe the driver aallop to the Luxembourg.
There the strangers actions were similar to
those In the Louvre. only that he began to
foam at the mouth. After half an hour In
the gallery he drove madly back TO the Louvre
and sent his card to the project Of the Seine.
When the project saw the card he turned
deathly pale and murmured half audibly. 1T
has come"
The tranger was ushered at once into the
secret ofice and was there observed to shake
his finger in the face of the project. That
official covered visibly. and apparently was
only too eager to do anything which the
visitor demanded. Within an hour q heavy
force OF police, with army field wagons, Wis
tied the two galleries and dragged from their
old resting places the seventy EIGHT paintings
before mentioned. Many valuable pictures
escaped because the visitor did not remain
In the galleries long enough to see them.
Tonight all Paris Ii asking VIII this powef.
full despot can be. and the project has fed to
avoid interviews by sensational newspapers.