New-York tribune., 1907-10-27

Of conscience. 1 regret nothing thus renounee
my liberty and perhaps my fortune out of con-
siderations of higher and sentimental nature
NJ Antiques asked for further explanations.
Anthony Thomas replied; -Four days ago. with
firm confidence in the future, was in London
with my friend FaUre. I on the point oe
completing the sale for an important sum of ths
gold reliquary of the Church Of Anbazac. and Of
other objects of artistic value, A telegram from
a friend in Paris apprised me that all was dis
covered that my mother and my brother had
been arrested and that search had been made
at my office and at my residence. and that a
great number of letters had been seized This
was terrible blow to me. assure you that my
mother and my brother innocent F'urther-
more. I know that among the papers seized there
are several letters from a lady whom ADORE
and whom have loved devotedly for years. Inis
lady is married The search of the police has
disclosed the secret relations that have existed
between this lady and myself 1t is to save this
lady's reputation that 1 now deliver myself up
imporing you not to dvulge her name
NJ. Antiques reassured Anthony Thomas by
observing: In my capacity as'examining mag
istrate il is not for me to compromise a woman
against whom accusation has been made"
When pressed for more explicit information that
might establish the innocence of his mother and
brother Anthony Thomas stated: Il never took
my mother or my brother into my confidence In
regard to the. robberies of church treasures
They imagined that simply as the agent OF mill
Iionaire dealers in antiquities I was purchasing
in their behalf They never knew that OBJ
tanned many of the treasures by simply going
10 the churches or museums in an auJomobils
as n wealthy tourist and stealing them from ths
country churches where they were guarded IN
a most temptinSly inadequate manner In
most cases I induced the guardians To give me-
the originals upon receipt of we'll manufactured
limitations that could only be detected by ex-
pert examination. I had no difficulty IN pur-
suading them that as the churches would soon
he deprived of their treasures anyway, by virtus
of the DEGREES of NJ BRAND Minister of Pu5ltd
Worship and Education, they might as well
profit by the circumstances and sell the originals
for solid cash. I have, moreover. Just learned
thar the wealthy dealer in antiquities who sup-
Piled information that led to the present dis
covery did 81 out OF pure revenge because hs
had missed the opportunity of buying the Tel~
iouary of Arbazac at the Iow price offered by
me when i showed it to him in Paris before my
visit to London. where I secured more advan-
tageous terms. ! guilty; but after all
am an Insignificant accomplice compared with
the great millionaire biG-wig art dealers who
provided me with working capital with auto-
mobiles and who paid me liberal commissions
on objects delivered in Paris and in London
u
became q rObber Of church treasure
Faure. who has also been arrested. was n sort
of secretary Of Anthony Thomas. and when ex-
amincd BY the magistrates gave the following
description of the theft of the reliquary of Am
bazac: ION September II Anthony Thomas and
/ took the train at Clermont-Ferrand At =
small station we got out Of the train and found
an automobile that had come from Paris to meet
us In the automobile l saw an extremely
beautiful and fashionably dressed lady. On
the front seat was the chauffeur. We got into
the automobile and went AT 4 rapid pace TO
Nrnbazac and stopped at the church door An
thony Thomas and the chauffeur aEghted and
entered the church. They came out few mo-
meats later. Thomas had parcel wrapped in a
newspaper. which he concealed beneath his am
pie English waterproof cloak. Thomas and the
chauffeur Jumped into the car and We sped
toward Paris at the rate of fifty Kilometres an
hour. Thomas told me that he had made a
great bargain He said that the church people
had sold him the reIiquary for a mere song and
that he was OF dispoSinS of it through a
London agent for delivery IL New York for
$4,000" Ii may he noted that this reIiquary is
estimated by experts TO be worth at least $4,000
An interesting incident of the affair was the
discovery on October by boatman near the
Pont Royal in Paris floating in the Seine OF a
leather bag containing many letters from An
thony Thomas. photographs of nearly hundred
objects that had been stolen. and the address OF
the agency in Regent street, London. 20 which
the property had been forwarded. II appeared
later that the bag had been thrown into the river
by Thomas in of his passage through
Paris. This information, communicated by the
boatman to the Paris police. was transmitted to
London. and forty-eght hours later telegram
from Scotland Yard informed the chief of police
in Paris that the reliquary OF Ambazac had bean
recovered and was at the disposal of the French
authorities. Following closely upon this. well
known Partisan art collector, NJ. Henri de Ian
noy. called upon NJ Blot. under inspector OF Sc
cret police. and delivered to him a dozen gold
and jewelled reliquaries. chalices cups. croziers
and crosses that he had bought from Anthony
Thomas. The police are the track OF the
100000 crown of St Michael and il is be-
lieved that a great part OF the stolen objects
will soon be recovered or. il abroad. where they
are will be ascertained. The value of the
treasures stolen or fraUduently obtained by
the firm Of Anthony Thomas & Co." is esti-
mated by experts TO exceed 100000, II appears
that Anthony Thomas is a prominent member
Of the Masonic fraternity and belongs TO the
same lodge as the present Minister OF Justice
The affair is followed with keen interest here.
and the trial. IL it takes place may possibly lead
TO many startling disclosures. GLIB.
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