Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1910-03-13
n HOODOO STATUE

!. T. Chain. Kansas City settle
ment worker. has come into posses
sion of the Hercules of praxiteles In
mysterious manner. as gift from
Greek laborer. The authenticity of
the little bronze. only six inches high,
has been substantiated past reasona-
BILE skepticism. IL is worth at the
least reckoning 100000. y IL was
given to this man without the exact
| ing of promise of its return and
the Greek who gave IL has vanished.
His name Is unknown and there ap-
pears to be only a slender possibility
that he will ever return To claim his
property, says the Chicago Tribune.
The Greeks in this country are
agitated. There is anxiety that this
last Of this famous group of little
| brcnZes is lost forever 10 the nation
whose culture and genius made y
possible. Both of the other statues
are beyond purchase. The Boston
museum paid sl50.3o5 for the head
Of Aphrodite and the New Yorker
who possesses the Evanlon is said
to have spent nearly that amount for
lis treasure. Unless experts are
badly mistaken. this little bronze of
Hercules is at least % centuries old
Mr.. Chain was busy one evening
in the Thomas II. Swope settlement
house in Kansas City. of which he is
head resident. when a Greek laborer
whom Chain knew by sight only en-
tered and closed the door OF the Of
fee The settlement-hcuse cares for
many destitute Greek children and
the mans visit occasioned no sur,
prise until he produced from an in
side pocket the little greened bronze.
In broken English ne explained that
wrath of somebody.
Mr.. Chain took the bronze readily
enough. lie is accustomed to strange
requests from these enigmatie for
eigners, but the thing Interested him
so that he forced an explanation from
his visitor UnwiLingly the Greek
explained that the statute was an
ancient" and that he had come into
its ownership in a strange way. His
father and mis- uncle were diggers
for treasures OF art in the employ of
the Greek government. he said.
One day a good many years ago
they had been left alone in a work
of excavation-Nr. Chain did not
learn just where. They CHANGED upon
the bronze. 1t was small ami easy
to secrete. and enc OF the men carried
it from the pit. 81 feet under the
ground and reburied IL secretly.
Their plan had been to sell 1t TO
some foreign antiquary. but the OPP
portunity never came.
A half dozen years ago the father
died. Then the uncle became NOR
tally III. spd on his deaihbed told the
story OF the hidden bronze 60 his
nephew. begged him TO exhume it
and make bis way to America with
IL.
II took some years to lay aside
enough money for the trip. Finally
the Iaborer cot across the border
with the statuetfe hidden in his ca
po.e. and took a steamer for Malta
From there he made his way TO
America. dreaming every day Of rsak-
ing his fortune from the sale Of the
antique He condded 20 Mr.. Chafn
that the thing was a great treasure.
bit the assertion made little impress
sion. Chain az the time bad little
appreciation OF the bronze. and =
was weeks af;eTuard before he de-
ciSed On an investigation
The Greeks dream % wealth vas
frtne one however. for he speedily
learned that .; would take him Eve
years ~ become a citizen and thus
protect himself agairsi extrsdition.
step he was certain the Greek gov
errmsnf would take. he suffered al
the woes Of a poverty-stricksn inni-