The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-08-25
SOME CLUES TO "MONA LISA
SIGNS or ELABORATE PLOT TO
STEAL FAMOUS PICTURE.
Thief May Be on His Way TO South Amer
tea With II Missing 80 Hours Before
the Police We're Called In Cunning
Grtaway-W Wholesale Finger Prints.
.sp,eur Cdbi, D,,pqtca 10 Tur Sun

N0FCtN I UOe bSsVHfNN ~ lhr SlN'
PAwIs, Aug. 24.--The theory that ia
Joconde." or "Mona Lisa" was stolen
from the Louvre for a joke has been
abandoned entirely in Paris and the belief
that some extravagant collector contrived
the theft in order to have the sole enjoy
ment of the picture is little supported.
The adrOitness with which apparently
the picture was removed from the Louvre
is taken as proof that no person Of un-
balanced mind accomplished its removal.
NJ. Drioux, the ma gistrate who is conduct
ing the inquiry into the disappearance
Of Leonardo da Vinci's famous paint-
ing. received information to-day which
led him to inquire as to the possibility
of the picture being on board the French
Line steamship La Champagne, which
sailed from 81. Nazare at 4 o'clock on
Tuesday for South America. The mag
istrate has received a letter from re-
sponsible person saying that the picture
was missing from the museum last Satur-
day
Fertile brains are swamping the police
with clues One person reports that he
saw the picture loaded on a freight train
destined for Holland 10y way of Namur
istSt lltSthN NIlotli'l "ilt'S lIittt I'-
saw the picture on Monday morning at
the D'Orsay station in the hands of u
passenger who had bought a ticket for
Bordeaux.
A chimney sweep declares that he found
the small door Of the Cour Nisconti open
early Monday morning md noticed that the
handle on the inside had been removed
Thus a man pursued need only rush out
of that door and slam it after him, leaving
his pursuers inside unable to follow.
1t seems positive that the theft was
the result of deeply laid plot. The
| sweeper saw the door open at 7:40 on
Monday morning and man with
picture under his arm covered with a
rug was seen to enter a train for Bordeaux
at $50. 1t is possible that he alighted
at the Austeritz station for ST. Nazaire
or continued toward Spain.
La Joconde was missed on Monday
at $40 o'clock in the morning, but the
police were not notified until Tuesday
afternoon, All the officials of he Louvre,
including the director, have been com
PEELED to submit to having prints of their
thumbs and fingers taken. The clue
of the Bordeaux train is being followed
by the uotectlNeS.
Deputy Joseph Reinach suggests a
hypothesis which assumes that American
millionaire collectors are the easy dupes
they are generally represented to be
with regard to art He says. MANY
ancient and reputed ancient copies of
the picture exist. One was circulating
recently in Paris which the possessor
maintained was the original, II thieves
possessed one of these copies they could
return the original to the Louvre after
some time and then sell their copy in
America. telling the millonaires that the
painting in the Louvre was only Il copy.
There will be an atmosphere of doubt
surrounding La Joconde' after this. OF
course as the original the painting would
find no purchaser, but every copy will
gain hcnceforh in saiable value"
The Tr' DC Paris repeats to-day its story
of a year ago that the original Mona
Lisa was stolen in June, 1910. and was
replaced 10y copy, The paper says the
original is now in n New York gallery
II adds that other pictures have also dis
appeared from the museum. IL saws that
since the pictures have been covered with
glass 1t IL very easy to steal an original
and substitute copy.