The Sentinel=record., 1911-08-24
MYSTERY OF
 MONA LISA'
MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF FAMOUS PAINTING BAF-
 FLIES THE POLICE.
Officers Tnink Thieves Entered Gal. lery on Sunday and Secreted Themselves Until Building
 Was Closed.

Paris, Aug. 23.--lhe mystery or the disappearance from the Louvre of Leonard da Vincrs great painting
 Mona Lisa popuiarly called by the French La Joconde' appears more Iimpenetrable than ever tonight. me only thing definite established by to- days investigation is that the picture disappeared between I and 1880 Mon- day morning. Whether it Is still, in the Louvre or has been taken away 1t is impossible at present to determine. Not the faintest clue nas been dis covered in spite of the united efforts of sixty of the cleverest detectives in Paris, and all the museum staff. Whether the picture was abstrated by one or several persons also remains in doubt, and NJ. Lepine, the perfect l. of police, admits he is baffled
 It is one of the hardest cases in | the annals of criminal investigation and the search is being continued wiuA unremltted zeal. To facilitate tnis. the museum will be closed .or three days. No one will be admitted except police and officials.
 A council was held in the Louvre Ithis afternoon, those in attendance including M. Steeg, minister of pub lie instructions: M. Du Jard1n-Beau- metz, under secretary Of public ln- lstruction, and fine arts; M. Lepine
 M. Homoie, director of the Louvre, examining magistrate Dfiouz, wac ,a charged with the judicial lnyestiga- | tion and the different chiefs of the museum. various theories were aa- lvanced, weighed and finally rejected for lack of evidence The consensus of opinion, however, was that the picture has not left the building. but lis hidden in one of the inumerable recesses. All the gate Keepers are positive that no sucn package as the picture would have made was taken out of the museum. l. would require at least a week to search minutely ev- lery cranny of the vast building. There | is an immense packing room, which contains a quantity of cases used tor. sending off plaster casts of the sta- ltues and similar work to the provin- cial museum and schools. It is thought the picture might be hidden in one of these cases.
 An experiment made today estao- lished the fact that while a guardian
 or person accustomed to the worK could handle a picture the size or
 Mona Llsa," unaided. 1t would be Ipracucaily impossible for an mex Iperlenced nand to detach ana carry lit alone. 1t is supposed that the Ithlef or tnieves entered the museum before 1t was closed ounday ana re-
 manned hidden all nignt. emerging lin the morning wearing workmen {
 0iouses. and thus passing unremarK
 ed.
 All persons present on Monday were
 again today subjected to an examl
 nation by Magistrate Drloux but nothing further was brought to lignt.
 M. Bertillon took a number of pho- Itographs of the frame and the papei packed around the rrame to prevent idust from penetrating between tht
 frame and painting. pieces Of wnlcr
 were found strewn close to the spo
 where the frame was discovered
 These will be examined under a m.
 croscope for finger prints.
 Paris. Aug. zJ.-Support for tn'
 theory that Mona Lisa" was carried
 away by some one whose mead naC been turned by the beautiful face
 was found this evening in the admis Ision of M. Le Prieur, the curator o the art museum that during the pas years letters, addressed to Mon;
 Lisa" have been received quite ire lquently at the Louvre. These com. lmunications were addressed in var.
 ious handwritings, but in all the writ Ter expressed in ardent terms of ten Iderness and passion admiration 10 lthe incomparable iady."
 More than one person has been oh
 served showing extraordinary emotoi
 in the presence of the picture, some times being moved to tears or mur
 muring words Of admiration. As 1 lconsequence, the administration o