The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-12
THEFT OF MUSEUM
RELICS PLOTTED
Police Are Told of Plan to
Loot the Smithsonian
Institution.
MASTER KEY DISPLAYED
Bowcry Porter Says Man Asked
Him to Take Part in
Theft.

New York. September 11.-Inyestirn
ton is being made by detectives OF
| police headquarters of story told
! yesterday by Thomas Alexand,H 81
! porter employed by the Standard Phar-
macy. at 321 Bowery. OF a plot to rob
the Smithsonian Institution, in Wash
| ington, of some OF its most valuable
t prehistoric American relics which the
| government would not dispose of at
any price. 1t Is the intention of the
man who has planned the theft ac-
I cording to the Information the police
| have. TO hold the relics for large
! reward.
| Ihat man representing himself as
formerly employed by the Yale-Towne
Lock Company, of Stamford. Conn.
whose name he gave the police, dis
played TO him on Saturday night what
| the man represented to be an exact
! duplicate of the master KEYS held bv
the ofhcials of the Smithsonian lnsti
! tute. was the statement made by Alex
ander to the police. He said the man
assured him that the key would un-
OF Ethnology, where the most valua-
bic relics of the Smithsonian Institu
ton are kept on exhibition
Alexander said the man urged that
the two go to Washington for the pur-
! pose of unlocking the caoinets and re-
moving certain relics which he de-
scrlbed as of great value to the gov
I eminent collection. After removing
relics in the hours the Smithsonian
! institution is open to visitors, the plan.
according to Alexander, was to keen
the relies secreted until the govern
ment offered large reward for their
return.
Expects DiE Reward.
Il was told that ii would be an easy
matter to remove the historic curios
from the cabinets" said Alexander
and that we undoubtedly would re-
ceive a reward of $4,000 or more for
the return of the relics because of the
TACT that 1t would be impossible for
/ me government to duplicate the pieces
: which relate to the history of America
! centuries before the discovery of tho
! New World by Christopher Columbus.
Inc man who urged me TO pnrti-
| clpate in the theft exhibited to me n
Key, which he said was a duplicate of
the master key he had made for the
locks To The cabinets in the bureau nf
ethholoSy OF the Smithsonian Insti-
tuition He pointed out that the KEY
contained no number, and in nv pres
ehce lie drew AN elaborate diagram of
the interior OF the locks, which he
said 1t would be necessary for MS To
open.
Il have given the name and address
of the man to the police. He nronossd
| that l should commit the theft ana
mat ne would remain in the back
ground and later negotiate for the
return of the relics for reward He
SAID he would surround me with four
or hNe men while l unlocked the cabi
nets. and passed the relics 10 the 9TH
er men He insisted that the curios
49, could be removed without ex-
cl'ihE the suspicion of the guards"
To Investigate Closely.
Alexander said that the man who
wanted him TO join in the theft as
sured him that the Mona Lisa" which
! recently disappeared from the I.ouvre
III Paris. had been stolen without at
tracing attention of the guards em
ployed TO protect the art treasures. H..
SAID that the alleged lockmaker had
agreed TO divide with him whatever
reward might be paid by the govern
mcnt
so convlccd was / that the man
was .rtailE serious In his plan 10 carr.
out the robbery" added Alexander
chat considered it my duty To give
what information l had in my posses
sion TO the police"
At hcadquarters Alexander woa
questioned closely as to every detail
OF his story before it was decided 10
make thorough Investigation. Their,
are several men Interested in the plot
according to Alexander
In Stamford, Conn. tine superinten
deht of the Yale-Towne Lock Com
pany. said that 1t would be Impossible
TO tell whether the company had
manufactured the locks and master
Keys for the Smithsonian institution
without examining the records of The
company He said that the maker of u
master key is not supposed to know
Tor what institution or corporation the
master KEYS are being made. and H..
conld not believe that any empIoye
l.wouid 20 TO the trouble of duplicatin
a Key for his personal use He said
| That the records of all master KEYS are
Kept apart from other records. and
that every possible prccaution is taken
| to mako il Impossible for employees
Of the company to know where the
locks, which the master key is TO fiji,
/ have been sold