The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-06-30
Thief STEALS RELICS
OF PRICELESS VALUE
Filches Ornaments From Tri-
anon of Versailles; Sus-
pect Is Arrested.
CLEVER AT IMITATION
Makes Casts of Antiques; De-
clares Many Paintings Are
Only Copies.
CLEVER AT IMITATION
Special Cable to Tho Tribune.

Special Cable to The Tribune.
PARIS, June 29.-After the Louvre,
the Trianon of Versailles has been Wis
tied by thieves. A young man named
Jean Cottereau has Just been arrested
on the charge Of having filched num-
Der OF artistic brass ornaments from
the bed in which Queen Victoria slept
during her visit 10 France, and also OF
having appropriated similar ornaments
from other precious histoical relics. He
declares that he knows something
about the thieves Of the "Giaconda,'
that the descent from the Cross' Of
Murillo, in the Louvre, is only an in
tation put In the place Of the real
painting, which was sold to an Ameri-
can, and that similar substitutions
have been practiced at the museums Of
Fontainbleau and Compeigne.
These declarations Of the prisoner
are taken with several grains Of salt,
but there Is no doubt that number
of articles have been stolen from the
Trianon.
Is Clever Modeler.
The father of joan Cottereau Is an
honorable commission dealer IN pic
lures, and has been deputy mayor of
Dijon. Some time ago his son showed
| him brass plate, which the young
man, who is IS years OF age, calmly
| told him he had removed from one Of
the historic beds at Versailles. The IA
ther insisted at once that be shonld re-
turn 1T TO the museum The son said
that he would do so the next day. A
| dispute followed, and the young man
| left his fathers house to go and live
| in room by himself. He was o clever
modeler and had picked up an acquain-
tance with a manufacturer Of copies Of
old furniture.
Young Cottereau displayed a preco
| cious talent In initiating the designs Of
antique furniture and he was encour-
aged to supply as many casts as Dos
sible- He became an assiduous visitor,
first at the Chateau at Versailles, and
then at the Trianon. He applied for
permission to take casts Of a number
Of artistic brass designs. but he was
referred to the under secretary for fine
ats.
Valuable Objects Disappear.
Several objects at the chateau dis
appeared, and Jean Cottereau ceased
coming to the museum, but went in
stead to the Trianon. Here he at
tempted one day to bribe caretaker
by giving him 10 francs. The care.
taker pocketed the gold piece and left
the room. The young man imagined
that this was tacit consent, and pro-
ceeded to take cast of the brass
decorations on the bed which had been
occupied by Queen Victoria. While
he was at this work the caretaker re.
turned with his chief, whom he had in
formed, and they both warned the
young man not to attempt such bribery
again.
The chief caretaker suspected him Of
having had q hand in the theft of four
brass ornaments which DECORATED the
feet Of the oak table Of Malabar, one
of the curiosities of the museum. These
brass ornaments had been unscrewed
and disappeared last winter. When
the rest OF the furniture was examined,
many similar articles were also found
to be missing or were partly unscrewed,
waiting to be removed.
Caught at Last
The caretakers waited for two
months for the return OF the suspected
young man. He was seen one day, but
took TO his heels as soon rs he was
recognized, and escaped by jumping
into a tram. It was then remembered
that he had given his address when
applying for permission to copy the
bronze designs, and the police called
Mt his room. He denied the charges
against him at first, but finally ad-
mitted that he had removed two bronze
pieces for the purpose of taking casts,
and had intended to restore them. Ho
had not said where they were at pres
ent.
One Of the bronze designs was shown
by him to IN antiquarian, who offered
only trifling sum for it. The object,
said the dealer, was worthless inlita-
this, and said to the dealer that that
remark was proof that he, the dealer.
knew nothing. ''I took it away from
rho Trinpon only 81 little while ago.