The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-17
WAS.MONAL|S
 REALLY STOLEN?!
Rum0red That the Painting
 Met With Accident
A STRANGE LARCENY
Sergeant Finds Pigs Heart Stuck Full of Pins and Buried-Four Men Are Required to Over
 power Cripple
By PAUL VILLIERS

Paris, March 16.-tSpecial)-A very cir cumstantial story is now current in Paris to the fleet that Mona Lisa was not stolen at all. Just what truth there may be in the story there is no means of find ing out definitely, but there is no doubt it is taken seriously in circles which are in position to know about such things.
 At the time of the discovery of the al- legged theft of the famous piece much was said of the careless way in which the great pictures of the Louvre were taken up and down and left about in their trans mission to the photographic quarters. It seems there was more in these complaints than was suspected by the general pub lie, for the loss of Mona Lisa" is said now to be due to an accident in the pho tograph room. 1t IS declared the picture was irreparably amaged-destroyed rathcr-and the real state of affairs hushed up the cuprits shielded by the in fuence of parsonage of the highest posi- ton.
 Hence the four days delay before any thing was known of the loss to the outside world hence NJ. Dujardins strange atti- tude at the oflielal inquiry; hence the finding of the frame. which alone had escaped damage. This is, of course, only a rumor but il is stoutly affirmed one.
 A sergeant on guard at midnight before the postern gate of the old citadel at Calais was astonished the other evening to see two black yelled women glide slow ly into view. and whilst he rubbed his eyes to make sure he was awake one or the visitors stretched herself out on the damp grass with arms extended in the form Of a cross. whilst the other with small spade began hastily to dig hole, in the ground. In 1t she placed packet wrapped in white linen covered it as quickly as possible, and with her com panion disappeared as silently and as mysteriously as they had come.
 Under the idea that he had witnessed the closing scenes of an infanticide. the sergeant notified the authorities and .te package was disinterred and taken to the police headuuarters. At the same time a doctor was summoned, who at once be- gan to unwrap the parcel, the covering newspaper and linen of which were soaked in blood
 Whau was the astonishment of the in- vestigators finally to discover, not the re- mains of a child, but merely pig s heart And in what a condition? It was pierced through and through in every di- rection with no fewer than l1S pins, and was also traversed by a dagger.
 In fact the authorities were faced with a case of "enVouteme nt,' one of the faN- orite forms of sorcery in the middle ages, which borrowed it from antiquity. it was then practved very generally. to- gether with the infamous .Blach Mass, the Reptile Sacrament" human sacrifice and other superstitious relics Of barbar7 ism.
 According to. modern eabalist the fol- lowing was the method adopted Some hairs O. articles of clothing of the per son to be bewitched were procured. and an animal was chosen to represent this person and was named after him. The creature was first placed in contact with the victims belongings, and then slain with a magic dagger Its heart was taken out and wrapped. if possible. Tn the persons clothes and during three days pins and nails were driven through it to an accompaniment or curses and maedictons. It was be- lieved that all the tortures inflicted on the dead animals heart would be ln- dN by the living individual.
 much more common way, however was to mould a wax image Of the per son to be bewitched and to dress ii in the clothes he or she usually wore. The 'waxen doll was then cursed and toi- tured in the hope that the person would suffer the same.
 The Calais witch has not yet been found but she is scarcely likely to escape arrest very long and it will probably turn out that the whole business was merely vulgar imposition on some love sick servant girl by one of the many profes- sional sorceresses still living on the fool shness of their fellows.