The Cairo bulletin., 1912-04-14
GHOuLs OPEN VAULT
GRAVE OF BEAUTIFUL ACTRESS
BROKEN INTO BY THIEVES.
Jewels Which Were Buried win
Woman Was Motive for the Crime,
Which II Is Known Melted
Mo Profit.

NO Front.
Paris.---NIlle. Lantelme, the lovely
actress who was cut off In the flower
OF her youth and beauty, was not al
lowed 10 rest quietly even in her
grave, Ghouls recently broke into
her tomb to steal the jewels which
We're buried with her and left the
broken coffin beneath clouds Of
smoke.
The outrage was perretratei at the
great Paris cemetery of Pere la
Chaise. The thieves were unable to
find the jewels, which had been
placed in a small sack beneath the
dead beauty's head, and were found
untouched by the authorities The
jewels are two large pearls, a pearl
necklace and a pendant consisting or
a large pear shaped black pearl and
emeralds, Of total value OF about
$4,000.
Mile Lantelme one Of the most
beautiful and most promising act
resses Of the French stage, was mar
ried to NJ. Alfred Edwards. one Of the
founders of lie Matin. and promi-
nent figure in Partisan life She
was drowned in the Rhine last July
while taking a holiday on board a
kind Of houseboat yacht, L'Aimee
with a number Of friends. After re-
firing to rest one hot evening she
fell from the wide oren windows Of
the houseboat into the swift current
and was drowned Her body was
drawn IN from the river clad in eve
ming dress and many jewels
The news of her death caused r.
deep impression as she was famous
for her beauty. her marvellous jewels
and toiIlettes and her ready wit.
The body was brought to Paris for
burial in the Edwards family vault
at Pere la Chaise, and her husband
insisted that her favorite Jewels
should be inferred with her This
/ was done. and the fact evidently ev-
cited the cupidiy of the authors OF
the outrage,
! The violation Of the vault was dis
covered by cemetery attendant,
who, when passing the Edwards
chapel, noticed that a stained-glass
window had been smashed The door
OF the little chapel was open and the
interior full of smoke The attendant
Immediately gave the alarm, and the
/ local police inspector with q number
| OF constabes arrived.
The police discovered that the
thieves had entered by means Of a
small stained-glass window about
three feet high at the back Of the al
tar. The thieves moved the stout
iron bars protecting the window on
the outside and broke the thick glass.
| One of them must have cut himself,
for blood stains were found every
where inside and outside the vault
and along the route pursued by the
robbers to the cemetery wall, over
which they climbed.
| In order to have more room to
work the thieves handed out from the
chapel the handsome Byzantine cross
which stood on the altar and mum.
Der Of vases and other objects Hav.
ing gained the floor Of the chapel the
thieves raised three great fagstones
concealing the vault and thus ex-
posed the leaden coffin containing the
actress remains. Cutting through the
shell they unscrewed the lid.
They then laid bare the body,
which was surrounded by lint. Find
ing that the jewels were not round
the neck Of the corpse they aban-
doned their search. It is possible
that the wounded thief was over
come by the atmosphere of the place
and that his accomplice or accom-
plices had to get him away before they
were discovered
The police found cotton wool all
about the floor It was smoldering
the thieves having apparently dropped
match by accident, and the chapel
was full Of smoke. Firemen were
sent for before further Investigations
were made, for the impure air and
smoke rising from the vault rendered
further action impossible.
The Edwards vault is narrow 1T
tie chapel in gray stone with an in
scription over the door running
"Famille Edwards, Requies Aeterna."
1t stands In a broad avenue Of cy-
presses in the new part of the GENE
terry.