The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1913-12-16
LOST MONA LISA"
. FOUND IN FLORENCE
Italian Offers Da Vinci's Master.
piece to Antiquary.
JOY REIGNS IN ART WORLD,
Alleged Thief Says He Took Paint.
ing to Avenge Thefts of
Napoleon /.

Florence, Italy, Dec. 13.-"Mona
Llsa'' Leonardo Da Vincis great
painting, which was stolen from the
Louvre, in Paris, more than two
years ago, has been found. 1t now is
In the hands of the Italian authorities
and Will be returned to France.
Mona Lisa" or La Joconde" as
IL also is known, the most celebrated
portrait OF woman ever painted. has
oeen the object of exhaustive search
all quarters OF the globe. The .nys-
Iery or It's abstraction from the
louvre It's great intrinsic value and
tne strange fascination OF the smile
or the woman 1t portrayed-Lisa Del
Gloconde, the wife of a wealthy
Florentine-have combined To keen
alive interest In it's recovery.
The picture was recovered under
curious circumstances. An Italian
wrote to Signor Geri, an antiuuarv of
florence, some weeks ago, saving.
am in possession Of the missing
Mona Lisa, but being a patriotic
Italian, L desire that il shall remain
In Florence, the centre of italian art "
THOUGHT THIEF WAS MADMAN.
He signed the letter Leonard "
and the antiquary at first paid small
attention to its, thinking he had to
deal with madman. Later. how
ne communicated with DR.. Poggi. di-
rector of the Florentine Museum
who suggested that he continue the
correspondence with the man. This
was done and an appointment was ar
ranged whereby Geri was to view the
picture at Milan. The date set was
November IT, but unforeseen circum-
stances prevented the meeting.
A young man. fairly we'll dressed
yesterday visited Geri. He said he
was Leonard" and was STAYING at
the Hotel Tripoli He asked Geri
to go with him to see the picture.
Signor Cert notified DR.. Poggi. who
hastened to the hotel, and on being
shown the painting recognized it as
the genuine Mona Lisa.
PLACED UNDER ARREST.
DR.. Poggi asked to be allowed to
take the picture with him. so that he
might compare ii with other works
He made an appointment to meet
Leonard this afternoon at the hotel
10 agree upon the price. The direc-
tor took whit him several officers
who placed the man under arrest.
On being interrogated the prisoner
said his real name was Vincenzo
Perugia, that he was born in the
province of Como, is by profession n
decorator, and is unmarried. For six
years he lived in France and for three
years was employed at the Louvre.
Perugia posed as patriot "I was
ashamed" he said, that for more
than century no Italian had thought
OF avenging the spoliation committed
by Frenchmen under Napoleon. when
they carried off from the Italian
museums and galleries. pictures,
statues and treasures of all kinds by
wagon loads, ancient manuscripts by
thousands, and gold by sacks"
TELLS HOW HE GOT PICTURE.
He often had observed, he said, in
the Louvre, many works of art stolen
from Italy and conceived the idea of
returning to its true home Leonardo
Da Vinci's masterpiece He entered
the Louvre early i'm the morning, de-
tached the picture and removed .he
painting from the frame He con
cealed the frame under the back
stairs, where il afterwards was found
He hid the picture beneath his work
mans blouse and succeeded in leav-
ing the palace without attracting sus-
picion.
At the time of the theft Perueia
was not employed in the Louvre, but
he knew all the exits and entrances
and how to avoid attention. He kept
the painting concealed, he said, until
his patriotism led him to offer it to
the Italian people.
The painting has also been identi-
fed by DR.. Corrado Ricci. director
general of the department of fine
arts, who was hurriedly dispatched to
Florence from Rome by the minister
OF public instruction, Luigi Credaro.