Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1914-02-26

Summers" hS said, but what struck
me at once was the very mutilated
condition of Mssayan's statues. Hard
ly one but lacked some member of
the body. And then | remembered
Essayan's comment upon this fact, and
how he had boasted that he did not
know one from the other-knew only
that he had paid out twelve million
dollars for them.
Now, this was my scheme. did
not intend to steal statue. / planned
to steal parts of several statues; to
chop leg from one that had two legs,
an arm from one that had two arms;
a torso from a statue that was other.
wise complete; fingers and legs and
ears and other members to make up
my complete art object.
Summers, my plan succeeded be-
yond expectation. l have robbed Es
sayan of an entire statue; yet so skill.
fully has it been done that the ignor
ant fool will never discover that he
has lost anything"
To this the papers bore witness on
the following day. l Gull this extract
from the Boston RecordMirror.
"A daring robbery was attempted last
night at the house of Mr.. Essayan, the
well-known banker. The thieves made
their appearance in an automobile,
and had almost succeeded in effecting
an entrance when they were surprised
by the night watchman. A desperate
struggle followed, but the night watch.
man having foiled their attempt to
kidnap him In their machine, sue.
ceeded in drawing his whistle and in
warning the police. officer Z270 gave
chase upon his motorcycle and follow.
ed the burglars as far as the Common,
when he was struck by some missile
and felled unconscious. The thieves
succeeded in escaping and SO far have
not been traced, though it is thought
that the identity of at least one OF
them is known to Mr. Essayan-wh0
had, In fact, been led to expect just
such an attempt. 1t Is believed that
Mr. Essayan's art gallery was the OBJ
iect of the attempt. However, care.
ful examination by Mr. Essayan re-
yealed the fact that the gallery was
never entered"
A month later Nikolai and were IN
London, in the guise Of art agents
from the Levant. We interested Mr.
Berg in our new statue.
Dug up near Gambia, Crete" said
Nikolai, in broken English. "The mu
tilated condition is ascribed to the
fact that the statue was demolished
and buried by an earthquake about the
time of Augustus
1T has been pieced together credit
ably said Berg examining it with ex
traordinary interest. "A truly remark
able piece of work. l should say that
it had been made experimentally by
one versed in the various schools 'o1
the civilized world about the time OF
Christ. Other statues, for instance
show the influence of some special
school, but this head seems to have
been modelled after the school of Phi
dias; here we have one leg Of con
temporary Cretan sculpture and itf
fellow of Roman work. Possibly
composite, prepared by pupils in the
local school. AS curiosity it should
be of vast interest; but | am not pre-
pared to offer an eXorbitant amount
How much do you want for it?'
Two hundred thousand dollars
American" Nikolai answered.
Call it a hundred and fifty thousand
and I'll purchase It," said Berg.
Nikolai agreed reluctantly.
"By the way" he continued, whep
Berg had signed in Essayans name
is that the Mr.. Essayan who received
the mysterious empty mummy case
last month, as reported In the arr
papers? I think have a clue to the
sender Tell him to look inside and
find whether there is not something
written in English upon a piece O
papyrus."