The New York herald., 1921-06-07
STEEL D00RSSAVED
MORGAN TREASURES
Burglars in Hartford Failed
to Reach Memorial
Jewel Room.

Special Despatch to THE New YORK HERALD.
HARTFORD, June eff the burglars
who passed part of Saturday night in
the Morgan Memorial had been fully
equipped they might possibly have pene-
trated to the jewelry room and made off
with their pick OF it's contents. As 1t
was. they tackled chilled steel doors with
drills made for boring into wood and
with a Jimmy so soft it hardly would
have dented an Edam cheese.
They got no treasure of the J. p Nor
gan collection at ALL and all the loot
they did carry away. mostly laces. is
valued at not more than $500. The
laces were in the tapestry room. in
which are exhibited also few sculp-
lures gives to the museum by the late
J. p. Morgan, who presented the beau
tiful Tennessee marble building to the
people of Hartford in memory of his
father Junius Spencer Morgan. None of
the tapestries was touched
The laces were in the tapestry room
in two glass cases Among them were
Neuchesse Brussels, Irish and point
laces A good many of them had been
given or loaned by women of Hartford.
Some were SO old that doubtless by
this time they have crumbled In the
hands of the thieves, but they are de-
scribed as of no great intrinsic value.
The losses also include about a dozen
small articles from a collection recently
given, mostly ornaments from japan and
China a piece of silk brocade. appar-
entity taken as a covering for the laces.
and a piece of cord from furniture
room Virtually all the Morgan collec-
ton is on the second floor, which was
not reached.
It is generally agreed that the burg
lars meant to make their big haul in
the jewelry room 1t is supposed that
one of the men hid himself in chest or
behind a hanging In the tapestry room
Saturday afternoon Then when the
place was closed he manipulated with
wrench the fastening of one OF the
brass fire curtains in the jewel room,
rolled up the curtain, opened the VIM
dow. threw out the rope and let In MS
pal with the rest of the tools. Together
they removed the glass from door OF
the tapestry room giving into corrloor
leading to the jewel room.
With their soft tools they then tried
to cut the hand wrought steel grill OF
the door. but after few futile scratches
they had to give up. So they took what
was easily portable in the tapestry room
and room adjoining and, climbing
through the outside window previously
opened called II n night. The robbery
was done between ) rs p. NJ. Saturday,
when Curator Frank b. Gay and An
assistant made an inspection and went
home. and Z A. NJ Sunday, when en-
nlovees came in to scrub. A clerk In a
State street hardware store has given a
good description Of two men who bought
a chisel and other tools from him on
SATURDAY. They appear to have oeen
the same two who bought an eighteen
foot stretch of rope at neighooring
store the same day.
Exaggerated accounts of the robbery
were published because the authorities
of the museum and the police refused to
state the facts until to-day. Charles r.
Gross. president of the Wadsworth
Athenaeum. of which the Morgan Me-
mortal Is a part, wired the facts to j. r.
Morgan in New York this morning. and
later gave the essential points to cor
respontent for THE NEW YORK HERALD.
The building is under heavy guard now
and has been temporarily closed to the
npblic while detectives are making their
Investigation.