The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-11-29
. D A b | 1|;s N. IN Art Al
TO ROB CHURCHES
Italian, Supposed to Be a DiIet-
tante, Turns Out to Be Pro-
feSSionaI Thief.
SPECIALIZED IN CHURCH ART
Recovery of Priceless Triptych by
Roman Police After Years Search
Brought About in a Curious
Way

| Rome.-The triptych by Puccinelli,
which was stolen from the church of
! San Francesca more than year ago
| and recovered by the police recently,
will be returned to the church of San
Francesca as soon as it has been care
| fully pieced and reframed 1t repre-
sents Santa Anna, with the Virgin and
Christ child in the center panel, and
S. Lorenzo, San Domenico st. Simon
and Thaddeus on side panels
Although the police had been search
ing for twelve months for some trace
of the missing triptych no light was
thrown either on the way the theft
was accomplished or where the paint
ing had been taken. Probably II
might still have remained a mystery
had not a certain Signor COntini, an.
amateur art collector, read by chance
description Of the triptych which,
at least in regard to the central panel,
conceded in every detail with a paint
ing of Santa Anna, the Virgin and
Christ child which he had recently
bought from an antiquarian in Ber-
gamO and for which he had paid &c.
600 lire
Find Stolen Panels.
He notified the Director Of Fine
Arts, who sent up to Contini's private
gallery an inspector, who carried the
painting to the Department Of Fine
Arts. 1t proved to be the center panel
with a new frame. Once the police
were on the track Of part of the
triptych it was only a short time be-
fore they found two Of the figures OF
the side panels.
The dealer at Bergamo gave the
authorities the name Of the private
individual who had sold him the paint
ing. Other antiquarians supplied the
name of the artist who had sold them
the side panels and search was
started This artist was Arturo Carob-
bi and was in prison awaiting trial
for the theft of certain antique relics
In the church Of st. AgostinO at
Arezzo. After severe inquiry he,
confessed that he had stolen the
triptych one night in May, 1921. He
had hidden at dusk, behind a confess
sional, and awaited for night to come
before admitting his accomplices They I
helped him to remove the large frame
which was carried to waiting motor
car and taken to Genoa. The town of
Fescia is very quiet, where every one
goes to bed early, so their movements
were In no way watched
Specialized in Paintings.
At Genoa they removed the frame, |
carried the side panels with the four |
figures to a carpenter and asked him
to cut each panel into two, so that
each saint formed separate painting. /
Carobbi was an artist, with studio
1t BermagO. and was considered a
1ilettante who initiated ancient paint
ngs and decorations. He apparently
made his living selling these pseudo
antiques for which he received a good
,rice from visiting American and Eng
ish tourists.
The frame also was divided into
separate sections. which formed two
rameS. All these pieces were sold to
unique dealers in various cities In the
forth.
CarObhi admitted that, though be
vas supposed to be Il dilettante, he
vas really Il professional thief who
peciaIiZed only ia church paintir "a
nd sacred objects. for when he re-
eived high prices. He had mad, about
COCO lire from the irpfyrh. rs lie
vas forced to sell rhe various parts IN
hurry, us he fenred that the nnlice
7cre on his track. The deae;S each 4
lade five and six times that amount
n each purchase. which they bought
'ithout asking any questions. As tbey
bought lie had Initiated AN original. U
The thief refused 10 give the nau,as Fl
f his aceomplices. as he says thari
e alone WAS responsible for the plan
ing and eyecution.-Agnes H. Mst-
enzie in the New York Tribune q