CHURCH ROBBERS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 565, 21 July 1909, Page 7

CHURCH ROBBERS.

. KINGLEADER'S FATAL ATTACK ON: POLICE. * (By Telegraph.—l'resa' Association.—OoDjrlchl.) < ■ Paris, July, 19. Delaunay, wto committed suicide after killing! two . police, officers who 'wore trying to; arrest him, was the ringleader of a gang of robbers of churchcs and museums at Limoges,• Brivcs, Gueret, and other places in .the department-of Corrczo.- . .: - Many articles known to be stolen, along with numerous works of art, were found in Doldunay'a lodgings, where tho tragedy occurred. A CRIME SYNDICATE. THE THIEVES' ARMOUBY-POISONED DAGGERS. The first>indication of the existence of,an organised band of church-robbers in the department of Correze came with the arrest, some' time ago, of the Thomases, barrel 1 manufacturers, of Clermont-Ferrand. It was then declared that' the Thomases :were but tools, and 'only two of many tools. Behind them was a vast international :orime syndicate, the backbone of which was a dozen or more dealers in antiquities, who. worked hand-in-hand with others in London) Now York, Antwerp, :and Hamburg. . ■ List of Robberies. /'Here is a list of the more noteworthy robiberics; The famous statue of St Baudino, from .the church at /St. Nectaire. The artistic' treasures from the church at Solignao. :: .'• • ' '. 'The euoharistio: dove from the church at Laguenne. .U : : ; ■: The Ambazac shrine frbm Ambazac. Tho celebrated crown of jewels from the Mont St. Michel. , , , ' Numerous works of art from the mustmm at Gueret. ' - , - : Three valuable reliquaries from the church at Lauriere. . In. the above cases the objects stolen were each-worth-many thousands of pounds. Of the Thomas'group, Antoine Thomas was the principal -robber. ; Before he stole ,pic--tiires, his backers sent artists to take copies of the pictures. In the name of art. they gained , .admittance to the- .churches unsuspected. Then, when Thomas stole the picture, he put tho copy in its place. Thus detection of the theft was delayed. In the case ,of other stolen articles," copies or models were often substituted. Weapons and Poisons. When - the premises of the Thomases', were searched, a large press was found to contain hundreds of photographs of of pious or religious art. In another press was a collection: of works of reference on the artistic wealth contained in the churches of France. Hidden away behind these books was a com-, plete set of the most perfected burglar's tools, with various arms, such as revolvers; clasp knives, and daggers. .; A . i ; One of these daggers was a very finely-en-graved stiletto in a small leather case marked "Dangerous," which Thomas explained'was a poisoned -dagger, a single scratch, of . which would, cause a mortal wound. . Continuing their search, the police found on the first floor a whole pharmacy of poisonous drugs, including enough arsenic, belladonna, strychnine, prussic acid, etc., to poison the inhabitants of a whole town. . • Thomas, on • returning with his . booty to Clermont,- was in'the habit of opening the reliquaries, which always contained ancient documents and bones. , The documents were evidence-of the origin of the reliquaries.:- It was too compromising to keep documents like these, so they were thrown into a fire. -In this way Thomas is alleged to have burnt many sacred relics, including an alleged piece of the true cross, and the, bones of several saints. - . ' r .