STOLEN CHURCH TREASURES.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12935, 15 October 1907, Page 7

STOLEN CHURCH TREASURES.

FAMOUS RELIQUARY TRACED TO LONDON.

United Press Association—By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright. (Received October 14th, 11.48 p.m.) PARIS, October 14. A famous reliquary, worth £8000, stolen fiom a church at Ambazac, was traced' to London owing to Thomas's portfolio containing tho receipt being found in the Seine. The French Government demand the restitution of tho reliquary. A Paris dealer in antiquities has confessed that h© purchased many rare treasures from Thomas. Ho surrendered a. relic consisting of a finger of Saint Louis, which was stolen from a church at Passy. French detectives secured many letters addressed to Parisian dealers of antiquities by persons purporting to be secularised monks, stating that, fearing impending ruin owing to the Government's policy, they desired to sell church treasures and eubstituto imitations. Antoino Thomas, a merchant of Clermont Forrand, who was arrested somo days ago, confessed that he had been engaged in tho systematic robbery of antiquarian valuables in French churches. He alleged that many of tho clergy connived at his operations.