PLOT TO ROB TEMPLES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17345, 27 September 1924, Page 25

PLOT TO ROB TEMPLES.

I ROMANTIC STORY OF INDO-CHINA. SCOUNDRELS WITH £40,000 IN LOOT ARRESTED. PARIsF August 7. | The Paris police have lx-en dealing j with a, curious case of burglary, the i threads of which had to be unravelled I in Paris and then picked up in In doJ China, where the criminals were ar--1 rested. Some time ago it was brought to the notice of the Paris police authorities that two young men, George Malraux and Louis Chevasson, were plotting to sack the temples in the region of Angkor, which contain beautiful statuettes and bas-reliefs. Malraux described himself as a man of letters, and frequented certain advanced literary circles: he was conspicuous by his exaggerated notions of dress, ordinarily appearing in a black j velvet cloak lined with white. lie obtained information in various j museums and libraries as to the value j of the statuettes which he coveted, j and. it is stated, ••nrcrod into negolia- ! Frankfort and New York, with regard ! tu the ultimate disposal ot the statues, j WAT(MFI) BY \ATI\ KS. Finally, accompanied hv his wife and : by ( iicvasson. he .-d out for I ndo- j { liiua. When he lamled at Saigon, the j police. who had been warned, placed j at his disposal a group of natives, i ostensibly to afford the traveller- pro- j lection, but in reality to watch their j doings. | gicn of Angkor, the party found a. j for their d t signs: a number <n bas-re- i lief- were broken. and tin* most re- ! markable removed. I hey then prepared to leave Indotfied to escape of Siam. They were, however-. arrested at tlie frontier, and the statues and bas-rcl iefs. the value of which amounted to more than CIO. 000. were seized. The two men were charged with the theft before the tribunal of PnomPenli. .Mairanx being sentenced to three years* imprisonment and ( hevas son to eighteen months. The good faith of the antique dealers who wore approached bv Malraux ha- been proved, and no proceedings will be taken against them.