[MSN] USA. Museum theft. Thief Sails off with Museum's Whaling Artifacts, Sextant

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Thief Sails off with Museum's Whaling Artifacts, Sextant 
By Al Campbell | Published  Today | General News   
 
 
Thief Sails off with Museum's Whaling Artifacts, Sextant
SWAINTON - Six historic whaling implements, with a total value of $3,500
were stolen from the Cape May County Historical Museum some time between
June 2 at 2 p.m. and the morning of June 5.
According to Curator Pary Woehlcke, Middle Township police haven't gotten
any leads on the theft thus far.
"In 75 years, this is the second time someone has stolen whaling
implements," she said as she showed the whaling implement case, where the
vintage weapons were displayed.
According to Woehlcke, who spoke with former curator Somers Corson, a
similar incident occurred about 20 years ago when a burglar entered the barn
located behind the museum on Route 9, and took whaling implements.
The difference between then and now, someone in the nursing home, just east
of the barn, spotted that thief and alerted Middle Township police, who
caught the culprit with the stolen goods in his car on Stone Harbor
Boulevard.
No such luck this time.
Woehlcke said police continue to check various Internet auction sites, where
unsuspecting villains sometimes fence such stolen gear.
It's theorized the thugs knew what they wanted, leaving many other valuable
items untouched.
Among the most highly valued of the stolen items was a sailor's sextant in a
wooden case. It was removed from a glass display case without breaking the
glass.
Also stolen were:
* Toggle Iron, for use in a darting gun.
* Single fluted harpoon
* Bomb lance
* Darting gun with bomb lance.
* Darting gun without a bomb lance
* Sailor's sextant
* Sailor's palm thimble, used by Humphrey Cresse to mend canvas sails.
Woehlcke said that the stolen items were all marked with small white dot
stickers on which identifying numbers were written.
Those stickers had been on the items so long, she said it is likely that the
metal underneath would be somewhat brighter than the surrounding metal.
The harpoons were about 2.5 to 3 feet in length. The darting gun resembled a
shotgun, and was used to fire a lance with a charge on it, to kill the whale
quicker.
Those harpoons were "rather common," Woehlcke said, and others, quite
similar to them were untouched by the thief.
The barn's two doors, in which the whaling implements were exhibited, are
routinely left open when the museum is in operation.  Tours are then taken
through.
Since there is a door close to a driveway leading to the nursing home,
Woehlcke said it would have been possible for a thief to pull in there, take
the items, and exit without being seen.
"We think that whoever did it cased the collection and knew exactly what
they wanted," she said.
Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact Middle Township
police at (609) 465-8700.

Contact Campbell at (609) 886-8600 ext 28 or e-mail: al.c at cmcherald.com

http://www.capemaycountyherald.com/