Anonymous Tip Leads Police To Recovery of Stolen Carpet

A "go-between" negotiating with Harvard police and the persons involved in last Friday's theft of an oriental rug from Adams House provided information which led to recovery of the rug early Sunday morning, a Harvard police official said yesterday.

Sgt. Richard W. Smith, head of Harvard's criminal investigation division, said an anonymous individual uninvolved in the theft acted as a "go-between" by phoning Harvard police headquarters Sunday morning and telling the police where the rug could be found.

Smith said the thieves "never realized" the value of the rug, which police estimated at between $10,00 and $15,000.

Four Suspects

Smith added that police have identifed four suspects, all Boston residents, who they believe were involved in the theft, but he refused to divulge their names.

Robert J. Kiely, master of Adams House, said yesterday he does not plan to issue a criminal complaint against the suspects once they are apprehended, but he said that the matter is "in the hands of the police."

According to Smith, the rug, which police returned to Adams House Monday, was cut into two pieces, apparently because the thieves were planning to sell it and "thought they could get rid of it in small pieces."

Smith said the Harvard police will try to convince the thieves to pay the cost of repairing the rug.

He said he does not yet know the exact cost of repairs, but he said they "could be expensive."

Grand Larceny

If, the thieves refuse to pay for repairs, Smith said, they may be charged with grand larceny and breaking and entering, felonies carrying penalties of two-and-a-half to five years imprisonment or a $1000 fine.

Before the "go-between" contacted the Harvard police, the only information police had about the crime was provided by two Harvard undergraduates, Thomas L. Aronson '77 and Harold Murphy '77, both of whom witnessed the theft last Friday.

Copy Desk

Aronson reported the theft after seeing an article about it on the copy desk of the Harvard Crimson, where he is an editor.

Kiely said he was "happy" that the rug was returned since he "never expected to see it again."

He added that the return of the rug was a "mark of the Harvard police's persistence and their intelligence for following the case through."

Kiely plans to increase security at at Adams House to guard against future thefts. He said in the future all entries in Adams House will be locked 24 hours a day, except the main entry where a night watchman or guard will be on duty.