[CPProt.net] Antiques looted from historic Butte brothel

[Museum Security Network / Cultural Property Protection Net (Ton Cremers)]

Antiques looted from historic Butte brothel 
By Erin Nicholes
Montana Standard 

BUTTE - It was unfortunate timing. 

Rudy Giecek opened the doors of the historic Dumas Brothel for a New York
Times reporter Tuesday only to find thieves had cleaned it out overnight. 

"The New York Times was here this morning doing a story on the Dumas and the
cops were here at the same time," Giecek said. 

 
He said he believes at least two thieves entered the brothel at 45 E.
Mercury St. through the back door, disconnected an alarm and looted rooms.
They dismantled beds, stole antique lamps and artwork, took money from a pop
machine and emptied three glass cases full of artifacts, including antique
sex toys. He did not elaborate on the type of sex toys. 

"I was sick," Giecek said. The stolen items were "not too valuable of stuff,
but invaluable for this piece of history." 

But it could have been worse. 

The thieves looted the first floor, he said, then dismantled dressers,
rounded up lamps, took down chandeliers and removed door knobs on the second
floor. But they left all of those items in a pile in an upstairs bedroom. 

"I think they got scared out as they were in the process," Giecek said. 

More specifically, he's pointing to supernatural interference. 

"I do think a ghost scared them off," he said. 

In 1992, thieves who broke into the brothel and were caught said they were
scared off the second floor by a ghost. Maybe the same thing happened here,
he said. 

The Butte-Silver Bow Sheriff's Department is investigating the incident,
Capt. Doug Conway said. 

The brothel, dubbed one of America's longest-running, enjoyed 92 years of
risque business until it closed in 1982. 

Giecek ran it as a museum for 15 years, but closed earlier this month
because of his health, safety concerns and lack of money. 

"I just can't do it anymore by myself," he said. 

The burglary compounded his problems, but he's determined to recover
artifacts. He said he will distribute photographs of missing items to
police, pawn shops and antique stores in the area. 

He does not have much faith the thieves will be caught. 

"There are so many (burglaries) going on around town, especially the
Uptown," he said. 

The burglary did not seem to discourage The New York Times reporter, who
apparently was spending a few days in Butte for a story. 

"He was even more interested," Giecek said.