ROOSEVELT'S
REVOLVER
Stolen 1895 Pistol Returned in New
York
06/14/06
It was aboard the USS Maine when the
battleship exploded and sunk to the bottom
of Havana Harbor in 1898. Later that year,
it was Teddy Roosevelt's sidearm when he charged
San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War.
Now,
after disappearing 16 years ago, the historic
revolver is back in its rightful place—President
Roosevelt's home at Sagamore Hill on Long
Island—thanks to the help of the FBI
and its partners. It was formally presented
by our Assistant Director in Charge in New
York, Mark Mershon.
The
weapon is a Model 1892 Army and Navy Colt
double-action, six-shot revolver made in 1895.
As an antique, it's worth a fair amount of
money. As a piece of American history, it's
priceless.
"This
is exactly why we have an Art Crime Team,"
says Bonnie Magness-Gardner, manager of our
Art Theft program in Washington. "It
gives us the expertise we need to recover
and return valuable historic treasures to
their owners-whether it's a private collector,
a museum, or a national government."
During
its first year of operation, our Art
Crime Team has helped locate more than
100 items worth over $50 million, including:
The
Roosevelt pistol was turned in by a U.S. citizen,
who asked to remain anonymous. The investigation
and recovery were the result of the combined
efforts of the National Park Service, the
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, the
U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District
of New York, the Nassau County Police Department,
the Florida State Attorney's Office, and the
FBI.
And
the thief? The investigation continues
into who stole the revolver from Sagamore
Hill in April 1990, and we encourage anyone
with information to contact our New York office
at (212) 384-5000 or their
local FBI office.
Resources:
Additional pictures of the gun: first
close-up and second
close-up | Press
release | Art
Theft program website
Post
script: Did you know? The FBI has several
historical ties to Theodore Roosevelt. President
Roosevelt's Attorney General—Charles
Bonaparte—created a force of special
agents in 1908 that was the forerunner of
the FBI. And Roosevelt's bodyguard and confidant
was a man named James
Amos, who later became a Bureau special
agent.
