Zola letters stolen in French town hall raid
Two handwritten letters by 19th century French author Emile Zola have been stolen from a safe at the municipal offices of the village where he lived and served on the local council, officials said Saturday.
The safe was forced by burglars who broke into the building at Medan, west of Paris, on Wednesday night and stole 1,500 euros (2,100 dollars) in cash and cheques as well as the letters.
Mayor Serge Goblet told AFP that the thieves probably did not know the letters were there, and he was afraid they would be sold on to a dealer.
"We are all shocked," he said. "In the first letter Zola said he could not attend a council meeting because he was travelling, and in the second he confirmed a donation to repair stained glass in the church."
Police at nearby Poissy said they were investigating but had no leads as yet.
Zola moved to Medan in 1878 and lived there until his accidental death in 1902, writing many of his best-known novels, including "Germinal" while he was there.
The house is now a museum.
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