[MSN] $25,000 reward offered for return of Maltese Falcon

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$25,000 reward offered for return of Maltese Falcon

Maltese Falcon replica bestofsanfrancisco.net

By Brent Begin and Aimee Strain, Bay City News Service 


February 12, 2007
The owner of a San Francisco landmark restaurant is offering $25,000 to any
amateur Sam Spade who can track down a replica of the famed Maltese Falcon.

John's Grill, a century-old restaurant and home to a museum dedicated to
detective novel author Dashiell Hammett, became a crime scene today after
workers noticed over the weekend that the statuette and 15 rare books by and
about Hammett.

Officers arrived today to interview the restaurant's owner, John Konstin,
who is pretty steamed up about the falcon's disappearance.

"There's a lot of crazy Hammett nuts," Konstin said. "The replica from
John's Grill is worth something to someone."

Waiters at the 63 Ellis St. restaurant noticed the bird was missing Saturday
night. Konstin believes the thief jimmied the latch on the glass display
case that contained the statuette. 

"The falcon has sentimental value to San Franciscans and Hammett lovers,"
Konstin said.

Made of plaster, the black bird, about 13 inches tall, has several
discerning marks that would help Konstin identify the right statuette. He
asked for the thief to return the bird and the books, no questions asked. As
to whether anything else was stolen, Konstin said, "We haven't counted all
the knives and forks yet." All other memorabilia is screwed to the walls on
the second and third floor.

John's Grill was established in 1908. It is the 27th literary landmark of
America based on Hammett eating there and writing about it in his book The
Maltese Falcon.

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