Rug Stolen From JCR At Kirkland

A $500 rug was stolen from the Kirkland House Junior Common Room last Saturday night.

Between 1 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Saturday, someone stole the 12 ft. by 12 ft. rug, from the JCR which had been left open for students who wished to study late.

Normally, the JCR would have been locked at 2 a.m. when the night-watchman goes off duty. However, during reading period and exam period, the dining hall is left open 24 hours.

The women's restroom is accessible only through the JCR, and so it is left open all night as well, said Kirkland Senior Tutor Peter T. Ellison.

Jack Morse, deputy chief of Harvard Police, said that currently the police have no leads. He said that usually when something like this is stolen, officers check pawn shops and used furniture stores for the item.

"I don't think that this rug is too saleable though. Someone probably just took it for their own use," Morse said. "Who knows, it may even turn up at the end of the term," he added.

Ellison was even more optimistic about the rug's return. "Anonymous word around the house has it that the rug will be returned soon," he said. He added that if the rug doesn't come back, "we'll take it from there; but I have every expectation that it will."

Any theft of property worth more than $100 is a felony and if the persons involved in the Kirkland House incident are apprehended, they could face more than a year in prison.