Delta Chi continues their search for Rosencrans

Delta Chi informs public of missing statue through the news media

By: Nick Ngo

Posted: 7/11/07

The Delta Chi fraternity has recently been using the media to inform the public about their stolen statue, Rosencrans.
Different media outlets, such as the Oregonian and Portland's KGW, has covered the story.
The idea came from Corvallis Police Department Detective Mike Wells. Wells is in charge of investigating the case of the stolen statue.
Worth $100,000 to $250,000, the 3-feet tall statue of the Roman god, Vulcan, was stolen from Delta Chi's house last term. The theft occurred around 3 a.m. June 9, the Saturday before finals.
President of Delta Chi Kyle Waletich said Wells' idea of using the press is to get their story out and to bring awareness.
"He's trying to get the word out so people can find out about it and maybe he can get a lead," Waletich said "The more people that know about it the closer we'll be to getting it back."
Although, despite the media coverage that they have been receiving, they haven't gotten a lead.
The price of the statue is not that high of a concern for the fraternity, it's what the statue represents. The statue is represents the generosity of the Rosencrans family.
The Rosencrans family gave the statue to the fraternity in 1926 after the death of their son, Charles Rosencrans. He was a member of the fraternity and had recently graduated from OSU.
"The family donated the statue as a memorial," Waletich said.
The Rosencrans also donated money to set up a scholarship fund.
"The scholarship we have is associated with that statue. It symbolized how much Delta Chi and people in the brotherhood care for one another," said Josh Belleque, a student in history.
Belleque and Nels Walther were the ones who discovered the statue was stolen. That night, Belleque was falling asleep until he heard something that woke him up.
"I woke up to what kind of sounded like an end of a doorbell ringing," Belleque said.
Then someone opened the door to the sleeping porch. The person walked into the room and said, "Hey guys," then walked. Belleque said the person sounded like he was drunk and that nobody had ever seen him before.
Belleque then got up and looked for him.
"I went up to the second and third floor to see if anybody was there, but nobody was there," Belleque said. "I went downstairs to the mail room and found the windows wide open."
Belleque continued around the first floor and found it empty. He later decided to go and see if anybody was awake.
Walther, a student in biology, was in his rooms watching a movie. He couldn't hear what was happening because he had headphones on to keep the sound from waking anybody up. Belleque came in and told Walther about someone breaking into the house through the window and walking around the house.
"I got up and went downstairs with him because it sounded pretty serious," Walther said. "This was when I noticed and asked, 'where's Rosencrans?'"
The statue was missing from their living room.
Walther put on his shoes and went to comb the neighborhood in search of the thief while Belleque called the police.
"I figured they couldn't get far because it was heavy," Walther said.
Belleque was surprised the thief was able to get away with the statue.
"I couldn't believe it," Belleque said. "First of all, I couldn't believe some guy that sounded drunk was carrying the statue because it [weighs] 80 to 100 pounds."
Belleque was disappointed with not being able to prevent what happened.
"I was kind of frustrated, having no clue who it was at all," Belleque said. "You just don't know anything about it and I could've woken up earlier to answer that doorbell. I realized there was nothing I could've done to change what happened."
Walther looked at the window in the morning and found that a wooden platform below the window was broken. He said the person could've broke it while trying to get into the house through the window.
"There was an indication in the ground where the statue could've landed," Walther said.
They also found a broken piece of the statue, the axe.
The reaction from the members in the house was unanimous.
"We were all kind of shocked," Waletich said. "The house doesn't look the same without it sitting in the living room."
Currently, nobody has a good theory about where it is and there's no lead.
"The statue is a symbol of strength, something that you don't think much about until it's gone," Walther said.