- 40 years after drunkenly stealing a sword from a statue of a Revolutionary War hero, a man returned it to Westfield, Massachusetts Historical Commission.
- The chairwoman of the commission, Cindy P. Gaylord, said a man left a cryptic message with the Historic Commission back in December revealing he "had something that belonged to" the city and wanted to return it.
- Gaylord stood at the end of her home's driveaway and met the aging thief, who detailed that after a boozy night of drinking, he "pulled it with such force that he fell backwards off the pedestal with the sword in his hand."
- Gaylord said the man "had a great deal of remorse" and as a veteran, felt bad about stealing the sword from a statue honoring a fellow soldier.
- She added that the man, who she has agreed to keep anonymous, wants other people to hear his story "to people that something you do in your youth could haunt you for the rest of your life."
Melissa Forman in the MorningFull Bio