Arrests made in 1998 theft of artifacts from Piper's Opera House in Virginia City

Two arrests have been made in connection with the 1998 theft of artifacts from the historic Piper's Opera House in Virginia City, Storey County Sheriff Pat Whitten said Wednesday.

Benjamin Woodbury Crosby, 38, of Carson City turned himself in to the Storey County Detention Facility and was charged with burglary, grand larceny and conspiracy to commit burglary. He was later freed on a $25,000 bond.

Marty Lynn Hall, 36, of Reno was apprehended on a warrant for his arrest Monday.

Hall was taken into custody in South Reno on a Storey County warrant. He was booked into the Storey County jail on charges of burglary, grand larceny, conspiracy to commit burglary and possession of stolen property. He was released Tuesday after posting bail.

Sources say artifacts including bottles, posters and pottery were taken from the opera house vicinity in late 1998. These artifacts are valued at as much as $35,000. Hall was described by Whitten as a known "bottle digger." According to the sheriff, "bottle diggers" are persons who, generally with property owners permission, excavate historic areas in search of antiques.

" Believe it or not, there is actually a real market for some of these old bottles," Whitten said. "Based on recent information gathered in our investigation, the $35,000 figure appears a very conservative estimate."

Allegations arose in March of 1999 after the Piper's Opera House Board suspected some artifacts had been taken from the archeological dig in the basement of the old opera house, which was originally known as the Old Corner Saloon.

The saloon, gutted by an 1883 fire, has stood empty until the recent digs began as part of a restoration project to return it to its original state.

"We do anticipate further arrests in this case," said Whitten. "We think this may be only the tip of the iceberg."