Peabody Hotel in Memphis declares amnesty

MEMPHIS, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- The Peabody Hotel in Memphis, one of the south's legendary hostelries, has offered amnesty to anyone who returns stolen memorabilia.

"Amnesty for Artifacts' was declared to fill the Memorabilia Room, which is scheduled to reopen in January after a restoration, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports.

"I get letters weekly from people who want to return things," Douglas V. Browne, the general manager, told the newspaper. "Mainly what we're looking for are artifacts from the 1930s and 1940s, not the bathrobe somebody stole last week."

Browne said the hotel loses a lot of items to guests, including many who regard taking an ashtray or towel as souvenir-collecting, not theft. He said that the Peabody learned the hard way not to put out bar menus before its famous 11 a.m. Duck Walk, when live ducks march through the lobby to spend six hours swimming in the fountain.

"We have learned that we can't put the bar menus on tables in the lobby before the duck walk at 11 a.m.," he said. "If we put the menus out at 10:30 and the crowd gathers to watch the ducks, when it's over, every menu will be gone. And they're covered in leather."