This weekend, San Francisco suffered a tragedy of epic proportions.  No, it was not Barry Bonds.  No, it was not another affair of the mayor’s.  It was the theft of the Maltese Falcon.

To remind everyone who has not taken the Geogad Mobile Tour of San Francisco Union Square, the Maltese Falcon is a detective book written by San Francisco’s own Dashiell Hammett.  The book was later transformed into a major motion picture with Humphrey Bogart playing the tough, clever private detective, Sam Spade.  The story revolves around a group of murders and con artists looking for the Maltese Falcon, a priceless treasure. 

A Maltese Falcon that had been used to advertise the movie was located in John’s Grill, along with several rare Dashiell Hammett books. For those of you who do walk the Geogad Union Square Tour, you will pass John’s Grill on your right after you walk north from Hallidie Plaza (Tour Stop 1) to get to the St. Francis Hotel (Tour Stop 2).  Over the weekend, as reported by the SF Chronicle, someone jimmied the lock on a display case and walked off with the bird and books.  There is currently a $25K reward for the return of the valuables.  No questions asked.

I am sure that Sam Spade would be able to find the Maltese Falcon for $25K.

What do you bet that they wind up on eBay after the heat dies down? Keep your eyes peeled.   

Technorati tags: San Francisco, Maltese Falcon, rare books, theft, John’s Grill, Geogad Mobile Tour, Dashiell Hammett