The sun., 1901-04-10
SOLDIER STOLE DUCHESS.
WRONG GUESSES At HIS NAME, WHICH
WILL soon DE DISCLOSED.


There are just four persons in the United
States who know who II was who stole Gains
boroughs Duchess Of Devonshre. One Of
them IL Charles Becker. now in II Quentin
Prison. California. who refuses TO tell. The
other three are Robert A. and william 4.
pinkerton and the man who negotiated the
return of the picture to the original owner
One Of these latter three saiG to "A SrN re-
porter yesterday:
Il make II almost an invariable rule never
20 deny any newspaper story Generally
speaking, such denals do no good Since,
however. The SUN has had the record OF the
theft OF the picture and it, return SO nearly
To absolute correctness and since have "A GER
tain pride in keeping the record of the trans
| action straight. want THE SUN to know that
u statement published to-day to the effect
that Joe Elliott stole the picture isn't ns near
the truth as from here TO London Joe Elliott
had no connection with the theft whatever
He didn't know anything about the crime
! unt he read IL in the London papers. More
over. il was not until long after the crime
was committed that Elliott knew who the thief
was There was never time that Elliott
could have returned the picture. except
| through the willingness of the thief to make
the return for the sake OF getting Elliott OUT of
| trouble When Elliott was in prison here
he said that he man who had stole the Gains {,
| II by that return he lElllottl should gam ms
/ liberty Elliott's story was investigator at
the time and those who made the invest ga
tion were never able to satisfy. Themselves
! that the real thief would do that favor Tor MS
| old associate In crime
Elliott has been dead several years. In
the story printed IN THE Sun on. Monday
| in which the life and chara cter OF the real
! thief were sketched, II was stated thar the
thief Ia living in London. That statement.
| together with all the rest Of the story. came
so near being correct as to detail that only
the man himself could find the errors IN IT,
| II there we're any Because | have given
my word that will not do SO, ! cannot give
the mans name or any Of the aliase. under
which he hns lived and worked ] may
however. add this bit of information con.
cernins him, THE SuN said that he Is d
| years old lam quite sure that he Is between
| az and ~ base this conclusion on The
! knowledge that he served with much DIS
tinction throughout our civil war. He en-
listed as private in New York regiment
| and in one OF the earliest battles of the wal
he was promoted 10 be a non cOmmissionco
| officer for bravery In action He served
! out his term Of enlistment, reenisted IN u
Pennsylvanil regiment. taking the bonnl
therefor and was Hgain promoted Tor con
spicuous gallantrv. this time TO lieuten
THE SrN referred TO the fact that the MAJ
has become n heavy drlnker As matter
OF fact, his physical machinery is all hqt wnnrl
M heath Is RoTb his ana Hs
that he will live but short line II he docs mo-
stop drinking He himself doesn't believe
Isaw when he was here. ! doubt II he will liv'
three years Knowing that he couldn'
hold out for a great while he had been "N
tremely anxious for the past year or tw
to return the GainshOrough 10 it, origlna
owners II had been his habit 20 walk b,
the Agnew Art Rooms In Bond street ire
| quentlv of late, and every time he had dom
| So he had gone home 10 express the d"~lr
To return the portrait He had REGARDED
that, among all his crimes, As the one real
mean trick he ever did to anybody H.
didn't put the Agnews IN the sam" oategor
with the owners Of securitic or lewelry %
money He seemed to think that he hr
really done the art dealers q mean turn whiC
they didn't deserve and he was anxious I
repair ihe damage. But, crook 10 the last
| his conscience never annoyed him 70 III
extent Of making him willing 20 return III
portrait unless he got u good round sum io
| the return | see that the ACnrwS - al
| TINT no reward has vet been Paid for IN
return of the picture That seems TO M
like poor stroke Of business policy on thol
part and besides, the statement isn't true
| only wish ! had the comfortable sum Mr.
Aenew paid for the return OF The picture.
Now that THE SuN has this additiona
bit Of authentic information about the Gains
borough thief, II will bn up 10 the other paper
10 begin all over again 10 guess about IN
man : identity II is quite probable, however
that within reasonable tim" they won
need TO guess. for the mans name, toget he
with some other interesting facts about m
theft Of the picture and its return, VIII shortl
be made public