Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-08-28
IELLTALE PICTURES.
PAINTINGS THAT HAVE DONE THE
WORK OF DETECTIVES.

Instances Where the Canvas of an
Artist Has Led to the Confession of
Criminal-A Portrait and a stolen
Diamond Pendant,
An artist who had suddenly become
almost famous by his production of a
painting exhibited ut the Royal acad-
cmy was one day called upon by Il
man whose visit was productive of the
most extraordinary and undreamt of
consequences.
The picture represented Il lonely
stretch of beach, upon which the sea
was beating in long. creamy rollers. In
the foreground, bending over a dead
body, was man with wild express
sion on his face and with naked
knife in his hand. \ ships boat, evil
dently just beached, was also in the
picture. and by the side of the MUIR
dered man was a bag of gold. The pic
ture portrayed the advent of two east
aways upon friendly shore. The one
had murdered the other SO that the
treasure might be his.
The painters visitor was Il gray hair
ed, wild eyed man.
IN heavens name, sir" he gasped
out, chow did you learn the dreadful
story that you painted? see you know
all. murdered my mate Bill to get
the money that was his. l threw his
body into the sea. 1 don't know what
impulse led me to the Academy. The
first thing l saw was your picture rep
resenting the scene that took place 80
years ago."
Needless to say, the picture had been
the outcome of Imagination. Yet mur.
der will out, and the guilty conscience
of the man who had killed his comrade
for lust of gold had convinced him that
the painting was no coincidence, but
was indeed the actual portrayal of
dastardly and unwitnessed crime.
There is probably no picture better
known in England than "The Doctor"
by Mr.. Luke Fildes. yet there are prob
ably very few people aware of the fact
that that selfsame masterpiece was
the means of bringing to light the per-
petration of a crime that would other
wise never have been known.
A certain doctor in a large town COM
mitted suicide, and among his papers
was a letter which ran as follows: 81
have today seen Luke Fildes' Doctor
The picture represents a medical man
watching by the bedside of child. 1t
has so haunted me that am going to
take away my own worthless life and
make confession at the same time,
When Arthur's"-hs brother's-'boy
died, | came into money that my dead
brother had settled on him. He died
as all the world thought of acute pneu-
monia. Yet his life might have been
saved had I acted, as Fildes' Doctor is
SO evidently doing, with the use of all
the, skill that lay in my power. I has
tnUed- tho ha.-,a--1>-,J more.
A well known artist was commission
ed to paint the portrait of n lady in eX-
alted circles, who boasted the posses
sion of most unique jewel in the
form of a pendant. The lady was very
anxious that this heirloom should be
included in her portrait. The artist. of
course, complied with her request.
Shortly after the painting had been
completed a daring burglary was per-
petrated, with the result that the lady
lost her heirloom, and no trace of the
thief or thieves was forthcoming.
Years passed by, and the lady gave up
all hope of ever seeing the precious
heirloom again.
Now. it so happened that the artist
who had painted the portrait Of the
lady mentioned had occasion to travel
in India.
In the course Of his wanderngs he
came to Bombay and, as every visitor
to that place does. strolled through the
native bazaar.
Suddenly his attention was riveted
by a piece Of jewelry in a jewelers.
shop that seemed familiar to him. 1t
was diamond and ruby pendant.
Where had he seen it before? He ran
sacked his brain, but could not remem-
ber.
He returned to his hotel and hap
pened to take from his portfolio q
sketch of the portrait he had made
years ago of the lady with the pendant.
In moment the enigma was solved.
The piece of jewelry he had seen was
the peculiar pendant that his fair sitter
had been SO anxious he should include
in his portrait.
He hurried off to the, chief of police,
and told that worthy what he suspect
ed, namely, that the bazaar he had Wis
tied contained the long lost Jewel of
the English lady. Inquiries We're at
once set on foot with extraordinary re-
suits. The jeweler in the bazaar con-
fessed to having given years ago a
| quite Insignificant sum for the jewel,
which he had bought from stableman
in the employ of a neighboring rajah.
The stableman was sought for, and
turned out to be none other than ia,
parently turned honest, but who
nevertheless, confessed to having beer
the thief of the jewel that had beer
so miraculously discovered. Pearson
Weekly.
Pursuing an EIcpnun,.
|
travelling elephant will not show an.
undue haste to repeat the amusement
They sail along at an average pace o
six miles an hour regardless of tn
country, and stop for a bath or a shor
siesta perhaps once every three days
Anything more exasperating than TO
lowing very fresh spoor at a dog tro
hour after hour in blazing sun, onl
to find at late hour in the afterneo
that one was 40 miles from camp, wit
no food or water, and that the eli
phant had increased his lead from on
mile to ten, it would be difficult
imagine.-Everybody's Magazine.
Four Good Habits.
There are four good habts-punct
ality. accuracy, steadiness and di
: patch. Without the first Of these tin
: is wasted; without the second mistake
the most hurtful to your own cred
and interest and that of others may