The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-04-09
HE STOLE
AN ART GEM
Worth Lifted" Famous
Painting Years Ago.
HE HAD A BARGAIN
Got Part Of the Gold That He
Paid For the Return Of IT..
Authorities Not Likely
to Prosecute.


New York, April S.--The Herald
was expected to say today:
Mystery no longer envelops the
identity Of the man who stole the
Gainsborough. portrait Of the Duchess
Of DeyonshIre from the art rooms Of
william Agnews q Sons In London.
The police say the man who took
the picture is Adam Worth. Time,
however, has outlawed the crime, and
though Worth is well known to the
Scotland Yard authorities and to the
police of this country he has no fear
Of prosecution. :,
AFTER having the famous painting
under his control for rs years, lack
ing two months, Adam Worth, on
March 26 of this year, returned 1t to
G. Morland Agnew. The transfer was
made In the Auditorium hotel, In Chi
cago, the details having been arrang-
ed by the two principals, who dealt
through William Pinkerton and Pat
rick Sheedy.
Mr.. Agnew came to the United
States for the purpose of obtaining
possession of the Gainsborough can
vass. Having accomplished his pur-
pose he Immediately started home.
He should arrive in London today
monday with the precious picture,
and 1t is probable that Adam Worth
will travel to London from Liverpool
on the same train with him. These
two men were fellow passengers on
the Etruria when that steamship left
this port ten days ago. Worth trav.
eled under an alias. his name not be.
ing on the Etruria's passenger list.
1t is even possible that he and Mr..
Agnew formed friendship for each
other during the voyage. Mr.. Agnew
never knew with whom he was deal.
ing when he was negotiating for the
return OF his picture. He had no sus-
picion that the man who received the
major part of the gold he paid to get
his canvas would sail with him on the
Etruria.
Adam Worth's life has been filed
with rare adventures, and for the
benefit of those who may think il
worthy OF emulation 1t should be
added that he has spent many years
at the hardest kind Of labor behind
prison walls. Worth is said to be a
younger son Of a family whose name
has been respected and honored in
England for generations"
The Herald quotes a detective as
saying that Worth fell into evil WAYS.
and together with Suskoyitch. Joseph
Reilly, Becker and others stole the
painting from the Agnews, but that
later he gave up his life OF crime.
Fat Sheedy acknowledged the other
day that Mr.. Pinkerton spoke to him
about the stolen picture many years
ago. He told me to be on the look.
out for it." said Sheedy, "and IL I
should ever fall in with any of the
members of the gang to remember
that the return Of the picture would
be q good thing"
Sheedy said: you can readily nm.
derstand that an agreement was en-
tered into between Mr.. Pinkerton. the
man who stole the picture, and the
gentleman gambler OF whom ME-
Pinkerton speaks In his statement.
1T is true that l was in Chicago Mt
the same time Mr.. Agnew was last
week, but l did not see him person
| ally, although we were at the same
hotel. ! saw my friend Mr.. Pinkerton
there. have known him for 80 years
and no finer man ever lived. Yes, |
was in Constantinople In 1897, but 1
will not say whether saw a man who
had escaped there concerning the re-
turn of the picture.
why, do you know that William
Waldorf Astor wanted to get hold
OF that picture about year ago? l
| was in London then. Thomas Field
ers came to me as Mr.. Astor's repro
sentative. They offered to give me
| $4,000 II l would get the picture
back. But no negotiations of such q
character could have been carried on
in London or in any part of Europe.
America was the place for such work
to be done.
Nov. let me tell you that II 1t
had not been for the death OF the
queen the picture might not have been
returned yet. The warrants which
were issued at the time the picture
was stolen were In the name of the
queen New warrants In the name of
the king would have to be issued AMI
new evidence gathered. Before these
were issued Mr.. Agnew was advised
that, by entering into negotiations for
the return Of the picture, he could
never be charged with compoundlng
q felony.
"Mr. Agnew has his picture, the
4 man who stole 1t has his reward.
which ! believe is about $25, 900, and
the man who brought about the ne
gotiations will receive the first COPY
OF the picture from the engraved
plate, The second copy will go to
Mr.. Pinkerton,"