The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-06
STOLEN PICTURE FOUND
FAMOUS GAINsBOROUGH PORTRAIT
OF THE DUCHESS OF DEVONsHIRE.
Was stolen Twenty-Five Years Ago
by FOrgers and Packed i'm
Hermetically Sealed Box.

CHICAGO, April 5.-After travelling
through England. America and the Euro
pean continent for twenty-five years the
famous Gainsborough portrait of the
Duchess of Devonshre, which was stolen
from the art gallery of the Agnew brothers
in London, England, May 16. 1876. is re-
ported to have been returned to its own
ers. The painting is valued at $4,000 A
Chicago detective agency claims to have
been instrumental in recovering the pic
ture. The holder of the picture, who, it is
said, was one of the band of thieves that
stole IL from the gallery is said to have
ceived a large reward for its return and
exacted an agreement to drop the prosecu-
tion. According to the detectives he had
carried it with him for years carefully
packed and sealed. This picture, it is
nounced, will arrive in London tomorrow.
The theft of the portrait was remarkable
in many ways. The doors of the gallery
were found locked and bolted on the inside.
The policemen of the beat the watchman
of the block and the janitor of the building
had heard suspicious noise and they
had noticed no suspicious strangers. There
appeared to be no clew until in 1856 a GER
tain Joseph Elliott, then under arrest for
large forgery. asserted that the Gains
borough picture was still in existence and
could be recovered provided his liberty
was granted. Elliott said the picture had
been stolen by professional porch climb
ers" who had entered one of the gallery
windows and cut the canvas from the
frame
The picture had been taken, Elliott said.
not for the reward that would be offered
for it nor for the proceeds of its sale. but
as the means 10 secure bail for member
OF band of forgers who had been arrested
i'm France for forgery on the Bank of
England. The forger had been extradited
and the Agnew brothers were to be asked
to sign his bond on condition that the
painting be returned. Before the plan
could be completed, however, the forger
was given his liberty on a technicalty.
| Negotiations were later made with the
| thieves to return the painting for a large
| reward The sum offered was too small
| in the opinion of the burglars and the
negotiations fell through Recently the
| trace was sgain found of the thieves and
negotiations reopened. A larger reward
| was offered which resulted in the return
| of the picture i'm Chicago.
When returned the picture was her.
metically sealed in a box made especially
| for its reception and was pronounced I'm
perfect condition IL carefully packed
| i'm cotton batting. The casket was brought
| from England 20 this country fifteen years
| ago and has remained i'm storage ware
houses and safety deposit vaults i'm various
cities. The person who secured the infor-
nation which led TO the return of the por-
trait is said by the detectives TO be a sport
ing man. but they decline TO make his name
public. The crime itself has long since
been outlawed.
c. Morland Agnew, son OF the original
purchaser of the portrait. has been in Chi
cago in connection with the recovery of the
picture. He brought with him pieces of
canvas taken from the frame and also a
steel engraving of the portrait. with exact
measurements of the original The pic
ture when taken from the casket was
easily identified by Mr.. Agnew. The box
had apparently never been opened since IL
was sealed many years ago. The forgers
who were responsible for the stealing of
| the picture are said TO have operated under
the leadership of Charles Becker. who is
now serving term in the California state
prison for forgery.