The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-05-23
THIEF OF THE DUCHESS.
MOST REMARKABLE CRIME or THE
NINETEENTH CENTURY.

Adam Worth, who stole Galnsborough'a
Famous Portrait, Ia Dead After Nearly
Hall Century % Criminal Life 49, Iie
Has Never Donnod "a Convlcta Oarb.
The theft Of Galnsborough's portrait
%. Georgiana. fifth duchess Of Devon
shire. was la many respects, the most
remarkable crime committed In the
18th century. declares the New York
Sun. Cut from it's frame in the Lon
don art rooms Of Agnew g. Sons on
the night OF May %, 1876, 20 days
after the firm had paid the then amaz
ing price OF 1OlOO guineas, not so
much as a trace OF Il was discovered
until 1t was turned over TO its owner,
% years after It was stolen in a room
In the Auditorium Hotel at Chicago.
Whatever of mystery still shTouded
the theft was cleared away when Will
liam Allan Pinkerton the most famous
OF crime detectors west of the Ale
ghanies, announced in Chicago that
Adam Worth, an American criminal
who died In London 10 days ago, after
a long residence in the British capt.
tai, was the thief Pinkerton had
known the fact for nearly 10 years.
Theft Of the picture, however SEN
sational as it was, was not the most
remarkable feature Of the affair. In
time, most notorious criminals are run
down The police usually learn some
thing definite about the details of a
great crime. But of this burglary moth
ing definite was really known, until
the details were revealed on the re-
covery of the property. And only
when death closed a criminal career
and unsealel the lips Of a detective,
was the mans identity clearly estaD-
lished. 1t was limited at often, but all
hints were founded on guesses.
For nearly a decade, Adam Worth's
secret was in the keeping of two men,
and they kept it well. One was a de-
tective and the other a gambler of in.
ternational reputation, Patrick Fran.
els Sheedy. Ordinarily, it is taken
for granted that a thief who will re-
veal his crime to one person is an
amateur OF low degree and one who
will share his criminal secrets with
two is regarded by the craft as a
paretic. Worth was no paretic, and
the memories of the police of two con.
tinents do not go back to the time
when he was ever an amateur. The
authorities seem to be agreed that, In
his criminal specialties, Worth had
neither superior nor equal, and when
ne died, he left none worthy of his
mantle. For nearly half a century
crime was his vocation, and the rec
ords fail to show that he ever wore q
convict's garb. He passed from the
ranks of the Union army at the close
of the Civil War; bearing the scars o.
valorous service, to the ranks of Grim
inals of New York, and he was soon
to use the expressive language of the
gambler he trusted, a General amonl
privates, He was petty theft, {
porch climber" a bank burglar, 4;
forger. the most successful laye,
down of counterfeit money Of his time
a receiver of stolen goods and TIKI
advisory council, in his later years
to all the great criminals of Europe
and America.
Worth cDnfded in no one until salts
fed that his plumber could not be dis
posed of through channels ordinaril,
open to thieves. Any attempt t.,
move" it, he found ont, would leat
to his almost certain capture. H,
had a white elephant on his hands
The general who finds himself hem
med in by force greatly superior t.
his own will attempt an orderly re
treat This is just what Worth did
He couldn't himself realize on tn
picture, but through men who had n
criminal records to keep under cove
he might be able to return the canva
and get, at least, a liberal fee TO
storage for the twenty-five years h
had kept the picture hidden.
He reckoned well. The portal
went back to it's owners, the theft go
his reward and had the satisfaction Q
dying with the world still in ignoranc
of his name. When Pinkerton ker
faith with Worth, he made possibl
the return to the world Of art of on
of it's greatest treasures. What ju'
tice lost. art gained, and a most wor
derful story and again most stril
ing chapter from the book of huma
life were closed.