The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-03-22
FAMOUS PICTURE
ROBBERIES
Thieves Have Made Many HauIs in
Valuable Paintings.
lTit BID


The burglary in Norfolk street,
whereby Mr.. Wertheimer has lost two
priceless gems in Gainsborough'
Nancy Parsons" and Sir Joshua Rey-
nold's Hon. Mrs. Charles Yorke, re
calls other picture robberies. the most
famous OF which was that Of Gains
borough's "Dutchess of Devonshire.
In May. 1876. this picture, for which
Messrs. Agnew had paid the record
Lrice OF 10000 guineas, was on view
in Bond street and crowds daily hook
ed thither to see the masterpiece. On
the evening of May % the picture was
in its place: on the morning OF the
next day. when the attendant opened
the rooms, an empty frame met his be-
1 wildered eyes. The theft was wrap
ned i'm mystery, and the whereabouts
of the picture remained a matter oil
conjecture for over 20 years. The
canvas, however, was ultimately re-
covered in 1901, through information
| given by a certain Pat Sheedy, when
resulted in the Gainsborough's re-
turn from America, whittier 1t had
been taken by the actual thief, Adam
Worth. 1t is now in the possession OF
Mr.. Pierpont Morgan.
In the Royal Academy OF 1873 was
exhibited a picture by Sidney Cooper,
entitled THE Monarch of the Mead
ows." which later became the proper
ty of Mr.. Allcroft for 1880. In Sep
TENDER. 1881, a fire broke out In
room wherein the picture had been
put during some decorative altera-
\ lions which were taking place In the
house. When the confiagration was
y got under control it was found that
the picture had disappeared, the can
\ vas having been cut from the frame
For some time nothing was heard
\ of the stolen picture, but eventually
Mr.. Allcroft received letter stating
\ that the writer had been one OF the
y decorators engaged at the time OF the
\ loss. and that he and two others had,
R on promise of large reward, stolen
y the picture, which, as the original
compact had not been kept, he was
R willing to return for $500 pounds. 9th.
Y er letters were received from time to
time. but no final settlement was ar
\ rived at until the end of January
R 1882. when the thieves were captur'
y ed by the police and the picture was
\ found in their possession.
III picture robbery which created a
stir throughout the civilized world
was that of the Murillo from the Cath
edral of Seville. This, too, was cut
from it's frame, and like the Gains
borough was taken across the Atlantic
. to New York. where for some time 1t
! remained in hiding. At last the thieves
. in need of money, sold it to Mr.. VIII
liam Schaus, who, refusing the re-
ward of 1000 pounds that had been
offered for its recovery returned it
at once to the Sapnish authorities.
In October, 1904, the National Gal
lery suffered a loss in the theft of a
: portrait of Baron Dimsdale. This,
: which was by the celebrated miniature
painter Plimer, was in broad daylight
unscreWed from the wall and carried
: off while the attendant was engaged
in showing the whereabouts of par
ticular picture to an inquiring visitor.
The loss was almost Immediately dis
covered, but the thief managed to get
clear off. and up to the present has
never been captured.
The following year the Antwerp
Museum was robbed Of a portrait
by Frank Halls, valued at 10000
mounds. while a few years back the
Cincinnati Institution and the st.
Louis Museum were visited by picture
stealers, who made off with several
figure subjects by Meyer Won Bremen
which were cut from their frames.
Holbein's "The Field of the Cloth of
God" on view at Hampton Court Pal
ace. bears witness to this day of a
theft that may be termed patriotic
After the downfall of Charles |, Crcmf
we'll. to raise funds purposed the sale
of certain pictures, this among the
number. The bargain was already
made. but when the would-be pur-
chaser came to inspect Hotbein's mas
terpiece he discovered that the head
occupies it's original position in the
canvas
He naturally cried of and the PIC
ture was preserved to the nation.
On the restoration nobleman, who
confessed TO having committed the
theft for love of art and country. re-
turned the missing head, which now
occupies fits original position in the
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