Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-04-25
FAMOUS i,3TJ"E Tt=FTS,
Wertheimer Robbery In London Rc'
calls Several Similar Grimes.

calls Several Similar Crimes.
The recent burglary in London whern-
BY Charles Wertheimcr lost two almost
priceless gems of nrt recalls TO London
Tit-Blts other famous picture thcfts.
In May, 1876, n picture for which the
Mcssrs. Agncw had paid the then rec.
ord price of 10000 g,iineas was on view
In Bond street. and crowds daily mock
ed thitller 20 view the masterpiece. On
the evening of May % the picture was
in It's place. On the morning of the
next day when the attendant opened
the rooms an empty frame met his be-
wldercd eyes.
The theft was wrapped In mystery,
and the whereabouts Of the picture re.
NAMED matter Of conjecture for moro
than twenty years. The canvas, how
ever. was ultimately recovered In 1901,
through information given by certain
Pat Shecdy, which resulted In the
| Gainshorough's return from America
whittier It had been taken by the actu
| nj thief Adam Worth It Is now In the
| possession of J. pierpont Morgan.
In the Royal academy Of 1873 was ex
hihited picture by Sidney Cooper en-
| titled "Tbo Monarch of the Meadows.
which later on became the property oI
| Mr.. Allcroft for E2,500. In September
| 1881, a fire broke out in room whore
| In the picture had been put during some
| decorative alterations which were tax
| ing place In the house. When the con
| nagration was got under control II WI
found that the picture had diSappearel
the canvas having been cut from tn
| frame
For some time nothing Yves heard o
the stolen picture. but eventually Nj
Allcroft received a letter stating Una
the writer had been one Of the decor
tors engaged at the time of the los
and that he and two others had, 0
promise Of large reward, stolen Oh
picture. which. cs the original corPa'
had not been kept. he was willing
return for $500. Other letters werc r.
cevpd from time TO time, but no ini
settlement was arrived at until the en-
of January. 1882, when the thieIe
were captured by the police and L
A picture robbery which created
stir throughout the civilized world ";
that OF the Murllo from the Cathedr
OF Seville This. TOO. was cut from /
frame and, like the Gainsborou2
was taken across the Atlantic to Nc
York, whore for some time it renal
ed in hiding. At last the thieves,
IL 10
Schaus, who refusing the reward
$1,000 that had been offered for its I
covery, returned it at once to Il
Spanish authorities.
In October. 1904, the National g.
lery suffered loss in the theft or
portrait OF Baron D!msdale. III
which was by the celebra ted miniatu
! painter Plimcr, was in broad daylig
unscrewed from the wall and carri
off while the attendant was engaged
showing the whereabouts of Il partic
lar picture to an inluiring visitor. 1
loss YVES almost Immediately discovc
ed. but TIE thief managed to get Gle
off and UP 10 the present has no.
been captured.
The following year tie Antwerp II
scum was robbed OF portrait
Franz Halls, valued at 100000. while
few years back the Cincinnati inst
ton ana the &. Lolis museum W,
visited by picture stea,ers who ma
Off with several figure subjects by NJ,
, err Won Bremen, which We're cut fl
their frames.
! Holbein's The Field of the Cloth
, Gold" on view at Hampton Court p
ace. bears witness to this day OF
: theft that may lie termed patriot
= After the downfall of Charles l., Gro
well, to raise funds. purposed the s
Of certain pictures. this among
n number. The bargain was alreA
D made, but when the would he =
t chaser came 20 inspect IIolhein's II
!. terpiece he discovered that the he
II Of Henry VIII. had been cut from
n canvas.
!. He naturally cried off, and the !
0 ture was preserved to the nation.
- the restoration a nobeman. who e
tessCd to having committed the I'll
for love of arr and country. return
the missing head. which now occul
t It's original position in the canvas,
circle made by he f'i'o benz :