The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-04-14
FAMOUS PICTURE THEFTs.
Wertheiiner Robbery In London Re-
calls Several Similar Grimes

calls Several Similar Grimes.
The recent burglary in LonGon where
by Charles Wertheimer lost two almost
priceless gems of art recalls TO London
Tit-Rits other famous picture theft=.
III May. 1876. Il picture for which the
Messrs. Agnew had paid the then rec
ord price Of 10000 guineas was on view
In Bond street. and crowds daily flock
| ed thther to view the masterpiece On
the evening of May 25 the picture WAS
| In its place. On the morning of the
next day when the attendant opened
the rooms All empty frame met his be
wildered eyes.
| The theft was wrapped in mystery.
and the whereabouts of the picture re-
manned matter of conjecture for more
than twenty years. The canvas how
ever, was ultimately recovered in 1901.
through information given by certain
Pat Sheedy, which resulted in the
Gainsborough's return from America.
| whittier it had been taken by the actu-
al thief. Adam Worth. 1t is now in the
possession of J. Pierpont Morgan.
In the Royal academy of 1878 was ex-
hibited Il picture by Sidney Cooper, Ell
titled The Monarch of the Meadows"
which later on became the property Of
Mr.. Allcroft for f2.50O In September
| 1881. Il fire broke out in a room where
| in the picture had been put during some
decorative alterations Which were tax
| ing place In the house When the con-
| agra ton was got under control it was
| found that the picture had disappeared,
the canvas having been cut from the
frame.
For some time nothing was heard of
Allcroft received letter stating that
the writer had been one of the decora
tors engaged at the time of the loss
and that he and two others had. on
promise of a large reward. stolen the
picture. which. as the original compact
had not been kept. he was willing to
return for $500. Other letters were re-
ceived from time to time, but no final
settlement was arrived at until the end
Of January. 1882. when the thieves
were captured by the police and the
picture was found in their possession.
A picture robbery which created 4
stir throughout the civilized world waS
that of the Murllo from the Cathedral
of Seville. This. too. was cut from it's
frame and. like the Gainsborough.
was taken across the Atlantic to New
York. where for some time it remain
ell in hiding. At last the thieves, in
need of money. sold it to William
Schaus. who. refusing the reward Of
$4,000 that had been offered for it's re-
covery. returned it at once to the
Spanish authorities
In October. 1904, the National gal
lery suffered a loss in the theft of Il
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 Il particu-
lar picture to an inquiring visitor. The
loss was almost Immediately discover
ed, hut the thief managed to get clear
off and up to the present has never
been captured.
The following year the Antwerp mu-
scum WAS robbed of portrait by
Franz Halls, valued at 10000, while Il
few years back the Cincinnati inStitu-
ton and the st Louis museum werr
visited iy picture steaiers. who made
off with several figure subjects by Mey-
err Won Bremen. which We're cut fros,s
their frames.
Holbein's The Field of the Cloth of
Gold,' on view at Hampton Court pail
ace. bears witness to this day of a
theft that may be termed patriotic.
After the downfall of Charles l., Cron-
well. 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 Holbein's mas
terpiece he discovered that the head
of Henry VIII. had been cut from the
canvas.
He naturally cried off. and the pie
ture was preserved to the nation. On
the restoration nobleman, who con-
fessed to having committed the theft
for love of art and country, returned
the missing head. which now occupies
its original position in the canvas, the
circle made by the knife being still
plainly visible.