Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1910-01-08
TELLTALE PICTURES,
Paintings That Have Done the
Work of Detectives.
BROUGHT GRIMES TO LIGHT.

A Woman's Portrait and q Stolen
Diamond Ornament.
An artist who had suddenly become
almost famous by his production OF a
painting exhibited at the Roya! acad-
emy was one day called upon by
man whose visit was productive of the
most extraordinary and undreamed OF
consequences
The picture represented a lonely
stretch OF beach. upon which the sea
was beating IN long. creamy rollers. In
the foreground. bending over a dead
body. was man with n wild expires.
sion on his face and with n naked
knife In his hand. A ships boat. evil
IDENTIFY just beached. was also In the
picture. and by the side OF the MUIR
dered man was n bag OF gold. The pic
ture portrayed the advent OF two cast
Always upon a friendly shore. The one
had murdered the other so that the
treasure might be his
The painters visitor was a gray hair
ed. Wild eyed man.
I'm heavens name. sir" he gasped
out. "how did you learn the dreadful
story that you painted? see you
know all. ! murdered my mate Bill TO
get the money that was his. threw
his body into the sea. ! don't know
what impulse led me to the academy.
The first thing ! saw was your picture
representing the scene that took place
thirty years ago"
Noadloaa m ctr fta rfofnra ha "A t...,
the outcome OF Imagination. Yet MUIR
der win out. and the guilty conscience
Of the man who had killed his comrade
for lust OF gold had convinced him
that the painting was no coincidence,
but was indeed the actual portrayal Of
dastardly and unwitnessed crime.
There Is probably no picture better
known IN England than "rhe Doctor"
by Luke Fildes. yet there are proba-
bly, very few people aware Of the fact
that that selfsamc masterpiece was the
means OF bringing 10 light the per-
-etratfon Of crime that would other
ise never have been known.
A certain doctor In large town com.
Tilted suicide. and among his papers
as letter which ran as follows: II
ave today seen Luke FIldes' Doctor
he picture represents n medical man
ratchlng by the bedside Of child. II
fas 30 haunted me that am going to
Ike away my own worthless life and
IKE a confession ut the same time.
ZEN Arthurs"-his brother's-"boy
] came Into money that my dead
rother had settled on him. He died
all the world thought Of acute pneu-
onia. Yet his life might have been
ed had ! acted. as Fildes' Doctor
% evidently doing. with the use Of
the skill that lay In my power.
fastened the boys end and so got the
money. can bear II no more"
well known artist was commission
d to paint the portrait OF a lady In ex-
tlted circles who boosted the possess
ion Of most unique jewel In the
)rm OF pendant. The lady was very
nxious that this heirloom should be
cluded III her portrait. The artist OF
curse. complied with her request.
Shortly after the painting had been
ompleted IA daring burglary was per.
etrated. with the result that the lady
,st her heirloom. and no trace of the
nief or thieves was forthcoming.
ears passed by and the lady gave up
II hope Of ever seeing the precious
heirloom again.
Now. II so happened that the artist
who had painted the portrait of the
lady mentioned had occasion TO travel
In India.
In the course OF his wanderings he
came 10 Bombay aud. as every visitor
10 that place does. strolled through the
native bazaar.
Suddenly his attention was riyeted
by a piece OF jewelry in jewelers.
shop that seemed familiar to him. IL
vas n diamond and ruby pendant.
Where had he seen II beforei lie ran
sacked his brain. but could not remem-
Der.
He returned TO his hotel and hap
pened 10 take from his portfolio a
sketch OF the portrait he had made
years ago OF the lady with the pendant.
In a moment the enigma was solved.
The piece OF jeweIry he hnd seen was
the peculiar pendant that his fair sit
ter had been so anxious he should In
ciude In his portrait.
He hurried OF to the chief of police
and told that worthy what he suspect
ed-namely. that the bazaar he had
visited contained the long lost jewel
OF the English lady. Inquiries were at
once set on foot with extraordinary re-
suits. The jeweler In the bazaar con-
fessed TO having given years ago
quite Insignificant sum for the jewel.
which he had bought from stable
man In the employ OF n neighboring
rajah. The stableman was sought for
and turned out to be none other than
a famous English craftsman who had
apparently turned honest. but who.
nevertheless. confessed 10 having been
the thief OF the Jewel that had been
so miraculously discovered.
Weekly.