The San Francisco call., 1910-03-16
STOLEN MILLET
UNFARTHED IN
ARTISTS ROOM
Esthetic Robber Found Enrap=
tured Before Missing =
Picture
Saws Art Is His Sweetheart and
Lure of Masterpiece Was
Irresistible

park museum Sunday morning was re-
covered in the room of William Kunze,
"a -rt student and painter, yesterday
afternoon. 1t was given into the keep
ing of the property clerk at the city
prison and Kunze, who lived at 1858
Eighteenth street, was lodged in a cell
90 answer to a charge of grand lar
ceny
The prisoner said yesterday that he
had not committed a theft in cutting
the picture from its frame and carry
ing IL TO his room. He but eloped with
his sweetheart Art. He fell in love
with the painting. visited it day after
day. drawn to the museum by the ire
sistible charm of its beauty, and at
last. unable to resist the desire TO take
il to himself. to have it with him as
continual inspiration, he slashed it
from the frame, burning with an exul-
tation that he himself could not de-
scribe. hugged it to his heart and
slipped away to his room.
GAZING AT PICTURE
When Detective Ed Wren of the po-
lice and J. c. Meinbress, assistant su-
perintendent of the Pinkerton detec-
tive agency. found him he was sitting
enraptured before the masterpiece, and
on the table near him were two half
finished copies he had made of it.
You have come for my Miilet,
Kunze said to them. in despair Take
il. and now / do not care what you DO
with me- Take it, The Shepherd and
His Flock; it has delighted me for
three days. and perhaps so beautiful
thing I could not hope the fates would
grant for long. / have worked night
and day sketching the painting, copy
ing its colors as best 1 could, attempt
ing 10 secure its technique and Won
drous atmosphere A few hours more
and / would have had it done"
The young artist came to San Fran
cisco three months ago, and took lodg-
ing at Sanchez street near Eighteenth
with Mrs Martha Williams. Monday
morning, the day after he stole the
PAINTING. he moved TO 1868 Eighteenth
street. Since his arrival here he has
made 4 precarious living selling some
Of his paintings, but since his dis
covery of the Millet in the Sarah NJ.
Spooner collection at the park museum
he has spent much of his time there.
The police received a hint as to the
identity of the pictures thief from ac-
ouaintances to whom Kunze intimated
that he took the picture. Detective
Sergeant Ed Wren declares that he is
led to believe that the artist meant to
send the painting to Germany, his
native land. and, following it soon,
attempt to dispose of it privately. This
Kunze denies hotly.
SWEETHEART Is ART
Il had not the least desire to sell
the painting" he warmly stated. The
4&
to me- 1 wanted to copy it, to study it,
to have it with me NIillet has been my
master ever since art has become my
passion, and that is ever since I was
but a child ] have but one sweetheart,
and that is art
Kunze has the appearance of a
dreamer. an esthete. He is not per-
turbed over his arrest, but seems to
feel that his motive in taking the pic
ture which constitutes sufficient excuse
to him, also exonerates him in the
opinion Of every one.
we will place a charge of grand
larceny against Kunze tomorrow De-
said yesterday. The Millet? We are
holding that for evidence. The prop
erty clerk has it."
The painting needed retouching,
anyhow" Kunze explained further.
IT should not have been left out there,
but should at least have had glass
over it."
so that artists could not cut it from
the frame?" Detective Wren asked quiz
zically.
Not sor' Kunze retorted hotly $50
that it could be preserved from fading"
Rather unusual is the story of the
artists life.
4 was born in Dresden. Germany. IS
years ago. he said. NV widowed
Il,
a child 1 have been fond of pastoral
paintings, and always I have devoted
myself 10 art. My parents were not
wealthy, and so ] could not attend the
art Institutes, but / spent a few months
in the few art schools in Dresden. In
pastoral paintings my passion is chiefly
10 paint sheep, and when I saw Mil
let's paintings in Germany, France and
Boston / determined TO follow in his
footsteps.
IN AMERICA EIGHT YEARS
Eight years ago came to the United
States. and spent my time in and around
Boston, where 1 travelled around the
country getting subjects for my pas
toral scenes and selling the paintings
to the country people. Then 1 left Bos-
ton and came west, working as a sec
tion hand on the railroads often to get
money to travel and buy my materials
L
rived in Portland, Ore, and two months
ago came here.
"I had no confederate in the theft of
the Millet- Day after day 1 studied the
picture in the museum. and finally, Sun
day, il occurred to me to cut it from
the frame and take il home. No one
WIS in the museum when the idea came
TO me, and / put IL into execution
stepped under the rail, possessed my
self of the painting with a few strokes
of my knife and walked from the
building with the precious canvas un-
der my coat. That is all"
Miss Sarah NJ Spooner, who loaned
the painting to the park museum with
the understanding that il should be-
come their property at her death, will
not, 1t is thought, change her plans be-
cause Of the theft. This will, of course.
mean that the painting always will
hereafter be closely guarded.
Kunze Known i'm Portland
PORTLAND, March ia painter
who answers the description of Will
liam Kunze, arrested today in San
Francisco in connection with the theft
of Millet's shepherd Boy and His
Flock" is remembered here by Prof.
r NJ Meyer of this city.