Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1910-02-25

Paintings That Have Done the
Work of Detectives.
BROUGHT CRIMES TO LIGHT.
Instances of Where the Canvas of an
Artist Led to Confession of Guilt.
Womau's Portrait and a Stolen
Diamond Ornament.


Artist Led to a Confession of Guilt.
Womau's Portrait and a Stolen
Diamond Ornament
An artist who had suddenly become
almost famous by his production of a
painting exhibited at the Royal acad-
envy was one day called upon by a
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 wild express
sion on his face and with naked
knife in his hand. \ ships boat, evil
IDENTIFY just beached. was also in the
picture, and by the side of the muir
dered man was bag of gold. The pic
ture portrayed the advent of two cast
Always upon 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.
In heavens name, SIR" he gasped
out. how did you learn the dreadful
story that you painted? l 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"
Needless to say, the picture had been
the outcome of Imagination. Yet muir
der Will out, and the guilty conscience
OF the man who had killed his comrade
for lust of gold had convinced him
that the painting was 10 coincidence.
but was indeed the actual portrayal of
daStardly and unwitnesSed crime.
Ihere Is probably no picture better
known In England than THE Doctor"
by Luke Fildes. yet there are proba-
bly, very few people aware Of the fact
that that selfsame M Sterpiece was the
means of bringing % light the per-
petratfon OF crime that would other
wise never have beer known.
\ certain doctor in large town COM
mitted suicide, and among his papers
was letter which ran as follows: ~
have today seen Luke Fildes' Doctor
The picture represents II medical man
watching by the bedside of child. II
has SO haunted me that l am going to
take away my own worthless life and
make confession at the same time.
When Arthur's"-his brother's-"boy
died came into money that my dead
brother had settled un him. He died
"a g n hn
monia. Yet his life might have been
saved had acted. as Fildes' Doctor
is so evidently doing with the use of
all the skill that lay In my power. 1
FASTENED the boys end and so got the
money. can bear 1t no mere
well known artist was commission
ed To paint the portrait OF lady in ex-
allied circles who boosted the Dosses-
sion OF most unique jewel in the
form OF pendant. The lady was very
anxious that this heirloom should be
included in her portrait. The artist. of
course. complied with her request.
Shortly after the painting had been
completed daring burglary was per-
petrated. with the result that the lady
lost her heirloom. and no trace of the
thief or thieves was Forthcoming.
Years passed by, and the lady gave up
all hope Of ever seeing the precious
heirloom again.
Now. 1t 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
IN Pnnahoxy
20 that place does, strolled through the
native bazaar.
Suddenly his attention was riveted
by q piece OF jewelry in q jewelers.
shop that seemed familiar to him. It
was n diamond and ruby pendant
Where had he seen 1t befora2 lie ran
sacked his brain. but could not remem-
Der.
He returned TO his hotel and hap
pened to take from his portfolio q
sketch Of the portrait he had made
years ago of the lady with the pendant.
In moment the enigma was solved
The piece Of jewelry he had seen was
the peculiar pendant that his fair sit
ter had been so anxious he should In
cIude IN his portrait.
lie hurried on 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 tewelsr IN the bazaar con-
fessed to having given years ago q
quite Insignificant sum for the jewel.
wi fnh hn e,to
man in the employ Of q neighboring
rajah. The stableman was sought for
and turned out to be none other than
q famous English craftsman who had
apparently turned honest. but who.
nevertheless. confessed to having been
the thief OF the jewel that had been
30 miraculously iscoyered.-Pearson's
Weekly.