New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-03-11
4Rokeby Venus" Bought
for S225,OOO, Hacked in
Seven Places.
ACT CUTS $4,000 OR
MORE FROM VALUE
,.v RICHARDSON, Charged with
Deed. Denounces Home Sec
retary-Bail Is Refused.

london March ia militant suf-
,-.ys,te inflicted severe damage to-day
the famous VelasQuez picture known
DTbe Rokeby Venus which is hung
4, the National Gallery. Trafalgar Square.
~. rictIrc was purchased for S225, 900 in
,.os and presented to the nation.
The perpetrator Of the outrage was the
.,,oriors militant sufragette May Rich
.,dson. who has been sentenced 10 sew
go, terms OF Imprisonment since the be
Ginning Of the militant movement. Miss
richardson after her arrest said:
81 tried 10 destroy the picture OF the
...st beautiful woman in mythologicaI
hi,,ory MS "a protest against the govern
-,oc, for destroying Mrs. Emmeline Pank-
hrs, who is the most beautiful charac-
ter in modern history
The police magistrate committed Miss
richardson for trial at the Sessions and
refused 10 grant bail when she was
,hsrged later IN the day at Bow street
,oIice court with damaging The Rokeby
Venus.
Uawes Harrison Turner, secretary and
.seper OF the National Gallery, when CIV
,,r evidence expressed the opinion that
The selling Price OF the picture had been
dsnreciated by the outrage 10y as much
as from $4,000 20 $4,000.
The prisoner harangued the court as
follows
REGINALD McKcnna, the Home Secre-
tsry. has turned the Criminal Code into
q farce. This is the tenth time I have
hcen brought before magistrate his
wear. lie cannot coerce me and cannot
coupel me 10 serve sentence. He ca"
only repeat the farce OF releasing me
II was stated ny experts that the actual
material damage 10 the picture could BE-
remained fcr 500. bat this amount does
not represent 4 fraction OF the loss "
selling value Five or six Of the slashes
made By Miss Richardson are sharp
clean cuts on the most important portion
81 tho canvas-the nude shoulders and
BACK Of the figure. The seventh injury Is
8 ragged bruise couple Of inches IN
diameter. and will be more difficult to
rcpsir.
Miss Richardson. who made no attempt
10 escape after the outrage, carried Il
SOFT Of miniature hatchet in her NUT.
and not knife. as was at first stated.
she Is already under sentence 81 four
months Imprisonment. but was liberated
because she was suffering from appendi-
cits
IL was she who was arrested at Bris-
tol on July ( last year for dropping q
scroll OF paper on the knees OF King
George as he was driving through the
city. After she had served three months
Imprisonment she was arrested again in
November on suspicion OF burning a
house at Hampton Court, but immediate
" started a hunger and thirst strike and
was released few weeks later in Sc.
rous condition Of health.
Orders we've issued tonight that not
only the National Gallery. but the Wallace
art collection should be closed to the pub
JIG until further notice. Many Of the pub
lic ct collections such as those at Hamp-
,on Court Palace and especially galleries
whore ysluable porcelain is on exhibition
gere closed a year ago on account of mill
ant outragcs. and have not been opened
since
TO my mind the slashing Of the Roke-
hy Venus IS an international calamity.