THE STOLEN "LEADER."

Otago Witness, Issue 2934, 8 June 1910, Page 12

THE STOLEN "LEADER."

HOW THE PICTURE WAS RECOVERED.

WELLINGTON, May 27. After a, two months' search the police arrested, a labouring man, about 30 years of age, on a charge of stealing the picture by B. W. Leader, which was stolen from the Art Gallery. The detectives, acting upon information, made a smart capture by arresting the suspect about 8.30 last evening in the vicinity of Bolton Street Cemetery. _ In addition they secured the missing picture. The man arrested is Francis Edwin Tier, who is described as a labourer about 30 years of age. Later on Michael Tier, brother of Francis Tier, was also arrested

The story of the twice stolen Leader picture is intereetinsr. The man who had the picture was ..endeavouring to get £SO for its return, but he was too cunning to come out into the open himself. Eyentixally the supposed principal promised to restore the stolen canvas unimpaired to Mr T. S l . Wardell, president of the Academy of Fine Arts. To still further preserve his security he wrote a couple of days ago .asking for more assurance that the deal would be treated fairly and squarely, and that he would receive the £SO. Hi 6 qualms were again allayed, and last night an elderly man called at Mr Wardell's house about 8 o'clock with a roll wrapped in brown paper, which he handed over. Mr Wardell was not at home, but the stranger was given a small parcel apparently supposed to contain £SO in money. He departed, and Detectives Lewis and Andrews, who had been waiting in . hiding, where they had been patiently ensconced at all hours of the

day and night for the past week, shadowed him. In, Bolton street, near the cemetery, the stranger was accosted by another man, whom the detectives promptly arrested. This main was a wharf labourer named Francis Edwin Tier. Both the accused wer remanded.