Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 3 : Presscuttings, Sept 1959 - Sept 1967

,., - "AGE" Melbourne, Vic. ~ ..... , i_. j ..._"'J} PICASSO 11/EFT CHARGE REMAND BRISBANE. - A young New Zealanller w•s re– manded for eight d1tys In the Brlsb•ne MagistrRt.e"s Court yesterdRy 011 a char~e or having stolon the Picasso painting Ln Delle Hol11111- dnlse rrom the Queensland Art Onllery. He wn• gaoled ror a month 1111 •nothcr cl>Rrge or l111vlng a loRded conceala hlc fire– arm In hi• possession when arrested on Saturday. Rebert RonRld Rlch1ud Persuaon, 22 laborer, pleaded iruUty tp the fire– arm charp. 111!!~te":t".n~o~!?eal1fu 1~; when charged with breaf1n11 and entering and stealing the t200,000 palntln1 on June &. Until the court adjourn– ment, he had been unable ta ralllC two tlOOO ball auretlea for his relellM! after serving the month's 1801 term. The Magistrate !Mr. Noone, SM l told Feriruson that with a loaded pistol he classed him &1 a menace to society. Detective Inspector W. D. Simpson. the chief police prOllecutor. said it would be alleged Ferguson climbed on to a scaffolding at the side of th~ art gallery, forced R top floor window with a screwdriver, entered and re• moved the painting. It had since been re– covered. "MERCURY" Hobart, T11. 2 I JU , 67 C.nberra, A.C.T. Remand on art theft charge NE M by 1he New Zealand BRISBA • on• uiJ1hori1ics as likely day. - A young New abscond from bail. Zeulan,kr was re- Mr Noone fixed bail al manded for eight d ays Sl,OCHI, wiih 1wo surelic, of in Jhc Brisb.anc Magis- Sl.ll00 each. tratc's Court o n a T he rnu 3 ccutnr saitl D~– chargc of having sto len 1cc1ivcs M. Chalmers and J. 1hc Picasso pa inting, McSporran had found 1he La Belle Hollandaise, pi, iol under a ma11rcss on from the Queensland Ferguson's hed. Art Gallery. - Jmp. Simp,011 said _police ~ ·a°' gaoled for a were sati~licd 1hc p I s 1 ~ I monih on :i 1.·har~c of hav• hud no1been conncctcll with in~ h11,I a luadcJ conceal• 1he puin1ing theft charge. nblc firc:1rm in hi~ posses• ~ion when a rrested on S111ur<lay, Robert Runaid Richard Ferguson, 12, labourer, pleaded guihy 10 the f Lr e• nnns charge. He made no pica when chn1ged wilh break_i ng unJ entering and steahns the S200,000 painting on J u n c 6 · Mr Noone. SM. to I d Fergusun 1hat, with a loaded pi,101, he cla~scd him as a rncno1cc to society. U;.e of pis tol denied "WEST AUSTRALIAN" 21 JUI~ i961 PAGE 3 Man in court over Picasso theft Australia .A New Zealand llbofcr appeared In the Brl1b1ne Magistrate's Court yes– terday charged with the theft ot the '200,000 Picasso palntlna, La Belle Hollandaise. Robert Ronald Richard Fer1u10n, 22, was chu,:– ed with breaking and entering the pavilion ot lh\? Queensland Art Gal– lery Trustees and 1tellln1 the palntlna on or about June 6, Mr P. Noone, SM, remanded Ferauaon until Julr 4 and allowed him bal ol $1000 with two separate euretlea of ,1000 ~eh. Fergu10n wu aentenc• ed to a month'• pot when he pleaded IUllty to another charae o! pos– sessing a loadecj conceal– able firearm. The chie! police_ proee– cutor, Inspector W. D. Simpson, said It would be alleged that Ferguson broke Into the art gallery by climbing scaffolding and forcing a window 011 the top floor with a screw-driver. He objected to ball for Ferguson. t .. , ,. c ... J U • ', 'l f The Chief Police Prosecu• tor De1ec1ivc lnspcclor W. I),• Simpson, ,aid it would be alleged that Ferguson climbed on to n scaffolding Rt the nrl gallery, forced n lop - floor window with a 5crewdriver, entered and removed Jhc painting. since recovered. 2 I• 'I Perth, W.A He said Ferguson had been In Australia only six months and had aonc to Sydney at different times in that period. Information from the Child Wetrare Depart• ment In New Zealand Indicated that Fer1u1on was likely to abscond !rom ball. The prosccu1or s a I d Labo·urer to face charge of stealing Picasso painting Ferguson, whose parcnls lived in New Zealand. ar– there in Nnvem– d pre• s in gust. llttSBANE. - A young ·New Zealander was re- 111anded for eight days yesterday in the Brisbone Magistrates' Cau rt on a charge of having stolen tft1 Picasso painting "La Beile Hollandaise" from tft1 Queensland Art Gallery. He wa• gaoled for a month on anolher charge or having a loaded conccalahle firearm in his possession When arresled on Salurday. Robert Ronald lllchard Ferguson (221, labourer, pleaded guilly lo the fi rearm eharge. He was not lci:ally rcpre– Mnled and made no pica When char11ed with brcakinii and entering and slealing the palnllni:, valued at ,200,ono, on June 6. Oet,•ln, p. W. D. Simpson (chler police proscculor l IOld it would br. alleged that Ferguson cllnibcd nn to • scalToldlng al lhe side or the art i.:allcry, fo rced a 1011 floor window with " ~crcw– drlver, cnlercd, and remov– ed lhe painting. The painting had been recovered. "t,DVERTISER" 27 JUN 196 r Adelaide, · I ' I . ;l:-· (( /Art Robbery Hearing IIISIANI, June 26 - A young New Zealander was remanded far eight days In the Brisbane Magistrates Court today on a charge of having stolen the Picasso painting "la llelle Hollandalse" from the Queensland Art Gallery, He WM gaoled for II guson climbed on t.o n month on ,onothor charge scl\f!olding l\t the side ol of having R loaded nre- the art gallery, forced a ILl'ITI In his po,;,,ession top-floor window, enter when arrested on Satur- and removed the pB.lnUng, day, The palnt1n1 had since Robert Ronald Richard been recovered. · Ferg II 90 nj 2~. laborer, The plstcl WU found pleaded guJ t:, to the lire- under 11. mattresa on Fer- "'"' chRrge. guson• 1 bed. prfs'iin~~ ~~~ 1 •J,!~! r~~ The pro.secutor s&ld Fer- C::k~~e~nt~ ~n ~~ i~!Y~nd"';~ v~ ov~~:r ~;;· • te n 1 ·n g . the $2i0.000 yenr. He hnd prevlou~ll pntntlng on June 6. 1'prnl, two ~•eilJ·~ here, from The Magt.tralc I Mr Aui:use. 106~. Noone. SM, told Frrguso1i ~t~1~~~~ f.1~::~ \\\~~! nee to aociety, The chief police prose– cutor (Detective tnapector W. D. Simpson) snld It would bo allc11ed that Fer- C: \ Of Painting Mon: A young New Zealander was remanded [or eig ht days in the Brlshane Magistrates' Court today on a charge o.l having stolen the Picasso \m int• Ing "La Belle Ho la nd• alse" from the Q~ ns• lnnd ·1 Galle1·y. '. Robert R;;;;ald Richard Ferguson 1221, lnhoul'Cr, was guoled for a mont h on anolhcr churge o( having a loaded conoeal, able fi rearm In his pos– session when n n ested on Saltmlay. He had plet1d· eel guilty to the firearm charg i. He was nol legally rrp. rcscnlcd and mnele no 11lcn when chorgeel with breaking and ,•nt crlng and slrallng lhc $200,000 painting on June 6. Dct.-Tnsp. W. D. Simp– son, thr chief polke pro– secutor, said It would be nllegeel that F erguson ellnibcel on lo a scaffold, Ing at the side of the art gallery, forced a top floor window with a screwdriver, enterccl and removed the painting. It had since Ileen reeovl!rl!d. The prosecutor snld ele• 1cctlves M. Chalmers nnd J. McSporrnn round the pistol under n mattress on Ferguson's bed. It was loacll'd, with five carlrldges In the mnga• zinc and one In the cham– ber. Ferguson hnd sa Id he Imel stolen II from a N.S.W. holel several monlhs previously. He 1lcnlcd hnvlng used or cnrrfed It In puhlle. Ferguson told. Mr Noone his father Intended to come to Brisbane from New Zealand, LOADED PISTOL Inspector Simpson said when detectives Inter• viewed Ferguson at a flat at Margate, near Brls• bane, on Saturday, they found a pistol under a mattres!. The pislol was loaded with six Jive cartridges -five In the magazine and one in the chamber. The safely catch was In the of! poslllon. He said Ferguson told detectives he had stolen the plslol while drinking In a hotel In New Soulh Wales three or !our months ago. Inspector Simpson said there was no suggestion that Ferguson had the pistol In his possession for any ulterior purpose. Sentencing Ferguson on the firearm charge, Mr Noone said he considered keeping a f11lly-loaded pistol placed him in the category of being a menace to society.