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

"TELEGRAPH" Sydney, N.s.w. ~7· --~ ~ PICAS!O THEFT: N.Z. Brisbane, 0 . 27JUN 1967 I • - ,/ VISITO~ IN cou~r A New Zcolandcr who has been in Aus– tralia six monrhs was charged in the Bris– bane? Magis t r a t e s' Court yesterday with havinq stolen a Picasso painting valued at $200,000. "Pistol not used in La Belle theft" A N AUTOMATIC pistol which led to a young man being joiled yesterday had not been used in the theh of a Picasso painting, valued at $200,000, I »ouc•: <:lid "" aulo- 111:tlfc 11islol found h1 thl' man's JHJsiiirs.,1011 when h~ was arresl1•d last Sat• urda.v had not heeu 1·ar- 1·ietJ during the theft. from the Queen!Jan~.!:_t_ Gallery. Mr. Noo11r, S~I. told the New Zr.:1lnnlll·r, Robert Ronald F('I\WSOJI, :?:!, thn.L With n loaded pistol he cln!iscd Pcr ~LJ!i011 n~ a 111c11- ncc to society, He sent Ferguson to Juil for one 1110111 h after Fcrguso11 had p I cad c d guilty lo ha\'lng had au unlicensed pistol. Poilce e1·ldcnce was that the 11istol was found under the 111attress of Ferguson's bed, Pistol The pistol had been taken fro111 a hotel in New South Wales. Ferguson was re111anded until July 4 on a charge or having, on June 6, broken nnd entered the Queensland Art Gallery and stolen the painting La Belle Hollandaise. According to the charge the painting was 1•aiucd at $200,000, so~ 1 , 1 Mfet]'u1:,'/,~ 1 ~ftowfarg~ti' at Self In $1000 with two sureties or $1000 dollars each. The pistol charge heard after Ferguson been remanded on palntlng-theH charge_ "ADVERTISER" Gttlong, Vic. Charged With Theft Of Picasso Paintin1 Brisbane, Monday.-A New Zealander wa remanded for eight day, in the Brisbane Magis– trates' Court lo-day on II charge of ·having stolen the $200,000 Picasso painting La Belle HoFandaise from Queensland Art Gallery. nn nnnl llcr ch,,rJ.!o of ha\·· \\"t•.•k••'nrl. l11• \\'n" scntt•nced l o ., mn111h's '!nol. Hobt!rt Honn/d Fcrgu!--on. n~C'd 22, l;iborcr, wm, d 1:1r1~f'rf with h1 t·in.l! on or ,11Ju111 ,f111 •~• f) hrnl-it•n Rlld 1•11tp n•t1 1h1 p,,nlinn or tho 1n1 -.1, t''- nf h•· Q111·L·11,1.i nr1 \ I 1; dh- r, .111cl ,.ln 1 c•n tht• p ;lf11ri 11•.:, lht• prriJJ('rl\' nf 1hc l r11,;;f1•1•, 11f 1111· fi:i!lc rv. F•.'l'J ll '-1111 f\1 ,.f l'lllllf' f 0 111 \ _•,, /'1..• dantf 111 l!Jtn rc- 111r11cd thc··t.• 111 J!l05 :tnd r:111w h:1t k ln A11i l rnli:i In ·11,t 1 111IH'1 l:1'-I ,·c.1r. The t·h!,•f pn/lc.:t• lll'(HCCU• ltlr ln'-l''"l'lor \V. n. Shn11• -.nn. 1o; 1I /'1,~t:ut:011 hnd 1'111w lo : ,·drw,· 111 rllffrr, , 111 1i11•1 .. ,lt1t·1• 1•1• 1"11nc 10 (,11 , ,., ! 11• I ~i'\ 111 1 111111 ;rnn / • 11 IJI \\,I )l'l•l1IIHl 1 •d 11 ,, JI ,/ ill\ ,I illHI t1llo\\1,•d h:t1 / , ,1 ,..; J11'l'1 wl1h !Ho •t'lJ ;, r 111t• 'dllf'''l'' P:1rl, 1f ~11100 ,., Detective-Inspector W. D. Simpson (chief police pro1ecutor) told Mr. Noone, S.M., thi1 in the Mogiltrote', Court ye1ter– doy. Mr. Noone told lse1·.,rat times to Sydney I Roherl Ronnld . Richard !i~n ~~ren'i'J~t·)~. 1 ~:ar~: F'erguann, 22, smgle. nn [bv N.Z. aut.horltles a unemployed lnborer, ~:~ly to ab.scond fro from New Zealand , lhnt, I Mr. Noone nxed ball wit.h a loaded piRtol, h e self In 11000, with tw •clasRed him ns n men- st '[fi\ 1 I~ 8fe !~~~rot i~f:urn nee to soc iet~•. ment . he hact been unabl I He sent him I.a Jail rnr to raise the two surell " monlh when he plendPd for his rr.lense. alter serv ~um,, to a char~e of hnv- p ng the month s Jail ter I In~ ·had an nnll<-ensrd I Mr. Noone asked Fer pistol 11·hlch wns ror!elted. RUson IC he wished to hav Ferguson, not lei:nll)" lhe plstot charge hear represented. \\'as rem anded then, or alter the heart unt il next Tuesday on 8 of the theft charge. H charµe or lrnl'lnµ, on June said he wanted the plsto 6, broken nnct entered the charge heard then, 11a1·11lon or the Queenslnnd l Arl Gnllerv trustees and The prosecutor stolen "Lri Belle Hollan- De1cctive-Sergcan1 dalse." 1 Chalmers Rnct Delectlv Whrn Fer~uson nppllcd Senlor-Srrgennt J . Mc tor ball on the Pleasso Sporran hnd round the pls thert chargr, Inspect.or u,1 unde~ lhc mattress o Sllllpson told the Mngls- 1Ferguson s bed Rt th irate It \\'OUld be allegrd lMa1·gate !iat. rented b.1• Ferguscm climbed on 10 married couple, 11•here he scnffolch111( a t the •Ide or/ hnd a room. the Art Gallery, and, "Out of way" forcing n top noor window \\'Ith a screwdriver, en- It was loaded, with five tered t.he gallery nnd re- cartridges In the magazine moved the painting. It and one In the chamber. hnd now been recovered. !Ferguson had admitted he The prosecutor said that had stolen It Crom a New Ferguson. whooe parents/South Wales hotel three or Jived In N.Z.. came to Au•- !our month• ago, He had trnlla In August. 1963 ; he denied hal'lng used It or went back In 1965, and carried It In public. came back here Inst Inquiries In the South November. /.showed It was not likely o,,posed bail g~l•~·ould be r.xt ,rodlt.ed over T Jc prosecutor sa id t.lrnt, Ferguson told Mr. Noone rn itlnllv, he opposed bn1t. he had had the nlsloJ un– or. n!t crnnt l1•c!y, he RSked der h is bed because It was for a substantial surety, out or the wav of an,vbody Ferguson told th e mag- .seeing IL. Asked 11·hv It was lstrnte his fa t her wns loaded. he ••Id that ll'R8 i~:\r\alr~m N.Z. to see t11fn:'ae~t~~ ~f~ ~~~ It.told The prosecutor said t.h nt Mr. ~oone potfcc were er~uson. llvln,t in a Mnr-1sa tlsfled the pistol had ate !IRI. when arrested on n ot been connected ll'ilh aturday. had travelled the patnttn~ theft charge Vic. 'l>;CaSso charge remand BIUSIAHE. - A young New Zealancle, wa1 yeeter4ay remanded in ~e lrl1bane Cou,t on a charge of ha.Ing ltolen the Plca110 paint– ln1 La lelle Holland1l1e" from Queenaland Art Gallery, He wns ll'AOlcd ror a sterillng th~ Plllntln«, Val- It had In b month on another chnrge ued at •200.000, on June 8. erect. s cc ecn recov. or hn1·lnR B loaded conceal- Mr Noone, SM, told Fer- F Bble Jlrearm In his p0s.,es- ,:uson thnt ll1th a loaded e111uson 'll'os remanded slon When arrested on Sat- pistol he claased him &II a for eight days, urday, mennce to society, Robert Ron • td Rlcb • rd Det.-Insp, W. D. Simpson Ferruson, 3'J, loborer, sald It WOUid be &ll"l!Cd f~:'1g;:Rr~~!cy to the lire- t::•: ~~Y" c.:i'"hi~ al~~ He trRs not legally 1'1!• ot the art r::.'f1e17, forced presented. and made no • top noor 'll'tndow with a plea when cha111ei1 111th screwdriver, entered and bN!aklnw and enterhllf and N!moved tJie r,alnttn«.