Subject:
see this URL (http://www.swanet.org/vandalism.html)
http://www.swanet.org/vandalism.html
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Gunman Steals Prominent French Painting From New Zealand Gallery
12.52 p.m. ET (1652 GMT) August 9, 1998
AUCKLAND, New Zealand - A man armed with a sawed-off shotgun and a
crowbar burst into the Auckland Art Gallery on Sunday and in front of
stunned staff and patrons stole one of New Zealand's most expensive
and popular European paintings. The man, clad in black, ran through
the museum waving his rifle and yelling to visitors and employees to
"get down" and "keep back," museum official Kate Darrow said. The
gunman grabbed the 19th-century painting "Still on Top" from the wall
and used the crowbar to remove the canvas from the frame. The
painting, by French artist Jacques-Joseph Tisso, is worth up to $1
million. The robber left through the main entrance and fired a warning
shot in the air before sprinting through a park with the painting
under his arm. He is believed to have escaped on a motorcycle parked
by a nearby highway. Police were still investigating Sunday night.
News America Digital Publishing, Inc. d/b/a Fox News Online.
$2m art theft may be for deal overseas
AUCKLAND -- The gunman who stole a $2 million painting from the
Auckland Art Gallery may have acted on orders from international
black-market art dealers. Police suspect the heist of one of the
most expensive and popular European works in New Zealand was a
well-executed theft by a professional who will spirit the painting
overseas.
Interpol has been notified of the theft of the 19th Century painting,
Still on Top, by French-born artist Jacques-Joseph (James) Tissot.
Last night police screened security surveillance film of the man,
clad in black, including a motorcycle helmet, dark visor and gloves,
who burst through the main door with a sawn-off shotgun and a crowbar
at 11.10am. He is described as caucasian, aged at least 30, and
well-spoken.
Kate Darrow, manager of art and access, said the man ran through the
Grey Gallery waving a firearm and yelling "get down", and "keep back"
to staff and patrons.
He appeared to know where he was going and made a beeline for the
Lower Wellesley Gallery where the painting was hanging, she said.
A witness in the gallery at the time said: "It all happened very
quickly. The guy in the helmet pushed the gun into a guard's ribs. I
thought the poor guy (guard) was going to faint because he looked
helpless and out of breath."
The gunman grabbed the painting off the wall and dropped it on the
ground, perhaps as a mistake or to smash the glass and gilt frame. He
then used a device like a crowbar to remove the canvas from the frame
and take off the backing board.
Within four minutes of entering the offender left through the main
entrance and skirted behind the gallery into Albert Park, pursued by a
member of the public.
Detective Sergeant Carolyn Butcher said the offender turned around to
fire a warning shot into the air. He sprinted through Albert Park with
the 88cm by 53cm canvas under his arm, and is believed to have got on
his motorcycle in Princess Street.
Ms Darrow said the painting was given to the gallery in 1921 by
Viscount Lord Leverhulme.-- NZPA
From: Surfside01
Subject: HELP! Museum and Lands Threatened
Please see what's going on here, help to spread the word, and save an
important effort at historic preservation, honoring veterans,
conserving the environment, and DOING THE RIGHT THING .......
see http://town.surfside.fl.us/special3a.html
From: Jack Sullivan jacksull@mindspring.com
Subject:
Blaze destroys former tavern
The original story can be found at :http://www.portland.com/news/story3.htm
Monday, August 10, 1998
Blaze destroys former tavern
Smoke shrouds the former Isaac Sawyer Stevens home at 628 Stevens Ave.
on Sunday. Firefighters found the blaze difficult to combat because of
the Revolutionary War-era building's age and condition. The building,
which the city planned to buy and demolish anyway, was destroyed.
By Jack Beaudoin
Staff Writer
©Copyright 1998 Guy Gannett Communications
A Revolutionary War-era tavern that Portland Maine officials planned
to buy and demolish was destroyed Sunday afternoon in a smoky,
wind-blown fire that tied up traffic for hours along Stevens Avenue.
No one was in the former Isaac Sawyer Stevens home at 628 Stevens
Ave. when the fire broke out at about 5 p.m., Portland Deputy Fire
Chief Donald Brown said.
Flames raced quickly through the vacant, 213-year-old wooden
structure,blowing out windowpanes and sending huge coils of white
smoke across the busy street.
''We were driving up Stevens Avenue and there was smoke everywhere,''
said a neighbor, Melissa Libby. ''We could see the fire, but there
were no firetrucks - we kept wondering where the firetrucks were.''
When firefighters arrived, they were hampered by winds gusting to 20
mph. But even more worrisome, Brown said, was the age and condition of
the old building. On several occasions, firefighters started to attack
the fire from a ladder at the side of the house, only to be forced
back because of fears the building might fall in.
A Portland firefighter climbs the side of the burning Stevens Avenue
Tavern. Firefighters tried several times to get at the blaze this way,
but were turned back because of fears the building would collapse.
''It's a 200-year-old building and we were worried about collapse,''
Brown said. ''I couldn't put people in there.''
Firefighters remained on the scene throughout the evening. The cause
of the fire remained unknown and Brown declined to speculate about it.
Less than a month ago, the Portland City Council voted to buy the
building for $80,000 from Oren Ahlquist of Ace Properties and Ace
Builders. According to City Manager Robert Ganley, officials planned
to demolish the former tavern and use the 9,281 square feet of land to
expand nearby Evergeen Cemetery. The fire is not likely to change
those plans.
''I don't think we ever viewed the house as having much value,''
Ganley said Sunday night. ''I think the land was worth more without
it.''
Historic preservationists agreed it would not have been feasible to
restore the building. In 1995, they say, a previous owner eradicated
all exterior features by installing rough wood clapboards on each
side. As a result, the old house came to resemble a frontier fort,
with only a few little windows high up on the blank walls of the
two-story building.
The $80,000 will come from the cemetery's perpetual-care trust fund
and be paid back by the sale of new burial lots. Dana Souza, the
city's parks and recreation director, said the tavern will be
memorialized at the site by a plaque or small kiosk.
Built in 1767, the building began its existence as the home of Isaac
Sawyer Stevens, patriarch of one of the city's most prominent
families. In his absence during the Revolutionary War, his wife opened
a tavern in the house to support herself. The public house continued
into the 19th century under the name Uncle Billy's Tavern.
