The Duke of Wellington, Kidnapped!
Page 29
92. benefit of any charity nominated by the present possessor of the painting,” “cannot bargain. Nor can the Mirror,” “this newspaper can and does invite the letter-writer to return the Goya,” and “What matters most is that the historic painting by Goya should be speedily restored to the National Gallery and the nation”—“The Missing Goya and the Mirror. Our Sporting Offer to the Mystery Letter-Writer,” Daily Mirror, March 18, 1965, 1.
93. “The man with the Goya has been in touch with the Daily Mirror” and “Nobody can guarantee that £30,000 will be raised by public exhibition of the Goya portrait”—“The Missing Goya: A Letter to the Mirror,” Daily Mirror, March 24, 1965.
94. “be very careful with this,” “well spoken and [having] sharp features,” and “The paint surface was right and because of a general thing I can’t explain about recognizing paintings”—Godfrey Smith et al., “The Goya Is Back: Hunt on for ‘Mr. Bloxham,’” Sunday Times, May 23, 1965, 1.
95. “the man who had once asked £140,000 for the portrait had ended by paying 14 cents to get rid of it”—Milton Esterow, The Art Stealers (New York: Macmillan, 1966), 6.
97. “The man who defeated Napoleon at Waterloo was captured singlehandedly by a slightly crackers Robin Hood”—“The Duke Returns,” Newsweek, June 7, 1965, 79.
97. “My Goya. The Mirror Found It”—Daily Mirror, May 23, 1965, 2.
97. “There are things which judges can do”—Ibido.
98. “I hope whoever had the Goya feels better now that he has sent it back”—George Martin and Barry Stanley, “How the Goya Returned Home,” Daily Mirror, May 23, 1965, 40.
98. “The Man Who Got the Goya Back” and “It might have been some other newspaper, but it was, in fact, the Daily Mirror that brought the Goya portrait back to the nation”—Daily Mirror, May 24, 1965, 15.
98. “probably an artist”—Sally Moore, “Microscope on the Thief’s Letters,” Daily Mirror, May 24, 1965, 15.
99. “The man who returned the Goya is angry with this newspaper. In fact, he is very rude about its editor” and “perhaps the happiest ending of all would be for the man who stole the Goya . . . to choose this moment to vanish from contemporary history”—“Did the Mirror Pinch the Goya Back?” Daily Mirror, May 27, 1965, 1.
CHAPTER 10
All quotes from Kempton Bunton’s unpublished memoirs, in the possession of the author.
CHAPTER 11
109-114. Account of interrogation of Bunton by Officers Andrews, Weisner, Johnson, Walker, and Ion—depositions in case of Regina v. Bunton.
114. study of proven-false confessions [footnote]—Richard Leo and Steven Drizin, “The Problem of False Confessions in the Post-DNA World,” North Carolina Law Review 82 (2004):891–1007.
117. “Bunton sat impassively with his arms folded. Only when the portrait was produced as an exhibit did he move slightly to get a better look”—“How £140,000 Goya Was Stolen,” London Evening Standard, August 17, 1965, 12.
117. weighed seventeen stone—“Menaces Charge over £5,000 Goya ‘Ransom Note,’” London Times, August 18, 1965, 5.
118. “the plea [to the landlady] went unheeded and the Duke stood unadorned in the Old Bailey”—Eric Crowther, Last in the List: The Life and Times of an English Barrister (Plymouth, UK: Bassett Publications, 1988), 245.
118. “just rather a darling. I had an affection for him”—Sandy Nairne, “From National Gallery to Dr. No’s Lair,” Guardian, August 6, 2011, 14.
CHAPTER 12
The various quotes from Bunton’s trial depositions are in the public domain and on file with the author.
129. “cunning”—Eric Crowther, Last in the List: The Life and Times of an English Barrister (Plymouth, UK: Bassett Publications, 1988), 244.
129. Popat’s recollection [footnote]—interview with author.
CHAPTER 13
The numerous quotes from the trial are from the trial transcripts, on file in the National Gallery archives.
131. “not only gracious in defeat but fluent in French”—Huw Richards, A Game for Hooligans: The History of Rugby Union (Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing, 2007), 1927.
144. “If that’s a Goya, I’m a virgin”—Bruce Page and Colin Simpson, “Doubts about the Duke,” Sunday Times, May 30, 1965, 9.
CHAPTER 14
All quotes from Pamela Smith’s account come from her written statement (November 11, 1965), on file with the author.
149. “But when I arrived in the morning at the usual hour”—author’s interview with Hugh Courts.
150. “extraordinarily difficult legal question”—Ibido.
150. “knows of a credible witness who can speak to material facts which tend to show the prisoner to be innocent, [it] must either call that witness himself or make his statement available to the defense.”[footnote]—Dallison v. Caffery, 1 QB 348 (1965).
151. “The only possible road to follow is to have closed the trial; to have dismissed the jury; then to convene a new trial; collect a new jury”—author’s interview with Hugh Courts.
CHAPTERS 15 AND 16
The numerous quotes from the testimony of Kempton Bunton are from the trial transcripts, in the National Gallery archives.
CHAPTER 17
The numerous quotes from the testimony of Kempton Bunton are from the trial transcripts, in the National Gallery archives.
184. “two charming old gentlemen having a sparring match”—Eric Crowther, Last in the List: The Life and Times of an English Barrister (Plymouth, UK: Bassett Publications, 1988), 242.
CHAPTER 18
The quotes from the trial testimony, closing statements, and judge’s instructions are from the trial transcripts in the National Gallery archives.
188. Crowther recollections about John Bunton—Eric Crowther, Last in the List: The Life and Times of an English Barrister (Plymouth, UK: Bassett Publications, 1988), 243-244.
CHAPTER 19
The judge’s instructions to jury and colloquy in court before, during, and after sentencing are from the trial transcripts.
196. “absolutely furious”—Thomas Grant, Jeremy Hutchinson’s Case Histories (London: John Murray, 2015), 189.
197. “fulfill its function of administering justice with mercy and understanding”—Judge Carl Aarvold, “A Note from the Recorder of London,” American Bar Association Journal 55 (November 1971):1105.
197. “Defendant Can Say He Was Framed”—Reading Eagle, November 17, 1965.
197. “MAN ACQUITTED OF STEALING GOYA”—London Times, November 17, 1965, 5.
197. “three months of prison we thought was harsh”—author’s interview with Hugh Courts.
197. “normally a kindly and understanding judge” and “intrigued by the verdict”—Eric Crowther, Last in the List: The Life and Times of an English Barrister (Plymouth, UK: Bassett Publications, 1988), 245.
200. “The jury rocked with laughter” [footnote]—Eric Crowther, Last in the List: The Life and Times of an English Barrister (Plymouth, UK: Bassett Publications, 1988), 242–243.
203. “The identity of the young man—Mr. Bloxham—who brought the painting to the railway baggage office”—Milton Esterow, The Art Stealers (New York: Macmillan, 1966), 19.
203. “the mysterious and bogus Mr. Bloxham”—Hugh McLeave, Rogues in the Gallery: The Modern Plague of Art Theft (Boston: David R. Godine, 1981), 51.
CHAPTER 20
Various quotes of Kempton Bunton are from his unpublished memoirs, except:
205. newspapers reported attorney Hutchinson’s—“No Appeal in Bunton Case,” London Times, December 2, 1965, 12.
206. “got my goat, and that is why I left so abruptly”—letter to Hugh Courts, March 15, 1966, on file with author.
206. “one of the most interesting and idealistic clients I have ever had”—Eric Crowther, Last in the List: The Life and Times of an English Barrister (Plymouth, UK: Bassett Publications, 1988), 245.
206. “in view of the Goya case”—“Eighth Report: Theft
and Related Offenses,” Criminal Law Revision Committee. All subsequent quotes of the committee in this chapter refer to this work.
207. “had the unfortunate result of informing the world that deeds like his could be performed in England with impunity” and “legislation is now urgently needed to redress this”—“The National Gallery, January 1965–December 1966,” National Gallery, 47.
210. “hundreds of people claimed to know where [the painting] was”—“Goya Theft Confession Will Go to DPP,” London Times, June 23, 1969, 2.
210. “I know the man involved. He is the man who did it”—“I Know Who Stole £140,000 Goya,” Daily Express, June 23, 1969, 7.
211. “splendid Mr. Kempton Bunton” and “railroaded to jail in a very shabby manner”—Bernard Levin, “Iconoclasts I Have Known,” London Times, May 23, 1972, 16.
212. “where the suggestion is made that the thief might have been Bunton’s son John”—Sandy Nairne, Art Theft and the Case of the Stolen Turners (London: Reaktion Books, 2011), 267.
CHAPTER 21
The various quotes from Christopher Bunton and John Bunton come from their interviews with the author.
CHAPTER 22
The various quotes from DPP interviews with John Bunton and other witnesses, as well as DPP memoranda and letters, come from the official DPP file on the case.
The various quotes from John Bunton and Chris Bunton are from their interviews with the author.
233. “panicked when he was arrested and fingerprinted in Leeds in July 1969 for a minor offense”—Alan Travis, “In The Frame: The Van Driver Who Confessed to Lifting a Goya—and Got Away with It,” Guardian, December 1, 2012, 14.
CHAPTERS 23 AND 24
243. “English gallery of demotic hero-villains”—Thomas Grant, Jeremy Hutchinson’s Case Histories (London: John Murray, 2015), 189.
The various quotes from Christopher Bunton come from interviews with the author.
DOCUMENTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS
Beginning August 3, the Duke stood alone in a special exhibition.
The thief made several visits to the National Gallery to assess the best means of entry.
Scotland Yard quickly determined that the thief exited through this lavatory.
Ten days after the theft, the first of several bizarre ransom notes arrived.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I‘d like to offer sincere thanks to the many folks who offered invaluable assistance.
For reading and commenting on drafts, special thanks to Noah Charney, Mark Simon, Christian Merkling, John Kleiner, Kathy Kenyon, Sheldon Hirsch, Joni Hirsch, Sarah Hirsch, and Marjorie Hirsch.
For invaluable research assistance, my sincerest gratitude to Rita Dicello and Kathy Kenyon.
Of the many people kind enough to share recollections about John Bunton, Kempton Bunton, and/or Kempton’s trial, the following were particularly helpful: Hugh Courts, Surrendra Popat, Valerie Bailey, John Bunton, and Christopher Bunton. In addition, Mr. Courts and Christopher Bunton shared with me indispensible documents. Christopher’s support and cooperation throughout warrant special mention.
Heartfelt thanks to Noah Charney for his enthusiastic encouragement and assistance at every stage of this project. Noah’s contribution includes leading me to agent extraordinaire, Eleanor Jackson. Special thanks to Eleanor, in turn, for leading me to editor extraordinaire Rolf Blythe, and his team at Counterpoint, whose superb suggestions and editing are most appreciated.