Easter Present

For months the citizens of Bardstown (pop. 4,135), Ky. have been praying for the return of their stolen art treasures: nine valuable paintings, cut from their frames in St. Joseph's Roman Catholic cathedral one night last fall (TIME, Nov. 24). Last week, on Good Friday, the FBI announced that they had recovered the paintings. Agents had picked up two men in a Chicago parking lot. In the back of their car the agents found four paintings, neatly rolled up and apparently undamaged; the other five were picked up from a New York buyer. Among the recovered paintings: The Flaying of St. Bartholomew, attributed to Rubens; The Crowning of the Blessed Virgin, attributed to Murillo; The Descent of the Holy Ghost, attributed to one of the brothers Van Eyck. By week's end nine more men had been arrested in Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania for being part of the conspiracy. As usual, the FBI would give out no details of the case before finishing its investigation. But Bardstown was too excited by the good news to care. Said Monsignor James H. Willet, St. Joseph's pastor: Thank God--it is a most wonderful Easter gift."

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