New-York tribune., 1876-07-14
DECEIVING PIANO BUYERS.


PECULIAR TRANsACTIoHs or A PECULIAR FIRM
DISCLOSURES CONCERNING TIE PARTNERS, CAP
ITAL, BOOKS, AND SALES.
In the suit brought by Decker Brothers to
stop firm calling itself Decker & Brothers from using
such an imitation of their name as would misead incau
tios people into believing they buying the PLAIN
iiffs' pianos the planfs counsel, John ID. Townsend
mas examined chief if not the only member OF the
firm of Decker 4 Brothers Marcus A. Decker. rs witness
against himself. and he has made some curious state
meuts He SAWS the rIu consisted Of his uncle and him
self but his uncle lived at Bughamton aud never came
TO his store. HIS uncle never had an agreement Win
him. but he had agreement with wtncsss father
wicn the death of the father transferred TO the SON. lie
had not seen his unclo for about years. and had
never him about this partnership but had sent him
one OF his circulars The uncle received no share of the
p-of except that which he received when the firm was
started The uncle had capital in the business. Tile
nephew has none now; he pat In about Nl"o' not IN
money but in signs and books and some things thai
don't amount TO uuch-neceSsaGy things that cant DO
done without" @. stencils A. Yes, Sr, Tor marking
pianos.
The books lie turned in the books Of his father
and uncle and the new books which he did not buv but
got them, as APP cared at later stage OF the eXamna
ton from United States Secret Service agent who had
gone aftarward ino the business of supervising bell
punches.
O. Did you have all the profit A. No. Sir; had
capitalist.
@ VINO was tho capitalist \. sc2mnnd l.. otto; |
got certain amount 80 Tor every piano sold, and
mich week.
O. / thought you we're one Of the 6rmi \. consti-
turcd the firm of Decker & Brothers and he was my
b0olkrepcr-the moncycd man
In further testimony Marcus T. Decker sali that ot;o
had no factory; they simply bought their pianos whor-
ever they could get them cheapest ami put on them the
name "Dccker AZ Iruthrrs." He hadut tue GOcgmCnt
under vhich hc and hrs father and uncle did business At
No. 80 Bcccber-st Ic had IN that Arm. ne thought.
~ 200 II 300 bat in the agreement it only appeared
as SlOO or $50 he could not remember which, Iih
old rn which was broken up by bis fathers death did
business in the he had done 1t aiterwaid
His father piano tuner for 30 years before lS63
wien he began this business using the names Of Decker
ana T. B Decker the pianos he sold His father had
Al one time a piano factory in MaiJuSt hc could not
say exactly where, hut about two pianos were made III
that factory. The others were bOG-hi u, ne hau eN
planned !. Christie made some expressly Tor m' al
least lie paid Mr. Christie for them. and he hous thry
yy"rc ordered IN advance Since had been at No. o
Bacclcr-st he had bought irom Chrstie but without
& what the specia reason that you give for putting
the name If Decker Brothcrs ou Christie piano A.
il w6aid he ~ good win Mr. Chr!.ties name on.
Air Drckcr admitted that IN his circnHfs ard ed er
though lac dI not really manufacture thein anu thdt
ucnc were genuine without The name cast on me IRON Plate
the circulars. He knew Robert Ctshin an aucli'"er
aud had pnt The stamp OF iDechrr b,n,nen @ o., ] ,'
iiae and were bought by Mr.. ClsEn. Returning TO the
ra.Ifon r,Inta mentioned ia the advertisements. nr
peckcr At mat insl.;oG tlat The plates cast with
the names. but finally admitted TIA, ihc irlciS I'Ir G''
separately ard fastened the plate lie said he had
AGENTS m Cnc!un tti Columbus LcGNcnworth, iaWrcJcc
ana p tsnlIgh hut he aervaId admitted t.t perhaps
vas IN an netwecn $1,000 aud SlOO1o. lie ASSERTED
That had removed names from pianos ana Pul Dc"R
& Brothers on nv PERMISSION oi t'ose liVn "iJ, I -,
bought tlcu The only prr-ous who save hin tch per
mission that he cogiG remember we're 1f ni,7,, "1 ~,
! Nj. Ynurgs. lie had once niue t!K WIN ~. p'io 40
his capitalist" about starting small factory II thc
business proved good In lcieiHhE 10 MS ahSi,iT, % ~
mens 10 more reccnt hpdses he mean. 10 I'Ier ~ ~
Decker & Barnes who had y c"cn ia busrcs9 three or
four wears lie admitted jbat his answer was iuifbe IN
SAYING that the 1ra tinuCd ~ manufacture pianos al
No % bleccacrsL ti May, 1870, here blns 40 manu-
,tor thee and the business having peeh removed Ill
At" iaicr meeting Mr.. Townsend continued the exam
lhrm at length. explaining them. The greater part re
erred to ht. fathers transactions He DIDN'T know j. G.
name ~ it, lie GDecker had himself been connected
wish the IN It's secret vice, but mol win
! NculesHip. ,
Tie =: ices named the hooks we're selling prices not
cost irces, ranging from $50 to Tl62. Sli" pAno
| would cost them r17O. such piano he <lIlo,eA "ds
what he would III his cifc.iar asa +If3 piano; a
Si7O piano was put down at 5000 Ihosc were idhcy
a. For what purposei A. If you "cre TO cone 20 me
lybody else to buy plano Ior some iend OF course
| YOU " ant to make Il little bumeth.ig -.
,&rrr ha sccn 100 and S775f A. No they ask S775,
ana may be The party you would not want to
pay over ESQ 10 piano won, would =, De satisfied Win
| 800 and YOU would be satisfied Win TIE Da'dhtc:
q. Surprising you didn't know the pcison. the price
YOU would ask would b. S77Ji A. That was done a. a
protection against teachers Of miiric We should ask
| that nf q stranger II a teacher came with him.
o. You would charge HIM more ii teacher came with
! him. A. Yes, VIC have TO-
q. Whyt 4. To project them If you didn't do II you
| vou!ont sell Your piano. They would 80 where tAey
! G. How inuch would a teacher makei A. have known
them 10 mako 500 have known tnet to make thai
at other firms | can't give you tbc daic "f such an
| occurrence the name of the teacher who got It,
O. How then do you know i'll A. know II has been
| done. ,
| o. Howl \. know OF persons who dealt with my
| father.
o. But you spoke OF other firms paying such price to
teachers YOU don't know the persons nor Nlcni A.
I ONLY know what has been told lac. | won't five you
the name Oi the who Told me.
/ The further examination adjourned 70 July 10.