New-York tribune., 1891-04-29
SELLING FORGED PICTURES.
ARTISTS, NAMES USED IN THE SCHEME
NOW PEOPLE OF MEANS ARE INDUCED TO BUY
l-,,r an, DIIEE.

HOW PEOPLE OF MEANS ARE INDUCED ~ Do-
wATER-CoLoRs FROM swINDLEH'
Word was sent 10 The Tribune, few days ago. 'na'
. man named Levy was swindlng people hVihs ia
some OF the suburban towns and cities near .e"
York by selling cheap watercolor pictures III pio -
of five at price far in advance Of their actual worm
Ne represents that the pictures the works OF well
tnorn New.York artists who have contributed tHeih
FOR the benefit of the building fund for the new Aner
can Salon. ,
Tho pictures are evidently the work OF one person.
,oror enouCh TO make them quickly and cpeapy'
Tey are of poor quality, and such as an industrious
omataur can turn out In few hours They are al
signed with the names OF prominent arSVS anu so'u
os their works This man has lately been operating
- S, cling where his conflicting statements with
rcard 70 tbe authenticity and merits OF the pictures
have aroused some SUSPICION
Will AZ work in sing Sing, he succeeded In inter
etino some friends of W. H. shelton, an arust III ts
city Levy left the pictures ana readiy aereed 10
Wait a few days for the money, which Vas $3.50 The
,iona % AFR shelton it seems, not fully salts
.od with their purchase and sent dispatch to the
artist asking him to call and the pictures and give
his opinion OF them. This he did. AS soon as no
looked at the water-coor he knew they were not the
works of the artists whose names were signed Oh te
He was familiar with the style and Character Oh these
artists paintings, and could not De oeceVeu' hc III
formed his friends OF the attempt to eXtort money from
them and agreed to take the pictures to New-fork
and to see that iIey delivered back to Levy.
He called on Levy at his home, No. 142 West Forty
secOnd-st and met at the door by man VINO salu
that Levy was out and had loft no word when he was
coming back The man further said that he had been
instructed by Levy not 10 receive anything from sing
Sing This was a dead gve-away," for Mr. shelton
had not explained the nature u MS eiiHnu' A0 '
asked 10 see Levy.
Tho mans statement confirmed the artists sus-
u,cons He returned 20 his studio, in Fifty -ffth-st
where he had brought the pictures, and summonng an
expressman told him to take them to NO. l42 Ness
Fortv-second-st and leave them, insructng the eN-
prossmen 70 say 10 any one at the house who might
ask him where they came from that they were seht
from nfy-ffth-st. The scheme worked and the pct
ures were delivered back Levy. This Will prevent
Levy from suing the people In Sing sing whlch ne
threatened to do when they wrote TO him TO take pacK
the pictures
A letter was sent to The Tribune giving brief ac-
connt of this mans dealings. tribune rePo''cl
called yesterday on W. Ii. shelton at his studio III
Ffty-ffth-st who said: 81 do not Know what III
formation you have already of the Levy business or
what would be further information. l only know Of
his operons in the neghborhOod Of Sing sing There
this Levy stated that his watcrcooFs were contributed
by prominent New-York artists to be sold ior the
benefit of the building fund Of the new salon also tha
they had been exhibited at the last %atercoor eX-
hibltOn.
tenn seems TO be first to interest his customers enough
to leave his .goms, getting for them few dollars to
bind the bargain enough TO cover their actual WORTH
or a few lines of agreement In writing Then nc an
nounces his departure for California or the "Hot
Springs and when the time for collection comes his
nexorabe confederate is hand TO sue If necessary.
His customers are always rich people who prefer paying
the amount asked for to the publicity of what they are
ashamed Of
ain the two cases within ing knowledge he sold
these watercoors in blocks Of five at $50 apiece max
Ing $3.50 In all. , =, u, IN
Levy alleges that he has watercolors by W. T.
RichardS of Philadelphia. one marine saw was
signed Richaris.' ! should Judge that majority OF
The work he shows is by the same hand and signed by
various fictitious names | purpOSey refrain from
giving the names Of families with whom he mas dealt
as know that these people would not Wlsh 10 gam
any notoriety In the matter. That condition is Nr
Laws protection wherever he operates. Levy was so
lavish in his conflicting statements that my friends III
sing Sing suspected that they being vietmlzed
and sent for me. They have already examined inc
last catalogue of the WaterCOlor Society ana found
none of the names which signed to these pictures
They wrote TO him 10 and get his pictures, and nc
renlIed that he would them for the $3.50 on the
following Tuesday. hear that he Is known among
the studios here customer who VIII buy any Ine
he can get at a very low fgure''