Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-28
SHARPERS FALL OUT,
And Uncle Sans Custom House Will
Receive Its Due.
SECRETS OF PICTURE SMUGGLING
Laid Bare by One of the Gang Who Has a
Grievance.
A VERY CLEVER GAME EXPOSED

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.1
NEW YORK, Jan. 27.-If Noel Kentish
and Ludovic Spiridon had not quarreled it
is not likely that the latter would have
been arrested on the charge of having
smuggled valuable paintings into this coun-
try. Spiridon is an art dealer doing busi-
ness here. Kentish sells pictures on COM
mission for dealers. Some time ago Special
Agent Charles H. Traitteur and Customs
valuable paintings upon which no duties
had been paid and took Ludovis Spiridon
and Colonel August Gross into custody as
the owners. The officers arrested these
men upon an affidavit MADE by Kentish.
Kentish was examined before Commits
sioner Shields to-day. Colonel Gross was
present. Kentish practically cleared up
the mystery surrounding the case. He
said that he had known Spiridon about five
years. On the morning of August Is, 1887,
he said, he went to the dock of the French
line to meet Spiridon, who had just ar
rived on La Bretagne. G. Ellero and E.
March,, two other friends of Spiridon, were
also there. Spiridon came ashore, the wit
inches through.
Very Clever Bit OF Roguery.
When Spiridon came down the gang
plank, the witness said, the .customs in
spector had his back turned Spiridon
handed Elero the hold-ali, and he, by Spiri-
don's orders, indifferently threw it against
trunk which had been examined. He
threw it in such a way that the fresh chalk
nf bo he
side of the trunk was reproduced on the
hold-all. The hold-all was then thrown
among the examined baggage
Spiridon, Ellero and Kentish entered
carriage and were driven to Pellegrini's
Hotel. An actress rode in the carriage
also. The hold-all was carried up in the
carriage. When the hotel was reached the
hold-all was taken to Spiridon's room,
where the witness saw Spiridon open it. 1t
contained something like 80 paintings, the
witness said. They were not mounted.
kentish was pretty sure that he had after
ward seen these same paintings in frames
at Noble & Severns, at Williams art
rooms Washington, in Philadelphia, and
later at 80 West Twenty-third street. At
the latter place the witness said he made
descriptive catalogue OF the paintings
forwarded to Minneapolis Three of the
seized pictures had been brought to the
Commissioners office from the Custom
House, and Kentish identified these as the
same which he had seen taken from the
hold-all
They Don't Speak as They Pass BY.
Kentish, continuing his story, said that
he had talked to Spiridon about smuggling
these pictures into this country. As nearly
as he could remember now SpIridon had re-
piled that he had brought paintings in this
way ever since he came to the United States
to do business.
Lawyer Charles A. Hess, who appeared
for Spiridon. cross-examined Kentish at
length. He developed the fact that Ken
tish and Spiridon. once great friends. had
falling out, and as soon as that occurred
Kentisfr had informed Special Agent Trait
teur how Spiridon imported pictures.
Kentish told Lawyer Hess that he had been
assisting the Government in obtaining eyi-
dence. and that he felt very bitter against
Spiridon. The examination will be con-
finued nm Friday