The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-08
i'm. srIn1poy MAKES 4 SRA rnxIxs
ne Can Prove That she Pictures wers A
Here Before the Alleged smuesitng.


Commissioner Shields on Saturday die.
missed the charge of smuggling pictures into
this port from Europe. on which l.. de b
spiridon was arrested in January. The CT srge
was dismissed on tho ground OF insufficient
evidence. Yesterday Mr.. spiridon made Q
statement. every assertion OF which he says
Is susceptible OF proof by documents now in
his possession. His statement says:
I'm January last was notified at my place
Of business in this city that certain pictures
which 1 had sold to gentleman OF this State.
and which were his property. had been seized
at public sales gallery. on the ground that In
importing them had been guilty Of the act Of
defrauding the revenue by bringing them into
this port in evasion OF tho duty on works Of
art. While was voluntarily endeavoring to
protect the owner OF the pictures in the posses.
eion Of his property by investigating this mat
ter 1 learned that general charge had been
made against me: that in my capacity as dealer
In works OF art and expert in the same had
in the year 1897 introduced into this coun.
try. by an evasion OF the customs laws. some
thirty paintings by foreign artists. As had
done no such thing. naturally and PROMPTLY
invited a searching Investigation. and placed
all the information in my possession, or within
my possibility OF inquiry. IN the possession Of
that tho Govcrnmcnt's case was based entirely
Nron the evidence of an inlormer. one Noel
kentish. once in my, employ. from whom tho
lions. unsupported by any other evidence. they
TO explain my position in this case clearly.
Shortly after my arrival in this. country in
He was tho Trcsident ot the he's s h Eeerc
n osss
pIe!ares !, from I'm. ana W mataaiiy had
ssS p s1!s iSsss's 81
bstassa
BALANCE sheet Mr.. Falk. WHO Is now the Super
8ert f .a the S s%oss the
fore ommissioner Shields in my case.
number q pictures sta from Mr.
Among TIE xorts h aId pa a from
resst aa ss estuns
called The Italian Orange Seller, TIVE BY
@ Of Tf hr.o "a rse eRted The
four marines BY Ling These pictures were
n were part Of a' cons !derable number
which purchased from Mr. Sheridan and paid
him for. at that date. These pictures were
I afsr 70" n ss.9 in Fepraary s snd the
Iosik at the same house In March. 1887.
accused OF, smuggling into this port in August,
1887; nearly six months after the last.named
Ind bccn offered for sale by me. and three
years after they had been purchased by mo In
~ About 1894 met man IN this city named
Hsnns to Se 81 an
man; and prrofess,ed to be popr. gave him a
tablets for my pictures. and. as he professed to
he nble to sell pictures himself. In 1887. when
went to Europe. intrusted him with the
standing that was to provide all expenses
and pay him one-half the profits. He contin-
pd to tablets dr for and
arranged TO secure for him an invoice Of Flor
entine frames. statuary. and similar objects.
ket here. Previous to this AS his bills In my
possession show. he had made tablets for the
ny @ "nG ID knaa si
r iurther establish his deliberate perjury
turer OF picture frame mouldines Of this city.
lures we're Trained and the frames gilt In 1855.
q testify ths he II
nse s 'f Fortany
Of the thirty which ! smuggled In by the French
on AuE 10 Of the same
and these e, sshd n; to New
that time rendered ne indifferent to Business.
after 10 Nv aqd GFOthess IN
PICTURES Hi1s with me- Tie iniorm sn kentisS.
SSss g sS sss s. IT $%sSs
sesa STREET h's city d'1af sent .Is
f tHe e M honea
4 the l1s arts rs These pictures Included
Sse ''e on a a"n IT, w'fn
and the Shipping agent. tn ESQ pictures which
! was charged with having surreptitiously
BROUGHT ashore from the eteamer on my re;
credible business men in this city while was
Whom returned to New York from Minne-
apolis. ut tho close Of the exposition the mat
ter OF a business settlement between the in
s nh1 bysh a o
tho most oxhorbitant. unnecessary. and out
rHgeous expense eharges together wit9
contract had involved no extraordinary ~X-
pensss without authority from me. and no al
III ana hH fsf pfo IN make
axe Do i g ss.s asse
relations Immediately. He entered suit
against me for tho amount OF the en-.
tire accounting. which ended In Judgment
in my favor. which IL yet unpaid: This abso-
lutely ended my bus Inc IS connection with him.
and he. being deprived of n source Of profit
from me. has ever since exhibited the most
malignant luminosity toward me. .Thore il no
question in my mind TINT these entire proceed
inHs originated out OF his personal feeling,
with possible ron sideration Of the prospe9
tive profit which accrues to the informer. eyel
II his victim Is an innocent man ana nulcted
by perjury. ,,.,
onclusiva!y demonstrated By his own EVIL
dence belorc. C"mmissi"npr shields. He not
only admitted under examination that he de-
sired to inJure and. i possible. ruin me. but he
further allowed that he had visited the house
Of lady. from whom had at one time rented
apartments. and offered her large pecuniary
II she would render certain false
in favor OF his criminal persecution
Of myself. During the period of my residence
in Tie house Of this lady great many pictures
Custom House trucks and temporariy
classify them, and order the frames
for them. This Indy. in her testimony before
The Commissioners. absolutely denied the
statements made, by the iniormer .Kentish
hat She had ever held improper relations. as
he bnsely alleged. with me. or any relations
fts.xH l.<s,1 % Hon. u l..It