Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-05-25
THE PORTRAIT FRAUDS.
FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT TIE BUF-
PALO CONCERN.
A Branch House Under Another Name Also Shown
Up by an Official Letter from Syracuse.
Complaints Sill Coming In.

Some time ago the REGISTER called
attention to the evidently frauduient
character of the Buffalo Portrait Com
pany, based on a letter received at
police headquarters from Supt. OF
Police Daniel Morgenstern, OF Buffalo.
Copies of the REGISTERS article have
been mailed to the Chief Of Police Of
Syracuse, New York, where the head
of the Portrait Company has been in
dicted, and yesterday the following let
ter was received at police headquarters
here:
OFFICE OF CHIEF OF POLICE,
SYRACUSE, N. Y, May %.
"Robert F. McNtchoL, Chief Police;
DEAR SIR:-The enclosed newspaper
clipping has caused several of your
citizens to write me regarding their
swindle by the Buffalo Protrait COM
pany.'
"A man by the name of Robert j.
Stephenson, was land now is, as l am In
formed) running a joint, at No. 5l4,
Main street, Buffalo n. Y. This same
Stephenson opened a branch here, asper
enclosed card, and the appeals came so
thick for redress, that he was arrested
and indicted in this county, and is IN
der bail for trial. At the time OF the
arrest we received from his successor,
about 5000 photographs, which have
been returned to their owners, at an ex-
Dense of about 500.
"Stephenson is also indicted by the q.
S. Court for using the mail and prob
ably will be tried at Buffalo at the
next term of the U. S. Court. He is
out on bail and as we understand Is
still doing business at the old stand,
514 Main street, Buffalo. No pictures
were found here in the Atlantic and
Pacific Portrait Co.. from Wheeling.
They are ii Buffalo or destroyed. We
sent to. Supt. Morgenstern 554 photos
that belonged in Buffalo. Please have
this letter noticed in your local press,
as we have suffered enough by the
| company here, which had such a loud
sounding title as the Great Atlantic
and Pacigc Portrait Company and
nothing to do with the Buffalo Por-
ttait Company as 1t is not In my
Jurisdiction. Respectfully,
"CHAs. r. WRIGHT,
''Chief of Police,
The card enclosed by Chief Wright is
a form of contract with the Atlantic
and Pacific Portrait Company" which
purports, on payment OF so cents to the
agent, to deliver q superior high art
hand crayon" absolutely free, saying
Purchasers OF tickets are not obliged
to purchase frame for portraits from us.
The only condition on which we will
make a portrait is, that the person pur-
chasing same shall pay express charges,
cost OF box, packing, carriage and wrap
ping said goods ready for shipping"
The contract neglects, 1t will be
seen, to put any limit on
these "charges." The contract then
proceeds to state that 'these portraits
are the same as we charge $12 for with
out ticket" and then goes on: 1--WE
expect recipient to have portrait suita-
bly, framed, and on receipt OF picture
at above address, we will mail to each
| customer a 16 page catalogue OF latest
and finest patterns OF frames. Parties
purchasing frames from catalogue pay
| only for frame. No other charge will
be made il portrait is ordered with
frame. Verbal agreements, erasures or
alterations made by agents do not alter
the printed terms OF our contract to
you"
In other words, the Portrait Com
pany caught the person wanting a pict-
| ure whether he took q frame or not, and
any wheedling, explanations or prom
Uses made by the agent didn't go.
Complaints are still pouring into pc.
lice headquarters from people who paid
money to agents and got nothing in re-
turn. The total amount thus taken
from Wheeling people Is large.