The times., 1898-01-30
TROUBLE ABOUT PAINTINGS.
Ex-senator HcDderson's Dispute
With n Pitfure Dealer.

With Picture Dealer.
Mr.. Max Blieman, who is at present
enc Of the managers of the HeIsld
Square Theater, in New York, brought
to WASHINGTON last week twenty or
more high-class paintings, among them
very large De Keuyile, q Geronle. ana
a beautiful and very decorative Ben
jamin Constant. Other paintings by
Ridgway Knight, Salonson. and Seig-
nae helped 10 make up a very valuable
collection.
Among the persons whom Blieman
visited WAS ex-senator John B. Hen
derson, who has lately added to his
fine residence on Sixteenth street eX-
tended a large art gallery, which he is
industriously engaged in supplying
with pictures.
Blieman, as Mr.. Henderson declares
in a sworn statement filed yesterday
afternoon before one of the District
judges, represented that these paint
ings at one time belonged to his father
and had been inherited by him. Need
ing some money to pay upon his thea
ter lease he offered to sell them at
very low figures, or failing in that. to
leave them with the Senator as secu
rity for loan of $1,000. After some ne
gotiation a loan was decided on. and in
exchange for the $1,000 five paintings
were sent to the Henderson house-the
De Neuville. a very large BATTLE scene:
a figure painting by Salonson, of Pa
ris; another, somewhat smaller, by
Seignac; an Eastern subject, by Ge-
rome, very striking in character, and
a charming but smaller picture by
RidGway Knight
After the pictures We're delivered
Blieman took his money and went back
TO "a 81 Hpndpr-
son alleges, to pay back the loan within
three months and take the pictures.
or, failing in this. they were to be-
come the Senator's absolute property
Blieman also agreed, SO Mr.. Hender-
son. alleges, TO give him in exchange
for the De Neuville a fine painting bv
Benjamin Constant, if, after eXamina-
ton. he or his family should desire to
make the change.
Whether Mr.. Henderson became con-
vinced that his paintings were not gen
ulne, or were inferior in quality, is not
fully determined, but, at all events. he
concluded that he wanted the transac-
tion rescinded, and 10 bring Blieman
into communicating relations, early
Saturday morning entered suit TO re-
cover the money loaned and asking for
an attachment against other paintings
alleged to belong to Blieman. and
which, it was asserted, he was trying
to remove to New York
At a late hour last evening il was
learned that the attachment had not
been served, and ii is believed the mat.
ter has been compromised or settled in
some satisfactory way, as Blieman
came hurriedly to Washington Satur-
day morning and returned to New York
in the afternoon.
Blieman is an old picture dealer, al
though now mainly employed as q the
atrical manager, he having brought out
last year the play known as The
Heart of Maryland in which he is
said to have made n large sum of
money. Good judges who have seen
the pictures forming the basis of the
contention declare that there is no
doubt of their genuineness, and that
three Of the five sold or transferred to
Mr.. Henderson are worth more than
the amount of money paid for them
For many years Blieman was a large
dealer, and brought to this country
and sold to prominent collectors some
/ very fine examples Of modern art. His
/ successes were not continuous. how
/ ever, and a few years ago he failed for
a large sum of money.