New-York tribune., 1903-04-08
CALLS MARIE VICTTM.
Friend Says He Has Subject Of
Book AGENTS Scheme.
BOUGHT MUCH IN ILLNESS.

That Peter Marie in the year preceding his
death and while an invalid was the special
object of the solcitude of importunate book
canvassers and agents became known of at
yesterdays sale of his property at the American
Art Galleries. when many recently published
subscription books for which individual prices
amounting to $1,000 and over had been paid
were knocked down. in the presence of repre-
sentative gathering of New-York publishers and
their original price.
A set OF Walt Whitman for which a person.
al friend of Mr.. Marie said confidently S1,50o
had been paid on March Is. it being understood
that Mr.. Marie had ordered the set, was allowed
10 so last night in precisely the good
diton received. to Mr. Gilbert. for $3.50. The
set, which is a unique one in ten volumes, bears
the publishers imprint of Putnam. New York
1902"
A set in ten volumes of the complete works
of Edgar Allen Poe, one Of an edition of twenty
eight, bearing the same imprint, for which the
same informant said at least $1,000 was paid
knocked down to George NJ Curtis at S210
zola's lie Reve'' illustrated by Carlos Schwabe
and L. Metivet one of thirty Japan paper copies,
and for which the binding alone cost $500, was
sold to Mr.. Gilbert for S160
The list of booksellers and dealers represented
at the sale, which brought S22.S17 making the
total of the sale of books and a few miscel-
laneous other lots S34. 800, included E. F. Bona
venture. George p Putnam e Sons, George H.
Richmond. Dodd Mead & Co, Meyer Bros. &
Co and Charles Scribner's Sons.
Regarding the relatively low prices obtained
for the two sets bought from his firm Irving
Putnam. head of the Putnam firm. said last
night:
At the moment / know nothing about the
SorS
they Were from my firm Mr.. Marie paid the
regular subscription price. whatever it was, and
the prices at an auction sale need mean nothing
ali. AS far l know, none of my agents
have acted improperly
J. o. Wright, friend of Mr.. Msrie's, and the
compiler of the catalogue of the books for the
auction sale. said last night:
For some eighteen months before his death
Mr.. Marie the victim of number of book
agents. The scheme Matched in the Wal
dorf by six men. One proceeding was as fol-
lows:
"One agent would come to Mr. Marie and offer
him an expensive subscription set of books,
which Mr.. Marie would not buy. day
or two after the agent had left another
set On Mr.. Maries happening to men
tion that So-and-so had called only a few
days ago. offering him a certain set at
certain price, the second agent would express
profound surprise. What" he would exclafm,
He offered you that set for $500. Why know
a man who would pay $1,000 for it this very
night Having furthered the collective end of
his friends he would take his leave. Later In
the week the first agent would re-appear and
renew his offer. and Mr.. Mario, thinking he had
a bargain. would reconsider his refusal and
purchase the set. -
While Mr. Marie lay dying, and even after MS
DEATH continued Mr.. Wright the basement OF
his house was literally flooded with subscrip-
ton books which agents represented had been
ordered After these books had been accepted
and pair for for little time those represent
ing Mr. Marie positively declined to accept any
more books unless a contract were shown Many
- o1d ~ aT
eral collection brought very fair prices, on the
whole and indorsed his discrimination"