Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-24
GRAFT IN WASHINGTON
How the Counterfeit League of
Press Artists" Operated.
WORKED SCHEME TWICE
Prominent Men Victims of Polite
Blackmailing Game,
BOUGHT ORIGINAL DRAWINGS
Manner in Which Foreign Representa-
Induced to Swell the Fund.

The recent reveal tons concerning that
strangely easy "Fads and Fauciss" game
as worked by cheerful if cynical lot OF
grafters in New York caused considerable
wonderment here IN Washington. The won
derment focused upon this point: How did
the big personages tackled by the "Fads
and Fancies" grafters happen to 'fall' SO
easily?
A good way to answer such question
is to cite other examples. And herein shall
be given an example or how cousummately
easy it was for a pack OF grafters to work
a scheme even more bogus than the 'Fads
and Faucies'' dodge upon sews and slath-
ers of the notables of no less and no more
distant a town than Washington.
Reference Is had to that counterfeit
League of press artists" which cleaned
up" in Washington three years ago and
followed that cleanup with another sue
cessful attempt just year later. or two
years ago. The forgetfulnes Of public men
and OF prominent persons generally was
Illustrated by the ease with which this
outfit turned the trick here in Washington
a second time after having got away with
big profits at the first essay. The scheme
had been attacked in several western cities
before it ever drifted to Washington, and
Its manipulators-the main one OF whom is
now a chevalier dindustrie in Pars-vir-
tually chased out of these towns Yet the
scheme here, not once. but twice.
The manipulators of this alleged league
of press artists now defunct, virtually
held UP as sand-bagging mendicantS most
of the men throughout the country with
established regulations for making pictures
for the newspapers. II was TO help these
makers of newspaper pictures that the
grafterS pretended to be working. The pic
ture makers were thus exhibited to the
view of the most notable men I'm the land
as individuals In hard luck. overworl<ed
and nnderpafd chaps. beggars and legiu-
mate objects of charity. This presentation
of the case of the newspaper artists served
to astonish. well 1t might have, a great
many Of the public men in Washington who
were ''maced' by the manipulatOrs of the
scheme
Supposed Artists Were Prosperous.
Il have met a great many of the young
men who draw pictures and cartoons for
the newspapers. all over the country"
puzzled United States senator remarked TO
one of the grinning grafters. after he had
reluctantly scrawled a good-sized check and
handed 1t over TO. the chap. "and l am
bound to say that they always struck me a
a mighty fourishing and independent lot.
NOT Few of them seemed, in truth, such
9VerWheiming, not to say perky, chaps, that
feit quite humble in the presence oe GER
tain OF them I'm sure I never underst TODD
before that they were all up against it."
as the saying Is. and as You have just told
me- NdS VI liie opinion ln3I all or the
newspaper artists whose names appear on
THIS list you have shown, me were exceed
ingly well paid for their work But of
course II the young men are ali broke"
ana the senator dismissed the subject with
shrug. The CRATER had the check and
the matter was closed.
The scheme itself was simple enough
Inc srafter flashed upon the victim an or
nate circular. captioDed in Various-hued
INKS. with the name of the league" and
with a long and quite impressiye-loolsing
LSt or the newspaper artists who were
claimed to be members of the league Tho
good thing was informed that at a we'll
known Washington hotel there was pres
entity TO be held an exhibition OF the original
drawings OF these newspaper picture maxi
ers All of the original drawings thus ey
hfbited were to be for sale The conrrfh,,
TOR 10 the fund to help the artist boys
out was given the privilege of picking nI,t
Tor himself the original drawings that made
MT with him. He was given first sec
ond, eighth. tenth or twentieth cboica og
the original drawings, in proportion to the
size OF his tear-of'-i. e. his contribution
me NUMBER OF drawings that he could Sc
iect was regulated by the amount he con-
tributed toward giving the press artist
boys a lift O. LIST
The impression was skiIfuny thrown out
~ ,y tne Operators or the dodge that all of the
prohts, outside OF the expenses OF the ex-
hlpitlon, were divided pro rata among the
newspaper artists whose names appeared or,
the ornate circular. The grafters dwelt with
SHNe'l iIS45ltlAGG upon The fact that
aFtlSts We're made aware of the names OF
the contributors to their charity fund.
Looked Like Polite BIackmafl.
The scientific clutch inherent in this ,ro,n,
was that the men appealed to for money
were mostly Of the class who annraciata
the suppostitious advantages of standing
weli' in the esteem of the men who make
newspaper pictures. In this respect. then,
II in no other, the plan bordered mighty
close to the line Of more or less polite black
mail. In essence, the manipulation said TO
the public man, dig up. and the men who
make newspaper pictures VIII stop making
q laughing stock Of you or holding YOU uD
to public disapproYal" Thus the news
paper artists were given, in the minds or
the victims of the scheme a Vindictive ard
FeYengeful character. Tpey were portrayed
as being in no wise subject 10 the instruc-
tons OF their employers or cupbed in the
manifestation Of personal spleen by the
polcy or the newspapers for which they
"orked-made TO appear. in brief as some
what threatening sand-baggers, acting
through gabby agents Chin in or wen
make Il show of you," was virtually the
shibboleth of the counterfeit organization
OF newspaper artists. according 70 the way
the matter was presented by the manipu-
lators or the scheme, that even the
shrewd men of wealth and position who
questioned the character of the game were
frequently led 10 the dishing out of cur
ItuCS OF the scFIpDllnS OF checks simply
because they did not care to take even a
chance of being stabbed all al once by the
whole body of newspaper artists whose
names were-utterly without right. warrant
or permission printed on the phony
leagues" circulars.
The astonishing impudence of the game
was only equaled by the astonishing ease
with which 1t was worked. Newspaper ar
fists of note who had been tipped OF while
the league" was operating in western cit
les, that their names were printed on the !
bogus circular, got after the league and |
managed to have the graters driven out Of
the western cities. But, ina ginning that the
graft was all over when the league" was
chased from the west. the newspaper artists |
neglected to expose the dodge when it quiet |
ly slipped into Washington. Hence the big |
cleanup here.
The Original drawings" that were put on |
exhibition We're the merest junk-the off |
scourings OF cheap studios, the product OF !
the pens and brushes mostly OF hack |
makers of advertising pictures. They were |
sent to Washington in bales, and the pic |
lures. so far as any actual art value was |
concerned, were not worth 10 cents a bale. |
Got What They Could.
The amounts which the manipuIators of |
this game gouged from their victims varied |