The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1870-02-16
THE STORY OF RAYNOR & co.
WHERE THE INTERNAL RETENUE
OFFICERS PICKED UP $500.

OFFICERS PICKED UP $500.
The Abuse OF Power Of the Revenue ON
/ cinls-An Honest Cigar Manufacturer
Il Bound Hand and Foot-Afrnid TO Resort
| TO the Courts-Iiow Rnyncr d Go. werc
/ Obliged to Pay IIlnckmail.
| The firm OF Thomas j. Rayner 4 Co., Liberty
street, is well known for its sterling honesty 1t is
| n cigar manufacturing hrm, and consequently sub
ject to the severe code intended for derauders, but
witch defrnudcrs give themselves very little concern
| about, knowing so wcll as they do which way the
| wind blows. A Mr. Harvey IL an Inspector OF In
ternal Revenue In tho Thirty. second District. and
drives fast horse. This about his horse has moth.
ing to do with story just now, but that he il m
Inspector las. Last December he visited the manu-.
factory of Mr. Rayner, with whom he was very we'll
acquainted, and asked 10 the books Of the firm.
"of course. don't think you ever could, or did
defraui the Government" he said; "but It is just
for forms sake, you know"
| They went through the books, beginning with the
1st Of January, 1869, md Harvey went away, salts.
fed that all was right. On the ID OF last month lac
examined the books again. few days later he re-
turned and intimated that
SOMETHING WAS WRONG.
"In the FIRST place. you have manufactured 10000
cigars more than you have accounted for, IN tho
second, you have imported 10000 moro than you
have pfid duty on; and in the third, you have
smoked up yourselves 10 your ONCE here, and
given 10 your WORK men q quantity on which You
nave paid no tar, besides some that have been in
jured BY mice and breskage."
Mr. Rayner showed In answer 10 hese charges,
first, that II s custnmary TO call only those cigars
manufactured which have been packed, aud that
when in the inventory Of the firm last January there
was an item " 5000 cigars loose, and dur
ing the Subsequent months $1,000 cigars were
accounted for rs manufactured, they were
one aud the same. the only difference be-
Ing that they had then been hacked. second n
to the 1000 imUortod cigars II was shown that by
an error Of the clerk they had been entered as puT
chased when bonded In November, and us purchased
second time when Withdrawn In December. And
third, as to the cigars which had been smoked in
Riyner replied that they were refuse ci1ars which
lad been returned by the packers rs unit to sell, Of
mandatory, and which are an absolute and com
plete loss to the manufacturer instead Of material
tax By S n Sss5 s
taxed, he thought equally absurd suIl n such tax
was insisIeo on. hs was willing to payi It,
PALtID uuRarISGs TO AND FRo.
Mr. Harvey listened to tins, and having fully com
pretended IT, returned the internal Revenue Build
ing. Every day thereafter there were huTyings 20
mannactory and back. By tho close Of tine month
Mr.. Rayucr had worn out six pairs OF French calf
skin boots. ON the 25th or 2gth, he visited Harvey
| told Mr. Rayncr II was not necessary Tor him to
come any more. Ryner thought the affair had been
quickly e. possible to inform bis partner that he
storm mad blown over. But tie
CLOUDS WIRE STILL PREGNANT Win TuuSpTR,
as the firm learned. On the lat Of the present
north the mandatory Of Rayner 90. was seis d
BY the rcvcuuc officers. II was thunder clap, and
Rayner, In the utmost alarm, hnstened 70 he law
| The laws such that II he ventured iuto the
courts he would not be able to recover his goods in
less than thirty days. In the meantime. all his bust
ness would necessarily be suspended, lie would m.
iurally be unable to pay his notes his cigars would
be broken by removal. and many stolen BY the In
teruL Revenue employees. He at repaired to
Collector Bailcy's once, but the nmable Collector
was busy. He could not attend to mis- case
| my dear sir" he said, you arc only wasting
your owp tune and mine. Can't attend 10 you. Come
| tomorrow"
| 30 no came again the next day. Collector Bailey
was at leisure then, and lent an ear TO Mr. Raynor.
81 NAVE DscIpsp TO HOLD The GOODS"
, rern,rk.i iae Collector.
| 'sTn8-vn-. &c specific charge preferred against
ana. yoa y Z. lssra IN the risrnct Courts" re-
Mr. 1aSaer esucs upon Harvey 10 repeat what he
had said few weeks prey,uus, 70 TIE erect sh,t lie
DID not eeieve hun eagse., o. deifsuang 'ls Coy
nevertheless persisted IN NE ,iaftcs
Mr.. Kirby. assistant nssooso. 20 Cleveiard. vs.
eftlss asMn. es as Prss . osss &c. NC -ess :
neither Bailey nor Kirby had the courage or lie win
TO Interfere bailey concluded the interview wit
the remark to Mr. Rayuor;
al you can settle the airiir with these gentlemen
| will be satisfied have nothine further 10 say"
The party withdrew. outside the oflca Rayncr
| asked Harvey what lac had better do.
"YoU CAS- MAKE An OFFER
IAN oa,r OF what ;" asked Rayner.
| "Why, to set It."
And What snall ] make an offer ori" askcd
RWIer turning to Kirby. "what do l owe that l
| should make an ofcr to settler II am guilty. will
sft1 S%S I0 VII .9 am sl why
$500 or RiOOOt" But it was the part of WISDOM TO
say little here, and so Rayner perceived. They bad
| hun by the throat, and he was under. Would ne
make An offer, or would he have his goods removed,
brox n, stolen, and his business suspended Tor a
worth from $1,000 to $500 The only way to let
the matter go into the Courts and save his business
| but the amount demanded was only twice the value
Of his goods--ssO.Ooo or 5000 Other dealers IN
low they had Jared. The pubhc shall know It, TOO,
| before long through our columns.
WILL $500 DoS
| Mr. Ra,ner retired with hs partner for de.ibera-
| ton. In twenty minutes or so be returned and
| made an offer KIRBY OF 500. Harvey had disap-
pcarod, but Kirby SAID he would be back IN short
ime, aud would be in the oiee OF the hrm in half
| hour. Rayner had barely reached his office before
| Harvey was there too. Harvey was bhthe as Ian k
on. Prng morning. Ills lace Vas wreathed IN
on the back, You're all right now. THAT'S the
way to doit" Aud he hopp'd about the room in
"rlf tell you Whist you'd better do" he said.
"Writc letter To Cleveland, tell ng him there's 4
a!.ercP1ncy IN your accounts; aud you've offered
Rayner hesitatCd, and finally requested Harvey to
write the letter himself and he would sigu IT. Har.
|
| j. r. Ciersldnd, Esq, issessOr.
| siR; Gu examining the ngurcs made by Mr.. Harvey
OF onI accounts We have to admit tlat We have gwen
| away numntr OF cigars 20 our wurtmcn and nave
| consumed - large number OF Imperfect cigars IN
once on which we did not think that We we're caee
| upon to pay But nasmuch a. you decide otuer.
| wise, willing TO pay the tax the dchcCnV
claimed by Mr.. Harvey, and q penalty OF nNe huu
| drCd dollars for not keeping our Leaf account
| CURED by law and regulation.
$500 NOR ENOUGH.
| Harvey had not forgotten himself, you see.
"HoM's this p asked Rayner, looking over th'
We have the tax on the reiuse cirars IN addition"
| "Oh that's nothing" said Harvey; "thnts or y
ssi5.S more, aurss you'd better pay that, too "
They then len tie ONCE together aud took drink
Harvey, YOU see, Was In good spirits. Ihc'
met some other revenue officials and tool
another drink, and then more. Ray
ner has rich vein OF humOr. lie ca
enjoy good Joke and good glass OF not Scoci
Nhiskey, but $Iij % out Of pocket, he enjoy q
n tlor that afternoon. Later IN the day he bruugh
, a check FOR the amount demanded TO Mr.. klrby. H.
WAS called by amable gentleman name,
PuiIer for $3.50 further. That's Tor fees - he said
Rayner was resigned 10 his lale by this time. III
huNa M fpT had At htan "A