New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-07-22
THE COURTS.
THIEvING BY CUSTOM-HOUSE EMPLOYEES.
LIQUORS STOLEN FROM CASKS on THE DOCKS III
sIPHoNs-AILEGED RECEIPT BY dAUGER OF

THIEvING BY CUsTOM-HOUsE EMPLOYEES.
LIQUORS STOLEN FROM CASKS on THE DOCKS Bf
srPHoNs-AILEGED RECEIPT BY dAUGER OF
LIQUORS PURLOINED IN THIS wAY-PRoflTs
FROM SELLING GAUGES TO MERCHANTS.
A rather singular case, which promises to
bring to light some interesting developments as to
methods OF Custom-bouse officials Is now before L. D.
Commissioner Shields. Thomas Jones and Berhhafu
Wintermeyer, two bungstarters working under Coisa-
tine schnerr Cusomhouse gauger, were arrested last
Fall by Inspector McCort for having In their possession
some brandy which 1t believed the duty had been
unpaid The liquor was seized and the men made con-
eson swearing the brandy had been stolen by them
from casks OF liquor placed the docks to be gaged ana
that they had done this with the connvance OF the gauger
Their thevng done with tho volanges or sphohs
in use for pumping liquor from caska These they coz
ceaed under their coats and tapped barrels of cognac
etc. lying on the dock before they had been gagged and
before The duty had been paid The stolen liquor was
carried of in these siphon tubes inc men
claimed that they brought this liquor TO the
house OF the gauger Scbnerr. and that the lat
ter kept casks which he filed with the liquor thus
obtained. When cask was full lie sold 1t to some
dealer thus evading the duty and swinding the mer
chants from whom the liquor stolen. The men made
aflidays as TO these points, and Scbnerr was
suspended from duty. He then cndeaVorcd 10
get rcnstated and made application for formal nvest
CATION in the matter denying the whole of the stories
told by the bngStartefS, ana Claiming thd "
tees went on they without his knowledge or corniy
enoe The present investigation before Commissioner
Shields is lie result Of Schnerr request The two men
in their examinations reiterated tleir original statements
in most material points.
Some other points have been brought out by the tst
mOny Of witnesses in the one OF these IL That The
names of some men the payTolls OF the Govern
ment who do work and that the Customs officials re-
ceve money from Importers for furnishing Deln with
copies of gauges s Of hose 1t is stated mat over
- 200 was made in less than two years by ono Customs
official Assistant United States DctiictAttolney Inry
claims that this practice is wholly Illegal ami is an ex-
tortion which the merchants submit to, presumably for
the favors which they thereby obtain IN abstract Of
tie testimony thus far taken III the matter ~ follows:
Thomas Jones testified That he resided OF Madisonst.
and Re'daye. brookNn re 'aJiler "a aWy te SlpI
Oi brandy from Pier so. :, n k me heirn'ant hui
nothing to do with it, Witness took wine and liquor
worked there Never gave defendant any part OF the
money derived from the sale o! liquors obtained - tins
va. "Ih'Ss nag tiArn liquors 10 U.t,,'A' i,,ao
carried about II gallons. of Yhel ID gallons ws,r
l,or from Pier No. 81 - Continuing. the wit
said tack pant IF it out of ine casks mysef thee
What they contain; / would have the voaIl-es IN my
he could not the voanses but he could see rs
iendnt house 4aa Kept some whc ourselves WE to OK
the - gallons defendant and told him there
ia all Tho STUFF" and ne told us 10 pr il in the cellar;
got Tso'to $50 PEI month ami during three or four
! would take six .lJns Of brandy To the deicndan's
home OTcenc-iye. The cask mp stairs IN closet
defendants house. After Tie la andy seiled told
defendant seized. DcicEdln first said, - know
nothing about T. " and then he rod M had better ~ mp
and X it. Defendant suspended three weeks amer
this. and nc told 10 10 surveyor Sharpe am take
al the responsibility 81 the brandy Oh my self. and That
I was alone blame. When McCOn arrested NJ he had
- gallons and only 10 gallons belonged to LIE ana my
rt.ilcr. 49,,
bernhard Nntcrmeyor next sworn, and testified
that c lived al No - ErOadwaY. jfOnklln J. d. ana ad
leen The embodiment ~ to defendant; bad Worked
lor lin year aud rBe months. and discharged last
Icl. Niiit., lrln.r Of Jones, and TOOK lilGJr
Witness wine 10 defend ants hois, "bich
D. got from merchant down town. Dc! idilt gave
witness order 10 get H. Continuing. ne VIM ~
stated DsfchcgLt suspicious "f ~ because he Was
afraid stole 100 much; my pay "s nom 30 10 $50
,er month; only got SO % 80 month: gave de-
the money; lent this money 10 i'Iu and have sued
hGl fOr ii; sometimes ln1dc hIm - present OI tue
money; .ir.cd' against 10 SOM iIti.
Theodore OdcrbTg, the former bOrkkrcpcr of the tc-
fcudnnt, testified Ia being oh The 1y roll before tE
Ia work This with two others YO
Jones bringing liquor 10 defendants h0as witness iiir
Ished private gauges Of liquors laidcl 10 merchants.
For dO- this hc received from the importers over $1,000
in less tnnn TWO eis. THIS money VAf turned over
witness knew of sclnerrs buying empty casks and
taking them to his house, where lee mad tHh nicd VIZ
mss had carried 10 SchncrrH Reuse ltupr taken
from casks before my had been scn witness had
Jones. Brown and Nutclmcycf also take liquor
from such casks.
Thomas Jones on being recalled. tasfed that Schncw
bad to his house and asked Liih ~ nohly Ms all
da,it - rs to may is Sia'"n'A'9 Ices severe against
INN.
The examination will be continued at p. m. today.