New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-06-29
STEALING ON ALARGE SEAL


QUARTER OF A MILLION LOST.
-, ppvvyRs HAVE BEEN PLUNDERED sYs-
,,.Trc.rIY FOR YFARS-AN INTENSIVE RING
- STEALING AND SELLING KEGs AND BAR
RELs. a.
tn ale and beer brewers of the city and Its
,itv nave for several years been the victims oi IA
extensive system OF theft. thoroughly organ zsd aga
orplefe In all its details. Barrels ana kegs nave my
.s.s,,slv disappe ared and until recently al
,.o,onts 70 ferret out the thieves nave siShalS
- "a frequent and heavy have been
,s.e mat the brewers have finally determined not
- - for action by the National Association Of Brew
az but 70 take the into their OWL HANDS ana seek
out and punish the robbers
y,,,,ipenr brewer yesterday. in conversation VITA
TptsrSy reporter stated that 10 war the general pc
,.t that many saioon-keepers in New-York employed
.,..aoner. who made business Of sharing
,h snons with barre-thieves. He added; " FROM
.h mos. direct information we have received
. ran sl nothing that mpIcates our drivers nu' y
srhle ri ~ some OF them may be in the rns. This is
on established business that has been pursued WIN great
.ccoss for some three years. II has regular market
with quotations that are regulated by me case OF UNI
ouity OF theft 49,, %. ,,oo-
- Tine custom prevails among saloon-scepers or
lty ryrnlids Of beer kegs ON the sidewalk, III order
~ The vsstpess OF their sales. Tho beer wagons
come along usually about daylight 10 gamer UP Tue
e,ptv kegs and ere they arrive the tmeYes MAKE theH
- 30 rsr,lly carry off only few kegs at time
- A. 70 avoid suspicion. These they remove
a. the headquarters, where the Kegs arc P''u iui
~ IA hsrrel, Thu coopoTs then remove the head' plane
=, -, ,r.r5s withdraw the iron stamp iro' thc Duh8
holes ard Tie kegs are ready for delivery II cue wa" A'
small brewers outside the city, mostly IN c"'nuE 'o"i7
and villages. become the purchasers ana arc '"oe
enabled 10 uBderscI honest brewers Ne"7Jeise5' "u
s+-r \ Y Hartford Conn.,, and Mdilctown, Conn.,
rar.aea TfHr
rcnodeed barrels aud kegs. THIS has become very
.ous matter and the aggregate losses for The past
be voars are reported az less than T2JO,O0O Ihp
invest cation thus far duplicates number Oh persons As
beug engaged IN this tliovng uahc ana the brewers
intend to pursue their inquiries until all the guiti
persons are brought 10 Judgment
lis stated further that many ooopers in this city, VINO
have hitaortO enjoyed good regulations, have oeen M
VOWED in this business. with guilty knowledge OF the
vav in when the kegs and barrels were obtained and
have erased the brands and made the stolen prop
erfv appear as new. Hunters Point, Grecnp0ih5,
wiamsburgh Jersey City are the principal places
where the punder is undergoing its TRANSFORMATION
"Tnat man." said a brewer Aas just branded kes
5276 and assure you that cannot to-day place our
hands on 500 OF that size Only month ago we or
dered and PAID FOR q large lot Of skies at = ana
quarters at - 80 each and shippedshem full Of beer
bu not one Of them been returned They were
stolen and doubtless commanded an extra price. We
ship AZ oar beer propeller 10 NeW-1 ork su
bring back our empty kegs aud barrels, snd
freoueutly the loafers and tramps along the
docks attac and drive our or and steal not merely
barrels but beer well This loss however, - hEni,
because We can account for The missing barrels Dut
when they disappear by the dozens aid hundreds then
We are at a loss 20 know what % DO
II Is believed that the ale brewers sunrr more ron
these thelts than any other class Thomas g. ~ man q
o. iu Thirty-thrCst have Deon probably the 1eaVles
sufferers aud put forth the greatest eXerOns 10
checs thr evil. -,s,,-.
They s..v that they know of brewery IN Mddetown,
Npw-lOrE. which began business without barrel, ahc
nov M oil tae secondhand stock necessary for the sue
cessiui operation Of the establishment.
Ale barrels cost - 80 each, ana sell second-hanh
A. reduction of Is, leaving large profit % inOae VINO
drs in the stolen barrels. The thcfts have baep
constantly ou the increase. An order wa
given early the season 10y CITY brewer
Tor 1900 kegs, and he SAYS they nav" a.
disapp AIRED. and unless sOmehin2 i6 done 10 chrch
the evil brewing viii nave 90 De abandoned by many
The brewers have determined 70 apply the brakes, and
a. one OF them IeG railroad the thieves 20 SING
sing" Six u tho largest firms nave had meeting auc
agreed 10 spare effort 30 discover and puLisn the
thieves They claim that 10 Is matter involving
100000 apiece to the brewers, and they intend ~
break up the system.
A d.y or two ago Francis C. Gels, representing the
DObbs Ferry Brewery, ca led upon Superintendent wall
Ing placed tie matter III ms nauOs sergeant heil
detailed Detectives Ferris and williamson aud
accompanied by Mr. Gels. made = visit TO T. G.
LYMAN & Co., icOb RUPERT. and others. from Wnon
sufficient facts asCertalucC 20 pont coucusNey 10
several OF peg-uns most prominently connected WIN
tine stealing receiving, ana alteration OF the kegs aud
bsrTo.s. one OF them made sufficient none TO fetHt
from business aud spend several months 10 Europe, Dut
has returned 70 the illegal traffic lst 10 lime 20 fall INTO
tn meshea Of the IN fw the entire gang or
barrel thieves viii probably be captured