The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-02-09
TOBACCO FRAUDS.
SEIZURE OF TWO MANUFACTURES
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS RAID
THE DEALERS.



For some time past there has been consider
able excitement and no little anxiety manifested
among dealers In and manufacturers OF tobacco
and cigars. owing to the rumored movements
of special agents OF the government. That
these rumors were not without foundation. and
that the movements of the agents were all In
the direction of given object and purpose, ls
demonstrated by the fact that several days ago
the INSPECTORS Of the Internal Revenue Depart
ment descended on and made seizure OF the
wel, known tobacco factories Of ]. Desca and j.
p. sarrazn for violation Of the internal reve-
me law. The exact method pursued In detect
ing the alleged frauds, or the specific nature OF
the frauds, are not known, as the Internal rev.
enue collector refuses to give any fnfofmatioh
about the seizure, but 1t is understood that the
particular offense charged Is selling tobacco
without stamps.
Friday and yesterday the agents were busy
among the tobacco dealers examining and selz-
ing partially filed and empty tobacco buckets
on which the stamps had not been cancelled.
The manner In which
THE BUCKET GAME
IN defraud the government Is worked Is very
neat, and well worth describing.
The law requires that these buckets shall
| contain ten pounds OF tobacco-no more. no
less-and that they shall have attached to them
| stamp for % 40 t24 cents pound; This stamp.
according to the law must be ahXed win
| good quality of paste, must extend from tne
| top down one side Of the bucket. must have the
date OF its being affixed written across its face.
and must be STAMPED with a. see d,e n drv vee
with sufficient force TO- cut or press INTO me
| wood beneath. After all this liz done the stamp
must be vanished. ,...
attaching the stamp to the tub with pre- para
| ton said by some to be brewers yeast. when
| fdmits OF It's being easily detached. The
die Ia used 50 tenderly. II the word may De
nishing process Is omitted. The. peddler. who
supplies the dealer with wide at-bladed
knife, In the use OF which practice mas made
| him dexterous, removes the stamp. and 1t Is as
/ good as a new one for another bucket
| There IL another way Ia which the buckets are
made the medium of fraud. The stamps are
properly attached and properly cancelled. but
| the dealer. In accordance with an agreement
with the manufacturer. returns the buckets rs
them and sends them back again to the dealer.
Thus the bucket may travel back and forth
almost any number of times, and each time 1t
| does 80 pass the government is robbed oil 81 49,
| When the buckets get q rather used up look
/ they are as 1t were. called In and retired from
service in the city, but not from duty. They are
| filed and sent to the country, and ho~ long hey
remain In use there no man can tell.
One thing peculiar about the seizure at the
| two manufactures above named 1s the secrecy
| Department has maintained. The reason as
| signed by Collector Marks for declining to say
anything about them Is. that any publicity
would interfere with the continuance OF the
does not know all about the seizures. and why
| they were made. he should be brought forward
| for exhibition as a curiosity. Some people,
however. are nothing II they are not mysterious.