The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-04-10
DEFRAUDED UNCLE SAM.
AN EXTENSIVE CASE OF SMUGGLING.
Aliard & Sons, Large Partisan Firm, with
Branch In New York, Betrayed by q
Discharged Employe-Win Amount
to Million Dollars.

NEW YORK, April 5.-One of the most ex-
traordinary cases of smuggling and fraud in
the custom-house known in this country be-
came public through the customs authorities
in this city yesterday afternoon. Allard &
Sons, large Partisan firm dealing in antiques,
art furniture, rare tapestries, paintings and
bric-a-brac, have a branch establishment in
this city at 304 Fifth-aye. For period ex-
tending over at least seven years this house
has engaged in the most bare-faced
acts of smuggling. For many years the
agent of Allard & Son in this city was
a man named Bloosaire. About three years
ago he was superseded by their present
agent, Paul Roules Under Routes manage
ment Bloosaire was steadily degraded until last
February he was discharged from the employ
OF the firm. In revenge for what he claims the
injustice practiced against him, some weeks
ago Bloosaire called on Special Treasury Agent
George II. Simmons and impaired some start
ling information that led to an immediate and
searching investigation of the affairs of the
firm. Special Treasury Agent Simmons soon
found that Struggled goods had been pur-
chased unsuspectingly from this firm by
some of the wealthiest residents and
most liberal art collectors of this
city, including William X. Vanderbilt,
II. Mckay Twombly and 0rme Wilson; also
by Robert Garrett of Baltimore William Bor-
den of Chicago, and many others. The scheme
pursued by the firm was to consign to their
New York house cabinet furniture in which
were concealed under the marble tops and in
the false paneling costly portiere curtains and
rich goblin tapestries. Customs duties. of
course, would be paid only on the furniture.
In the EIfth-qVp ST the gmnOplp6 goods
would be removed. Purchasers were invaria-
bly, charged extravagant prices for the articles,
with the duties, out of which the government
had been swindled, added thereto. Thus a
double fraud was perpetrated. 1t is not sus-
pected that any one of the many purchasers
had the remotest idea that the goods were
Struggled.
The investigation made by Special Treasury
Agent Simmons having progressed far enough
by last Monday night to warrant him in max
ing seizure, he had the necessary papers exc
cuted and called to his aid Special Treasury
Agents !. c. Cummings, Frank Finley, Special
Agent Ritter and the Informant BloOsaire, who
had been deputized as an officer. They went
to the Eifth-ave. hotel, remained most of the
night, and Tuesday morning proceeded to
Allard's store, 304 Eifth-ave. AS soon as the
janitor of the place opened the store they made
raid on the stock and captured large
quantity of chairs with upholstered seats, that
were found stuffed with rich laces, tapestries,
silks, DIO1LeS, pOTblerSS, curtains ana almost
everything person could imagine. These
chairs were recent invoice, and had not been
unpacked. A large quantity of other stuff
bearing recent marks not identified on the
custom house invoices of the firm, was also
seized. These things were sent TO the seizure
room in the barge office, and the party went to
Routes house in West Hoboken, where they
seized lot of tapestries valued at S, OOO which
they found packed in a plush sofa These
things were also sent TO the seizure room. An
examination was held yesterday afternoon be-
fore Collector Magone, Deputy Collector
Charles p. McClelland and Special Treasury
Agent Simmons. Routes, the New York agent
of Allard Sons was present, as well as
Bloosaire, the informant Routes made a full
confession, and said he was cOgnizant of the
dishonest transactions and the smuggling OF
the firm.
The ofense enumerated in this story be-
sides many others on the complaint, extend
back only to the year 1886 but the customs
authorities are gathering new evidence every
day TO show that the firm has been engaged in
smuggling ever since they established their
house here, seven years ago. The customs
authorities do not hold any of the persons who
had struggled goods in their possession culpa-
Bile, although they will probably have to pay
the duties or have the goods seized.
So far as is known the government has been
swindled out of more than quarter of a mill
ion dollars by the firm. as the unpaid duties
range from 80 per cent to so per cent. ad
valorem. What the total sum will be when the
investigation is completed remains to be seen.
The fact that Allard & Sons number among
their patrons some of the most select and
wealthy families in the United States will
probably increase the sum up to 81 100000. No
arrests have been made in the case because all
of the Allards are out of reach, being in France.
Whether they can be extradited and punished
is question on which the government officers
will express no opinion. Their representative
in this city, Paul Routes, can be punished
however, and it is only by the clemency of the
treasury department that he is not behind the
bars. The fact that he has practically turned
states evidence, it is supposed, will save him
from states prison.