The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-02-19
A LOCAL SENSATION.
Bloch BFos.' Big "Mail Pouch
Tobacco Factory
IN THE GOVERNMENTS HANDS.
Investigating II Charge Tint Not
EnHugh Tax lins Been Paid.
indictments Found Against
the Well Known Firm.

IuC NGtl
United States Internal Revenue Off
c,rs arc in charge OF Bloch Bros "Wes
Virginia Mail Pouch" Tobacco Factor
aad the meiabers Of the Arm have beef
indicted and given bond for their ap
pcarance at the June term OF the Unite,
States Dis,rict Court, which will NEE
Mt parkersburg. It has been impossible
to secure on authority all tho facts II
the case, although all OF tho Unitct
States officers, those representing th
Revenue Bureau and those Of the Depart
mcnt Of Justice in this State, as well u
the Messrs. Bloch, have been applied u
The statements which follow arc there
fore 10 be modified by this explanation
In December last the Revenue officer,
received the first intimation that mor'
"Alail Pouch" tobacco was being market
ed than was covered by tho quantity o
stamps purchased by the Bloch Bros
The information is understood TO have
come, directly or indirectly, from Mes
srS. Gail & AK, OF Baltimore, general
manufacturers OF tobacco including 9
yra!c similar to SNAIL Pouch"
An investigation was at once set on
foot aud has been industriously prose.
cuted ever since.
The violation OF the Internal Revenue
laws took a peculiar form: Each package
bore the proper stamps for the quantity
which it was supposed to contain. The
package, however, in fact contained an
excess OF tobacco, and on this rests tho
proceedings. To illustrate: q 2.ounce
package would contain from 81 ounces
to 3 ounces; Il 4.ounce package from A I
to 5or 5 OUNCES. The object is said to
have been to promote trade by giving
the consumer tho excess without extra
charge. In other words, it was m ad.
yertising scheme, in which the manufac.
turers hoped to find their compensation
~ they would in any other effort to pro.
mote trade. This coming to the knowl-
edge Of rivals and competitors in the
same field aroused antagonism, and il
was claimed that unless other manufac.
turers assumed Il like risk and followed
the same plan they were necessarily at d
disadvantage in the market. s.
Friends of the Bloch Bros. explained
that SO long as they did the very unusu.
nj thing OF giving their customers more
than they paid for, that it was evident
that they did not realize that they were
opening with the United States Gov.
ernmcnt IN irregular account which
would have to be settled at considera.
bic cost. ss5!
This, 1t must be understood, is one
explanation OF the affair. Another ex.
plauation given by friends OF the Messrs.
Bloch is that there was no advertising
scheme about it, but that the entire
trouble resulted from the caretessness
OF the packers VINO placed in the paper
hags more tobacco than should have gone
into them and consequently more than
was covered by the revenve stamps
placed on them. Be the cause what il
may, the fact OF the excessive weight
seems to be undisputed..
to the extent Of the irregularity al
kinds OF rumors are atloat, very gen
eral one being that the excess during
the past year amounted to about 25 pei
cent OF the whole output ofabout 8, ,065,
900 pounds for last year. This woult
represent about $4,000 owing to the
Government by the firm on account o
unpaid tax. This representation is made
with great PARTICULARLY Of detail by
those who profess to know.
The few facts which may be stated
without reserve are, that at the term o
court recently held at Parkersburg tht
Bloch Bros. were indicted, three counts
being found; that night before last the!
were taken before United States Com
missioner Campbell and placed undel
bond ior their appearance at court; tha
the factory is now in charge OF .1nterna
Revenue officers, and that the investiga
ton isstill proceeding. ~
The first intimation that the publ,
had that there was any difficulty OF this
kind on foot was about one month ago
when several Of tho girls employed ii
the snail Pouch" factory were stopped
by Deputy United States Marshals as
they were Oh their way home from thei
work and served with summonses to mp
pear before the United States Court d
Parkersbnrg forthwith. The girls wer,
not even allowed timo to change thei
clothes, but were taken on board al
Ohio River train and hurried of in
s,anter. Manager Tiernan, Of tho fac
tory, was also summoned to Parkersbur,
at that time, and testified before til
grand jury, but as after his testimon,
had been taken that OF the girls was no
called for, it was supposed. that there wa
no trouble.
Major Summeryille, Of Indiana, a Spe
clal Agent Of the Treasury Department
who has been in the service for lon
number OF years, is in tho city with tn
Hon. A. B. White, Of Parkersburg, Col
lector Of Internal Revenue for this State
These two gentlemen have had the moe
to do with this case thus far. Thi
morning the Hon. John W. Mason
Commissioner OF Internal Revenue, wi
arrive here from Washington. Commil
sloner Mason comes to confer with Col
lector White and Special Agent Sun
merville, and it is understood will pas
upon n proposed settlement with th
Bloch Bros, under the terms Of whic
they agree TO pay over to the Cover
ment a sum OF money covering the ia
shortage. This settlement would hay
no direct bearing on the proceedings VI
DER the indictments, though it lnigl
have Il collateral effect. 2
The development, SO far as 1t hi
reached the public, has occasioned gres
surprise aud the hope is generally g,
pressed that there may be no serious il
reference with this important local ii
dustry. The "Meil Pouch" factory
the third tobacco factory, in point
size, In the country, and the only on
Of my size manufacturing but one grad
II has reached it's present proportion
from comparatively small begiaaii
In alew years, and has given promise
continued growth. It's proprietors ha,
I Won the reputation Of being among Il
most energetic and competent busine'
men in the community and any gre
sud permanent injury to their busine
would be regarded as public cala,nit
a reporter Of the INTELLlOESci
called on the Messrs. Bloch yesterda
and received from them the toltowir
statement as containing all they desil
10 say at present:
"Our understanding OF tho complain