New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-30
CUSTOMS FRAUDS HANGED.
w. II. RILEY. OF THE IMPORTING FIRM OF
THAT NAME. ARRESTED.
HE is TAKEN IN CUSTODY on THE uMBRlA-AL
LEGGED OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES "o''
ERNMENT's LOSS SAID TO BE sEV.
EEAL THOUSAND DOLLARS
JOSEPH J. ODONoHrE
FURNISHES HIS

~, - ,uo, on,or member of the large dry
cooas in,nor,,nc house Of W. H. Riley & Co., with
a main Office at No q Mcrcer-st., in this c'!' anu
\ branch In Paris was arrested SATURDAY "oi"hs
on the steamer I'mbra. He Is chareeu VIII" Gu
tering imported goods into the Cus'oh' i'"' ~
means of false and fraudulent lh'oi0'' ~ 80.
ton far below the value of the gooos iNe amount
Of which the customs authorizes nave .'u' '',"
defrauded Is said 10 run far up into the thousands
rbo warra,t was issued by United states Com
missioner Shields on information ana pehei lur-
nished bv Special Treasury Agent joseph - NC
Gov The warrant was given to Deputy MAJ snai
Bernhard. As as the umpria was '0Pu Il,
Quarantine Saturday morning the Depu'' - ~
MT the revenue cutter into requsiton ana steamed
down to Quarantine. There he boarded inc '"io'"
and sought Mr. Riley. In order not 10 at''"ct at
tentjon the Deputy Marshal requested MT lNley
TO stem into his stateroom There he presenter MS
warrant and made Riley prisoner
The drvcoods importer expressed great surprise
When the nature of the charge was eNp'a'ieu "e
said he understood it. 1t was. he said' pie"e o.
spite-work The specific dates on which the ialse
invoices were entered cover period eNtehu'hs over
three years. The first Is an entry OF three cases
which arrived here from Paris on November =
1890 and were entered the following day. Ihen
follow:
Two cases drygoods which arrived on the steamer
Connemara January 1884, entered January D. 1871
Thirteen cases, February H. 1871.
Twenty cases which arrived on La Touraine Au-
pust & 1891 and were entered August Il. 1891
Four cases which arrived on La Touraine Octo-
Der T. 1891 and were entered october 6. 1891
Three cases which arrived December 10. 1891. and
were entered December ii, lSl
1t is alleged in the complaint that the Invoices
of each entry greatly underestimate the value OF
the goods which necessitated false entries In the
hooks of Riley G. Co. The Treasury agent has
been working the case for months ana IL IL
said tha. proofs were found. sufficient to warrant
an arrest. only one day before MT. hley ieit iaiS
The prisoner was taken directly TO the Office Of
United States Commissioner Shields Inc 'on-
missioner held special court YESTERDAY atter3on;
as he was told that money ball would DE lurnisheu
for " the prisoner al once. When arraiened. on
advice OF the Commissioner. Mr.. Riley refused to
make statement and his bail was placed at
$500 This amount was Immediately iurhlshe1 ~, py
city Chamberlain Joseph J. O'Donohue, ana isiley
was released His examination Will be held on
Wednesday afternoon at o CLOCK a., nit.
When spoken to relative TO his arrest, Mr. Klley
ever said that he felt positive that the charge had
been made against him through the agency oi
clerk who had been until recently attached 10 me
Paris branch of the house. He had been detected
Mr. RILEY said in the act OF stealing 5000 francs
from the house and the charge had Deen trunped
up through revenge. Later, however, Mr. RheS
altered this statement. He said the clerk VINO at
tempted to defraud the house was attached TO the
New-York branch. -
When asked how II was that the alleged false en-
tries In the books of the concern here could nave
occurred. Mr. Riley gave no expianauon n ,b RE ,n sa
he left here member OF the firm with a power
of attorney TO act for him. II there were any fais"
entries, they had been made during ms w. r.
SUPPOSED nes to know Of them Further than this sir
Riley refused to talk.