New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-21
THE GOVERNMENT SJVINDLED
TWO MEN CONFESS TO SYSTEMATIC SNUG
CLING.
CUSTOM HOUSE OFFICIALS DISCOVER MORE THAN
10000 SKEINs OF DCTIABLE SILK THREAD

CUSTOM HOUSE OFFICIALS DISCOVER MORE THAN
10000 sKEINs OF DUTIABLE SILK THREAD.
The Custom House officials gave ont yesterday alter
noon the details Of smuggling case which alfcihy
has been shown to be reaching one. The Gov
eminent has been defraudcd out Of many thousands
| Of dollars in duties.
ON last saturday morning. Immediately after the
steamship La Touiaine Of the French line" r'acnen net
pier She was BOARDED BY Morton Brlttop and Captain
swivel two special Custom House inspectors II was
purpose work up entirely different from
the one which they discovered. While they we''
looking about the ship the inspectors noticed 'ha wv"
men were watching them carefully. Briiton ana MS
companion started toward them and the men ran away
and hid themselves in the crowd Of passengers who
leaving the ship. \ few minutes later the III
spcc,ors saw the two trying TO get into the
BARRIERS ROOM Inspector Brllton Immediately de
cided that the barber must have something to no
the strangers and that something must be wrong
lie went the BARRIERS room and told lam he wa
suspected Of smuggling and search Of his room wod
be made unless he made confession. line hrbr'
Laurent Pellcgrn declared that he would tell every
thing that he knew. reegTn went to large locker
IN his room and took ont two bundles Of what Is
called In the trade Meillon's thread. II Is me
SIX thread ready put the looms for weaving
There were $1,000 skelns OF silk in the two bundles
rhe inspectors took reIlcgrin the Custom House
and subjected him To rigid examination lie S'hi
he had been smuggling the SIX thrrad LOT >ohN h''
ana on the previous voyage Of La Tourane had
brought 10000 skeins. He added that the thread
was purchased In Europe BY Antoine Chove'' Inc
Superintendent OF the West NewYotk silk Mills Com
pany The mills are In West Ncw-lork. Hudson
County y. J. Tie officers Of this company are > T.
LYMAN president A. Ludwig secretary ana trei'irrr
and Max Mass general manager. Mr. Mass IS an
importer No. AZ Broomc-st 'hovett Hhui
n fcw months ago partner OF J. Bou'lcr'
imnn of sfi lies
business was at No 426 Iactnsack Plank Road Mon,
y j. He gave up this bushes, 10 take the place
which h. occupied with the West Newiork silk Mills
Company.
on SATURDAY afternoon the Custom House officials
took Peegrin with them to New jersey 10 Sc II they
conld find Chovctt. There they learned that liz was
living at the Hotel Martin this city. Tie officials
hurried TO the hotel and Mr.. Briti"n found 'hpven
drinking I'm m. larroom. When Mr. nrittpn saw him
he recognized him a. Of The two strange men
who had run away when the inspectors accidentally
met them the steamship in the morning
Captain sorvcl waiting with tn" ships barber
in another part Of the hotel. When Chotctt saw
the barber he saw that there no further use u
concealing anything. and he told all he knew. In
the evening the IN ccors with special Agent Rice.
took Chovctt 10 the mills. From storeroom chov"t
brught ont two NOR, bundles Of silk thread containing
So 900 .kcns II" said that 10000 more sk"in' Of
.mugcled silk wer. on the looms. This made a
total Of 10000 -kcin, Of Xix which h" admitted
had been smugglod into the country within month
Chovctt was taken before United states Com
missioner Eoman", In Jersey city ana held In >lVoo
oa rGIsrm: 'hy , '"f'. ,ea Insd State. conn
missioner in hi, city. who held him until today for
iurin.r c,awinaton. \ Tribune reporter tried to
find Man Mass Yesterday afternoon. but b" wa mol
The lin thread which ha, been s,z.d 80 FAR Is said
10 b.. valued at -I.oOO. Tic Custom House officer
dollar las been Struggled into The country.