The sun., 1897-04-02
ALTERED CUSTOMS PAPERS.
DRlWBACE ENTRIES LAID BEFORE
TIM DISTRICT ATTORNEH.

TIE Case ef Des Brts.ay = ATen Genes u tns
surfsoe Arnin-A Letter rreu mr.. hiien
ts tho Treasury Department Attaoting tire
Ceiieoter stirs n Up-misteFy % the Case.
Collector Kilbreth, by the direction Of Charles
q. Hamlin, Assistant Secretary Of the Treasury,
laid bcforo United States District Attorney
Wallace Macfarlane yesterday two Custom
House entries, which, It is charged by the Gus
tom House authorities were altered in the In
forest Of Des Brissay & Allen, Custom House
brokers at 10 William street. The entries were
originally in tho name Of Richard jackson, also
q Custom House broker.
A little over year ago Collector Kflbreth de-
clinod to reissue Custom House license to the
members Of the firm OF Des Brissay & Allen,
which is made up Of Harold 8. Des Brisssy.
Joseph II. Allen, and John n. Comstocks, on tho
ground that preliminary entries for drawback
taken out by the nrm had been systemat-
cally altered contrary to the regula-
tions Of the Treasury Department No
preliminary entry for drawback can bo
altered without the consent Of the Secretary Of
tho Treasury, and the Secretary Of the Treasury
had not given his consent In these cases. A
clerk In the Surveyors department, who was q
party TO altering tho firms preliminary entries
for drawback, was summarily dismissed from the
customs service.
Tho firm complained that Collector Eilbreth
had been unduly harsh with them, and charged
that other Custom House brokers' firms had al
tered their preliminary entries for drawback. Col
loctor Kilbroth thereupon made searching in
quiry and concluded that the charge Of Des Bris-
say & Allen that their neighbors were doing the
same kind Of business was without foundation.
Allen was that In exporting meats in tin cans for
Oudahy & Co. and H. Q. Armour & Co. and
other big meat shippers the firm had eventually
There was a great stir In Custom House circles
a, Hess, and day after day he visited Collector
kilbreth and besought the Collector, to
Jack Phes custom as sPs TSusS and ss hSn Mr.
tered preliminary entries We're only slightly
iieeSse ii was % particuiar T lar hsrdship. h Many other
pleas were made by Mr.. Hoss, and finally the
the @e%eers OF tho Is sS
for drawback on tho entries which had beop a.
Collector has wide discretionary powers.
Everything went slnoothly after his decision
Inausurated. Then Mr.. Allen. without the
knowledge of Mr.. HeRs forwarded to the Treas
gry Department an Al tack on Collector Kilbreth.
In the letter to the Treasury Department be re-
iterated his old abatement that other Custom
House brokers had altered their preliminary en-
knbreth had bcen unduly harsh with the irm Of
Des Brissay & Allen. although the Collector had
restored the Custom House license Of tho arm
when the firm agreed that they would not ask
for drawback on the altered entries.
Mr.. Aliens letter was forwarded to Collector
Kilbreth from Washington. and the Collector
has Just returned to the Treasury Department q
full history OF the case. MIR. Aliens letter to
the department nettled the leading men In tho
New York Custom House who were familiar
with the case and brought to light the
two entries made In The name Of Richard
Jackson in The interest of Des Brissay &
States District Attorney Macferlane. Tho Gus
tom House peor,o notified the Treasury Depart
ment at Warrington that the two entries had
been 90 altered go 10 justify an inq uiry, and As
sistant Secretary Hamin promptly notified the
Collector to surd the entries to Mr.. Macfarlane.
Collector Riibrcths men say that tho hrrl
side Of the controversy has been supported by
Chiei Clerk J. Z. Sage OF tho Drawback Division
of the Naval Office. Just why Mr.. sage came to
the support OF Des Brissay y Allen and has con.
tinued TO be their defender the Collectors men
was said, will have an opportunity TO explain
his course to Mr.. Macfarlane, and also to at
tempt TO justify the Richard Jackson-Des Bris-
say Allen entries.
Mr.. Hess, Des Brissay & Aliens lawyer, said
last night that he had not seen the two entries,
but that he had heard about them and knew that
Collector kilhreth had been dirBcted to lay
them before United States District Attorney
Macfarlano
Many hundreds of thousands Of dollars arc
annually paid by the Government for draw
backs, and tho case OF Des Brissay & Allen 10
considered ono Of the most Interesting in tho
recent history of the New York CuatOm HoQae.