The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-30
REMOVED FROM OFFICE.
INTERNAL REVENUE COLLECTOR
PRATT OF ALBlNY rs MISSING.

mis Acoounts with the Governnnsnt Arc All
Night. bat Ne mas Failed 70 Accent Tor
Slo, srO Deposited with HIN by the Brow
ers % Fey for 1nternai Revenue atasps.
WAsHnreToN. Nov. 2s.-President Mckinley
to-day removed Louis w. Pratt from tho Office
OF Collector Of Internal Revenue for the Four
teenth New York district, headquarters ut Al
bany. and Deputy Collector Harlan p. Draper
has been designated by Secretary Cage to act
until the vacancy 10 nlled. Tho story back Of
this change had It's beginning in the Dingloy
Tariff bill, which overruled tho regulation of
the Internal Revenue Bureau making the net
tax on q barrel of beer 92x cents and re-
quired brewers to pay . dollar on every barrel.
The brewers desired to take advantage OF the
regulation as long as possible, and they de-
posted q largo sum with tho Collector to pay
for stamps a. they might need them. Tho
bureau decided that all STAMPS taken out sub
sequent to the day of tho passage of the bill
must be charged for at the full rate. The brow
ers' money deposited with the Collector. 1t is
said at the Treasury Department. became mixed
up with his personal accounts, and q scpara-
ton and settlement were delayed from time to
time until q week ago to-day. Then rumors of
the situation reached Deputy Commissioner
Wilson, and he sent o special agent to Albany
to investigate. He reported that Mr.. Pratt had
disappeared the day before his arrival, and
that he had carried OF the money left with
him by the brewers. How much this amounts
to Mr.. Wilson said he did not know. It was
hxod by o report current in the department at
about $4,000. Mr.. Pratt's accounts with the
Government are said to be correct.
ALBANY. Nov. 29.-Developments.to-day show
that Collector Of Internal Revenue Louis w.
Pratt has failed to account for S19.219 of the
funds which came into his charge by virtue Of
his ofloe. Mr.. Pratt left town last Tuesday,
and has not been seen or heard from since. His
accounts with the Government are all right.
The difference is in the. funds which were de-
posted with him by Troy and New York
brewers about q week previous to the time the
Dingley Tariff bill went into effect for the
purchase Of revenue stamps in order TO obtain
tho advantage Of the provision Of the old
Tariff law granting q ~ per cent. rebate on
purchases. Nearly 100000 was deposited
with Mr.. Pratt on this account, but he returned
at different times during the past four months.
either in revenue stamps or cash, all but
Sls,219.
The brewing companies that say that Mr..
Pratt failed to account for moneys advanced by
them are the:Quandt Brewing Company Of Troy,
S2.5s3.75; Ruscher Brewing Company Of Troy.
$2.e26.5 90. and the David Mayer Brewing Com.
pany of New York city. $3.50.
Owing to Mr.. Pratt's continued absence, the
authorities at Washington to-day appointed his
deputy, II. P. Draper, to take charge Of the at
fairs of the Revenue Department here. Govern
ment Inspector James Q. Wheeler began an ex-
animation of Mr.. Pratt's accounts last week. in
order that the Affairs Of the Office might be
ready to turn over to his Republican successor.
soon TO DO appointed, Mr.. Pratt's term having
expired on Nov. 1S. Inspector Wheeler says
that the Government accounts arc satisfactory
and that no shortage appears.
Pratt h Was Si in nn nnSan III aians Guilty Ss%S iaA about @l:
principally through disastrous real estate spec
oral years ago. and that bis home and furniture
had been placed on the market. His bondsmen.
asked to DO relieved. and:Mr.:Prstt transferred
his bond Of 5000. 600 to the City Trust Company
of PHILADELPHIA As the moneys missing ,werc
b bTsw esee VIII Rsv eet 70 bear their l ossa that hat the
Government Is not responsible and that tho
'u NJ. f Snass Was saa ai%ss ss ps0s sseSns ess,Riisi
Democrat unit. last falls Presidential cam.
was ono Of tho leading henchmen Of supreme
Court Justice D. Cady Herrick, who secured his
appointment. and until his prominence in poll.
His wife and her four children are now staying
at her brothers home. The secret service de-
~tectives are looking for Pratt
Inspector Wheeler continued his inyestiEa-
p p9St, to-S SS5y, and tSS sa pasn announce ncrsSssd nat b1 si Ms.
which had been deposited by the Taylor brow.
ing Company Of this city to secure the rebate
on revenue stamp purchases. The brewers who
say that the Government will have TO reimburse
them, while the representatives Of the Treasury
transactions were between Mr.. Pratt and the
brewers, and not q department action, as Col
lector Pratt had been notified from Washington
not to receive the money. as the rebates would
not DO allowed.
It 10 not thought that Mr.; Pratt had any
It in Wall street. flo had approached some Of
his friends and made them, acquainted with his
him raise the money. but the Government In
spector arriving. before Pratt had completed hi!
skipped. He told his wife that no was going e
New York. but all efforts Of his frtends r. EeaGt
aim q EARNED sh so-Pp nisss 'e sSas af Ss m made 1a,' snsu =
~cessful effort to raise funds shortly before hi
M. Pratt has frequently been away from Al
rounds Of his district. which extends from tn,
end Of the state. and his continued absence from
home had not alarmed MSs; prstt; She Q, va.
reasons Tor her husband's absence. Last weel
Pratt's household effects, even his children
s toys, , Tere sc. sold f %ndss q s,s ssstf S;m mSS G% e. wa
"Would you really like to knowr' he replied
drawing a loaded revolver. 81 feel just lk,
Ris, iriends scout any dee Of suicide, prst
successor as Internal Revenue Collector ha'
been appointed.
Troy, Nov. 29.-Inquiries at the various Tro.
Mr.. Pratt had refunded the moneys deposite,
with him, The firm Of .. Bolton Sons OF Lar
singburg had S13, 45s involved. When tn
draft on New York was made out by the hrr
} for the amount 1t was not to Mr.. Pratt as ColleS
tor, but to tho Internal Revenue Collector, an
Mr. Pratt, In depositing the money, made
payable to- the United States Treasurer. Tn
s sSsi tS hes m SssS Tsturs'S su f d th he e control sh Si Il,
Pratt. The Same was true In the case OF tn
Fitzgerald brewing Company. Donohuo d .Tiel
\ ney, tho Stoll Brewing Company, Kennedy 1
Murphy and the John Stanton Brewing an
. Mailing Company. The Stanton Company wa
CnmnanY AlO. 600.