The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-04-25
ISLAND CITY NEwSITEMS
About 100000 Cigars Seized by Internal
Revenue Agents.
BANANA COMPANY HAS BEEN ABSORBED.
Withdrawal of the Tenth Cavalry
Will Leave the Texas Bor-
der Unprotected.

Galveston, Texas, April 24.--Deputy III
ternal Revenue Collector Webster Wilson
has, 1t is understood seized or given notice
of seizure of about 100000 cigars mere In
Galveston which have counterfeit revenue
stamps on the boxes. This seizure is but
one Of a great many that have been made
by government agents, and it is believed
before the agents get through more than
100000 cigars will be seized in Texas
alone. Seizures are being made throughout
the United States. and the fraud looks like
one OF the largest that has developed in
several years.
a fremont street retailer showed some
of the seized goods TO Post reporter this
morning The counter.eiting CT inc reve-
nue. stamp has been very cleverly done,
and IL requires careful Investigation to dis
cover tho fraud. There is some differences
In the quality of paper OF the real and
tho bogus stamp, but there are other Pc
culiarities about the fraudulent stamps
that can be found when looked for closely.
The retailer said he had been notified BY
Webster Wilson that the goods were
seized
81 do not expect to lose anything" said
tho retailer, las the wholesaler from whom
! purchased this lot OF cigars has informed
me that he Will protect mo In the mat
ter"
One OF the leading wholesalers In town
said that NJ Wilson had been busy all OF
yesterday aud all this morning going from
wholesale house to wholesale house and
from retail store TO retail store, gettlng
an account Of how much OF this frauau-
lent stun there is in the city,
! IT you put tho amount at goo coo cigars
1 you will not overestimate It," said the
merchant. Most OF the wholesalers have
/ some Of tho goods on hand, or course we
! had no idea In tho world that tho revenue
stamp was counterteited. The cigars are
all of the cheaper Variety cent goods
| principally and wero used in connection
1 with the sale OF some other articles, We
call them scheme cigars Tho whole
/ saers OF Galveston will not lose anythinI
and the retailers will not lose anything
/ The wholesalers will protect the retailers
and the wholesalers will be protected b,
tho persons from whom they purchased
No one was more surprised than we were
when We we're informed by Mr. Wilson
( that tho stamps were counterfeit Mr.
| Wilson has taken an account of the stool
| of the counterfeit stun We have on hant
and he has gone to the other houses anS
gotten an account of their stock, l under
stand What is the next move ! do no
tantamount to seizing the goods"
The merchant was asked what was tn
revenue tax on cigars.
ut depends upon the weight of the ci
CARS" he replied. ION an average the tai
is from $3.50 to 81 per thousand cigars
That is about two-flfths OF cent per CT
gar"
The merchant volunteered the informa
ton that the cigars in question has bee
coming into Galveston for six months o
more. How MANY have already been con
sumed he had no idea. but he thinks tn
amount that can be seized today In Texa
will exceed 100000 cigarsSy
MIR. Wilson left here this afternoon 10
Houston. II have not been there yet,
said he, "and have no doubt but tina
tho town is full OF these cigars bearin
counterfeit stamps