The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-11-07

NEW YORK. Nov. s.--Frank C.
Thompson. chief of the internal reye-
nue. bureau in this city, declared that
at least 10 per cent Of the revenue
stamps used daily in the Wall street
district. having already been cancelled,
we're fraudulent
Chief Thompson said THIS when asked
about the arrest by him IN Newark, on
Saturday, of Caleb L. Crockett and c
J. Lee, on a charge OF restoring can
celled revenue stamps and selling them
for use a second time. Mr.. Thompson's
Jurisdiction extends TO northern New
Jersey. and he said that for two
months he had been watching Crockett.
II is estimated by Chief Thompson
that the government is defrauded Of at
least 5000 day by the use OF second
hand stamps in the section of the city
south Of Fulton street. He says that
revenue stamps worth about $4,000 are
daily required in the transactions Of
that district, and that 10 per cent OF
this total is represented in restored
stamps.
Chief Thompson, who made the arst
arrest for this crime six months ago.
said the work Of restoring cancelled
revenue stamps was being carried on to
large extent and that he was striving
TO arrest the swlndlers as fast as his
varied duties would permit. He said
there was no connection between the
arrests In Newark on Saturday night
and that in early October of Freeman
Strait, in this city.
Crockett, Chief Thompson said, was
manager of a large establishment in
Newark and his position was import
ant and lucrative, He has been en-
gagged in washing stamps for a long
time. have been watching him for
two or three months. This is the first
case OF this kind we have run down in
New Jersey.
II learned that Crockett had engaged
a room In the Palace hotel. Newark.
and with several of my men 1 engaged
the adjoining room. Lee was there and
Crockett came in about o'clock. We
let them go ahead for little while and
then we entered. caught them at
work with a lot of stamps and bottle
Of acid used for this purpose was found
on the table"
Chief Thompson said stamps taken
averaged higher denomination than
any he had previously seized Messeu-
ser boys, Mr Thompson said, are en-
gagged to a large extent by the stamp
swiHdle's in carrying on their work.
Ee tod OF finding ten $50 bills on a
messenger boy he recently called to his
o.lcs.
= win venture to assert" the chief
sad that can go through New or
o Dad street ana take into custody the
first atty messenger boys indlscrimI-
natsly and by searching these fifty boys
md at least twenty-five with washed
" restored revenue stamps. Some
houses allow messenger boys and clerks
10 Afiix and cancel stnmps and even If
the boys receive good stamps they of
ten substitute washed stamps and sell
the good ones at discount
Whenever anyone offers stamps for
sale at a greater discount than l per
cent for 500 worth. the person offering
them and the stamps themselves
should be looked upon with suspicion.
The greatest discount anyone can get
is per cent upon 800. which is the
most the government allows"
Chief Thompson said that although
the denomination of revenue stamps
varied from L cent TO sl.C1o he has
never discovered any greater than $50
being discounted. He said that stamps
of the denominations of 81. 50. IS and
$40 wer most offered and that the 81
stamps were used with greater fire.
quency by swIndlers For this crime
the penalty is five years in prison and
q fine OF $1,000. Chief Thompson. as an
indication of the extent to which the
swindie was being carried on. said ne
had $4,000 in cancelled stamps in his
safe.