The sun., 1902-12-30
TIE PORTO RlCOAN SCANDAL.
ARMY AND NAVY OFFICERS AND
BUSINESS MEN INVOLVED.
wines and Liquors Brought From D..
Thomas on Government Tuss and DIS.
tributed In Army Wagons-Threo Ar.
rests Thus Far ana More Are Expected.

rests Thus Far ana More Are Expected.
arrest Of Benjamin F. Butler formerly OF
Boston and now Supervisor OF Elections OF
Porto Rico Capt. George w. Mentz COM
manding the naval station here and James
Brennan, steward OF the Country Club
on charges Of smuggling has uncovered q
scandal, which may soon involve q large
number Of army and navy officers and
prominent business men here. Those al
ready arrested are out on bail.
Customs Collector Cruzen started the
trouble last week when he seized . lot Of
liquors, which were brought here from St..
Thomas by the lighthouse tender Laurel.
The packages were addressed to we'll
known San Juan people, and consisted Of
hundreds Of cases OF wines and liquors.
Collector Cruzen refused to discuss the
case, but one Of his subordinates said:
For the past eighteen months we have
known that all kinds Of fine wines were
being brought into the port, ard were not
paying the Custom House any duty All
our efforts to ferret out the leakage failed.
We posted men along the water front and
had them watch every avenue which We
thought could possibly be used for bring
ing in the liquors. but our search was not
awarded with success. These high class
wines continued to come in. and without
paying the duty.
y am not at liberty to tell you at the
present moment how the Information a. to
how the smuggling was being accom-
plished came to the ki owledge OF the Gus
toms authorities. but II came and no sooner
were they In possession OF 1t than they
aCfad Tharp
you that the lighthouse tender Laurel, the
station ship, was the boat which brought
the liquors in. The shipment which was
siezed came by her from st. Thomas. The
method OF getting the goods ashore was
something like this: At night when all
was dark, and no one would quest ion the
authority Of a man in uniform carrying
box, the cases were brought ashore and
put into army wagons and then delivered
about town to several people whom the
public know very WELL and there will be
surprise when the names OF the people
involved are made public. am .u-e that
the Collector feels very badly about the
matter for 1t will bring to light the doinRs
of many people whom he would rather not
put in the public eye
Mr.. Buffers alleged connection with the
case is said to have arisen through his
being an official of the Country Club, which
purchased some Of the liquors secured
from St. Thomas. 1t Is said that other per-
sons connected with the Country Club
will be arrested and prosecuted upon the
same charges which stand against Mr..
Butler.
The wholesale liquor dealers Of San
Juan are rejoicing over the turn Of affairs.
One Of them says:
Il am glad they have finally got after
those fellows for this smuggling has been
very INJURIOUS to the legitimate trade
A man who can buy liquor for N.5O or IS a
case is not going to pay me SIS. / have
been told frequently by patrons that they
did not care for anything because they had
just received, or were about to receive,
some from st. Thomas
The smuggling has not been confined to
liquors, many other valuable goods. es-
pecially cloth. laces and linen. having been
brought in duty free. One Of the stories
freely circulated in San Juan is that price
list OF St. Thomas liquor concern had been
brought over to Porto Rico by an officer.
and that II was passed around among
friends so that they might make out their
orders TO be filed the next time one Of the
boats made trip TO that port.