The Savannah morning news., 1903-08-08
PAID HIGH FOR SMOKE
PATRONS OF CRIMSON AND HIS
WIFE ARE SORRY NOW.
MANY WERE TAKEN IN.
sMUGGLED HAvANAs TURN OUT To
HAVE BEEN A HIGH-PRICED
LUXURY.

Those Who PatrOniAed Railroad
Clerk and HIS Wife Paid $15 a
Thousand More Than If They Hnd
Purchased From Licensed Deal
ers-If They Are Prosecuted There
viii Re More Money to Pagan
nounccnRent That Government
Will Let None Escape Caused a
Shr-What the Struggled Cigars
Originally Cost and What Was
Paid for Them
Savannahians and others who pur-
chased Struggled cigars from Judson
~Brinson, or from his wife, and who ad
united that they had done so when
they paid District Attorney Leaken
duty on the purchases they had made
months and maybe years ago. were
stirred up yesterday when they read
the Washington dispatch to the Morn
ing News announcing that the Treas
ury Department had asked the Depart
ment of Justice to prosecute every per-
son who purchased the smuggled
cigars.
They have already paid more than
It would have cost them had they pur-
chased the cigars through the regular
and licensed channels, and criminal
prosecutions would mean the expendi-
ture of more money for counsel fees.
even though they should escape con-
viction and punishment in the United
States courts.
AS it is. those who have
paid the district attorney $50 a thou
sand for all cigars purchased from the
Brinsons, have paid considerable more
than would have been required of them
If the purchases had been made legiti-
mately, and the government had gotten
its share when it was entitled to it.
what Crimson Made.
The cigars that were sold so ex-
tensively in Savannah by ,Brinson and
his wife were secured. ii is said, in Ha-
vana for $50 a thousand. 1t is stated
upon reliable authority that when
they arrived in Savannah the
actual cost of the cigars reach
ed $50 a thousand, for, beginning
at Tampa, money was left all along
the route to Savannah. Just where
the $40 went is known TO Brinson, his
A large number of the cigars were
sold to business men here for S65
thousand leaving a clear profit of SIS
a thousand for Brinson and his wife.
1t is claimed that because of the eX-
tensive business that they did they
made a considerable sum each month
out of their hazardous occupation.
The same grade of cigars can be
/ purchased through licensed deal
ers for $11O a thousand, and
those who PAL $65 for them inn
agined that they were saving an even
S45 on every thousand With the dis
trict attorneys claim of $50 now, how
ever, the purchasers find that they
have already lost $15 and stand a good
chance of at least securing much un-
pleasant publicity, if indeed it does
not cost them considerable more
money.
Had Cigar Factory.
A well-known business man who
was visited quite a number of times
by Mrs. Brinson several years ago,
says that she had a cigar factory in
Savannah at that time. He made pur-
chases from her, and is certain she
operated a factory here.
Besides disposing of the high grade
cigar, this factory arranged to unload
the cheap articles that was turned out
in this city. They proved almost
worthless, and some of them are still
in existence. From all accounts Mrs.
Brinson was a clever saleswoman and
had no difficulty in disposing of the
cigars. She visited the offices of some
of her customers and chatted pleas
antly with them while taking orders
for one or two thousand of the cigars
that now has a large part of Savan-
nahs prominent citizens standing On
tip-toe, and others who are away for
the summer closely scanning the
papers. Brinson is under a bond for
* 000 brf sc not now in ha cifu