The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-06-06
MANY WANT REWARD
FROM GOVERNMENT
Treasury to Decide on
Claims for Money.
SMUGGLING GAME EXPOSED
Canadian Fur House for Years Sent
Goods Across the Border With
out Paying Duty.

One of the most extensive smuggling
swindles ever unearthed by United
States customs officers, that operated by
Desjardines & Co.. the great fur house
of Montreal. Canada, will be reviewed by
the Treasury Department for the pur-
pose of determining the justice of nearly
a dozen claims for the reward which
will be paid by the Government. The
contest is now going on.
Two persons claim the reward on ac-
count of furnishing the information
which resulted in breaking up the meth
cd used by Desjardines, and in the cap
ture of more than 2G0 seal-skin sacques
in as many American homes. Several
other persons allege they are entitled
to remuneration on account of services
iii Selling smuggled furs and surrender
ing them to the customs officers.
The Desjardines method of smuggling
was unique, on account of swindling
consignees of the smuggled goods, as
well as the Government. Exposure of
the system resulted in the seizures
mentioned
As the company had been careful TO
exact its pay in advance it lost nothing
Suits were brought against the com
pany by the consignees, however, and
the courts at Montreal may possibly
award damages. The cases are nov
pending.
Swindle C1everly Planned.
The swindle was cleverly planned and
may have been successfully operated
| long before il was brought to the atten-
ton of the United States customs SER
vice. The Desjardines Company obtain
ed the names of American tourists and
offered special inducements for them to
inspect seal skins and other furs. The
company sold at remarkably low prices
and agreed to deliver the goods at the
homes of the Americans.
Customs officers assert that the prices
for which the goods were sold must
rave made it plain. to the Americans
that the goods were to be struggled into
The United States. There was no way IN
which the constgnees of the goods could
be prosecuted.
Employees of Canadian railroad final
ly furnished information to the customs
officers By which the scheme was ex-
posed and broken uD. The railroad men
told the United States authorities that
Desjardines had conspired with certain
railroad officials, by which furs were
| brought across the line The purchases
| made by American tourists were sent
across in that manner and then ex=
pressed by the railroad men to the homes
| of the BUYERS.
Conflicting Claims
The men who exposed the smuggling
| told only of the method and did not di-
rect attention specifically to the com
pany which had entered into collision
with the railroad employees, nor to the
! consfgnees OF, the smuegled goods The
| information aided greatly. however; in
breaking up the method. Secret agents
of the customs division of the Treasury
Department found the smuggled goods.
They made the seizures and also direct
ed the attention of the authorities more
| fully to the manner in which the game
was worked.
Treasury regulations do not permit
the payment of rewards for the seizing
of stolen goods where there has been an
| informer. The agents contend, however,
they learned where the goods were TO be
found and the informers were not en-
titled TO the rewards, for the reason
that they did not give specific informa-
ton. The Treasury sees the justice of
the contentious of the informers and
also of the agents who found and seized
the goods, but the reward cannot be
paid to more than one. 1t is likely the
Solicitor OF the Treasury may be called
upon for an opinion.