The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-07-23
BIG GANG INVOLVED
 CUSTOMS SPINDLE
COLLECTOR LOEBS MEN MAKE IMPORTANT ARRESTS OF THOSE IMPLICATED IN PLOT.

IMPORTANT ARRESTS OF THOSE
 IMPLICATED IN PLOT.
 New York, July 2s-Three of the four men arrested for complicity in the plot by which hundreds of thou sands of dollars worth of imported goods have been stolen while in transit from steamship piers to the Public Stores at Christopher and Washington streets, were held yesterday by Com missioner Shields for examination on Monday.
 William Corbin, the driver, who came under suspicion during the investfga- ton, was releas sed on his promise to come to the United States District Alt torney's office if wanted.
 With the arraignment of the men, more interesting facts in connection with the case came out. The arrests made on Wednesday. it is now said, are likely to be only the first of a se- ries, for the Department of Justice men who, under the direction of J. B. Loud of the Law Division of the Custom House, have spent weeks of patient watching on the case, are convinced that many were implicated in the plot. Not only have they located the fence" but they have found also that the men had confederates on the ferryboats; It was brought out that the capture of Walter Bruce. the alleged go be- tween, and Nicholas Griffin, the driver of the truck containing the stolen goods, was effected only after a fight
 
 officials had to use clubs and pls- tol.
 Mr. Loud, George M. Kennoch, and George Dyer followed the truck from the ferryboat until it was approaching the fences place in Little west Twelfth street, which they had already located. They ran ahead and took up position where they could see and hear when the truck drove up.
 Griffin began to carry in the stolen cheviot while Bruce stood in the truck and assisted in the unloading.
 Griffin had taken one bale into the house and was going back with the second bale when two of the officers stepped up and arrested him. At that he dropped his load and started in to fight. At his first shout Bruce start ed to climb down from the wagon.
 You stay where you are." said one of the Government men, and Bruce found himself looking into the muzzle of a revolver.
 In the meantime Griffin was fight ing desperately to get away One of the officers pulled blackjack and made him surrender. Before he was subdued. however, Griffin had to be siderable excitement in the neighbor- hood and a crowd gathered. The man with the revolver explained that GOV ernment officers were making an ar rest and this announcement and the sight of the revolver prevented inter ference.
 John Miller, the truckrnan who took the goods from the Hoboken pier, was arrested later.
 The credit for the arrests is said to be largely due to the efforts of MT. Loud, who was first assigned to the case, and who worked for two weeks rerfecting plans before calling in as siStance.
 The numher of searchers has now been increased by men from the Fed eral District Attorneys office. The deckhands on some ferryboats are now under suspicion, 1t is said, of having stood in'' with the thieves. In one case, at least, it has been discovered that where a. case was broken open on a ferryboat the thieves found the goods were not worth the risk of stealing or returning to the footed consignment, and so the stuff was burned in the en- zine room.
 Collector Loeb issued yesterday this statement regarding the arrests:
 '"The Collector has been working at this problem since he took office. He has been aided by, the cooperation of the Merchants Association acting on behalf of the importers. The system employed was for drivers of trucks to pick up a confederate as the truck went on the ferryboat, and when the boat was crossing the river, to have the confederate break open such cases as the driver pointed out, and then have the confederate put the stolen goods on a truck of an accomplice, who would take the goods to a fence.' lector have been watching various ferryboats, with the result that the men were caught red-handed."