The evening world., 1911-04-27
N|PS NEW FRAUD
|NcUSTOMS,G GETS
$4,000 REWARD
Treasury Agent J. c. Cum
mings Exposes ressmakers
Before Goods Arrive.
ALL ARE R~EAPPRAISED.
Some of Those in Latest
Scheme Were Concerned in
Sleeper Trunk Frauds.
ALL ARE ~REAPPRAISED.

Between s76.cm and 10000 In cash
for tho Governncnt. and the appro-
baton OF his superiors L. the reward
earned by J. G. Cummings. special
Treasury agent IN charge Of the New
York ONCE. for having nippsd In the
bud a now method OF Customs fraud.
Invented by American dresemakers. No
arrests were made in connection with
tho matter. the wrong being rig,nted In
tho Appraisers Stores through q care
ful r~evaluation cfAthe foreign goods.
1t Is an inter(n s fact that out ~
increases made N the value of the
goods OF az least.two score dressmak-
ers. not an appeal has been taken. Coll
lector William Loeb and Surveyor Of
the Port Gen. Nelson II. Henry lsuperin.
tended the programme y which the new
method Of cheating tho Government
was foiled.
How the Fraud Wac Worked.
Here is an Associated Press despatch
from Washington which limited at the
work of the New York Customs suthor-
tiles:
Secret agents of the customs SER
vice have discovered . system OF
smuggling expensive Rpwns and
women's clothing from Paris which
PROMISES 10 approach In ina rnitude
the famous sleeper.trunk frauds.
Undervaluatlons and fraudulent
manifests are SAID to be the means
the suspected onss have used 20
carry on their work. Evidence In the
ros.ession of thu Government tends
20 indicate that some OF the snug
glers convicted and hncd in the
trunk rauds are the leading spirits
in the new scheme"
Il cannot discuss his matter beyond
informing o that I have no know
ledge of n raids being made to-
day" said Mr.. Cummings to an Even
ing World reporter. my work in this
matter Is all done. What new device
vented by the ~dressmakers for next
year remains for us TO ind out"
one OF air. Cummings super!ors
explained the methods used during the
present spring season as follows:
These dressmaksrs planned a very
clever scheme. In Paris they would
so TO the merchants and make a cash
payment OF one-third or one-fourth Of
their value. Then when they TOOK the
goods they would Get bills which on
their face showed only the remaining
the United states Consul and he would
certify them.
The Goods Divided Up.
Knowing that II II a rule 10 accom-
modate the travelling public IN New
York to appraise incoming goods up to
a value OF $500 upon tho piers. they
would sail for America with their mod
els at the differentiation divided up
among two or three or more passen-
gers.
But they rcckoned without kno wing
that the Treasury agent OF the New
York office had avices Of their procedure
abroad. The first OF tho dressmakers
came in early In March on the ST. Paul
and In the same week another lot CAM
in on "a Lorraine. When they got tC
the pier tho Government officials re
fused to appraise the goods, notwith
standing the invoices certified by tn,
American Consul In Paris. All tn,
trunks We're sent To the Appraisers
stores. Since then the value OF tn,
goods has been marked up from % to 4
per cent. and in not "a single instanc
has there been a protest made"
Upon payment OF the duty upon III
basis OF the increased valuation tn
goods have in each Instance bee. re
leased by the Government. Some o
tho goods taken 10 the Appraisers
stores was found to have been proper
ly valued, but these instances wer
few and FAR between. Five boats ha.
got In when the number OF incomln
dressmakers with goods valued aroun
about $500 suddenly ceased. The Gov
eminent officials declare that there mus
have been some cabling In tho inter
q val, As long as they get the fun dut
a they are satisfied. these Government OF
. fclals.