New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-24
"DUvEENS L0WD0WN TYPE
Of SMUCCLERS' WISE
U. S. Attorney 0enounCeS Art
importers. Who Plead Guilty
and Beg for Mercy.
SENTENCES ARE DEFERRED
protecting Letter Used to
Cover Imports Which Never
Paid Duty Cited in Course
of Proceedings.

Henry !. Duveen head Of the firm OF
puveen Brothers. art importers ana Den
,o,,fn Duveen. manager Of the New
York branch 81 the firm. placed suii'S
yesterday before Judge Martin. in the
United states Circuit Court to the inoio'-
roent charging them with conspiracy 70
defraud the United states oil customs
duties
John E stanchheid. counsel for the Du-
,s.,s asked the court 70 impose a non1i-
nal fine. as the defendants had settlea
with the government for s1.20Ooo0 and
because the AUTHORIZATIONS charged 10
them had been committed on a fe" vases
only.
This 'rlea brought Henry a Wise. United
state Attorney. % disclose for the hrSt
time that the government had evidence IN
SIS possession 70 show that the Duveens
rot ONLY undsrvalued merchandise but d.
rectly struggled goods into this por'
avoiding the payment Of single cent Of
duty on costly tapestries and otner ar'
,.isc-s Men that do that Mr. Wise
SAID. are IS lowdown type Of srnugglers
sr6 s7indlers as have been brought 70
bar within all the nine and half wears
that 7 have been engaged IN prosecuting
crimes FOR the government
These defendants entered into con-
spiracy not 10 sruggle or undervalue
--ree vases as Mr. Stanchfeld saws. II
vas q general conspiracy 70 defraud the
United States on any. all and every in
portation made by this firm al the Port Of
New York
lie pointed out that some overt act had
e he SGT forth specifically by the govern
roent. and this smuggling OF the vases vas
selected accordingly II Mr. Stanchheld
rad thought the government was limited
70 proof OF this act he would have gone
- trial. but. Nj wise said. he knew that
TIE government would then bring out en-
try after entry Of merchandise valued 81
es much as 10000 at : time on false and
periured invoices.
puvser Expected knighthood
That i the character Of criminal that
6 a. the bar" Mr. wise continued. and
the fiea that men Of wealth. that gentle
-oen Who expected 70 be knishted az the
coronation this year. can commit crimes
sd libitur. I'd inhnituno every day-that
Is the character of the men a. the bar
Did YOU say he was going 70 be
knighted7" asked Judge Martin
II didn't say the British King was GO
.nr to make anv such mistake" Mr.. Wise
answered 4 said this man hoped 10 be
He is British subject coming here
into this country. enjoying the privileges
granted 10 him. and enriching himself by
cheating the government OF millions of
dollars .f he had not cheated them out Of
II he would not have paid back that money.
Il DO not deny that the condition OF
health Of the defendant, Henry Duveen. is
such as stated by Or James. and I state
20 this court. as ! stated to his counsel. If
he had committed murder he would be
ecuted. He has stolen money from the
government. and he ought to 90 20 jail
The protecting Letter"
Mr.. Wise said that the defendants were
engaged IN smuggling day after day. For
instance they entered Louis XVI cab-
net as manufacture Of wood In the
drawer of that cabinet articles Of great
value were sealed up which were not de-
clared on the invoice. In the mail that
brought the invoice were two letters. one
simply accompanying the consular invoice
for the cabinet. the other protecting let
ter The government had a stack Of such
letters. Mr. Wise added and he read one,
as follows.
Nessrs Duveen Brothers New York
Gentlemen. We very much regret 10 find
that our packer. i'm packing the cabinet
covered by our invoice per steamship Ma
j.stic failed 90 take out Of the drawer an
old piece Of tapestry which was there
while IL was i'm our warehouse We very
much regret this and will he obliged TO YOU
Il Won viii return this tapestry 70 us.
This thing. the prosecutor said hap
peaed hundreds Of times and they never
returned the inclosed objects Hanging In
the home Of George Gould. he said. was n
huge tapestry that was brought I'm by
these men without the payment Of dollar
or duty
u have n volume here 20 show that they
we're not casual or accidental criminals"
Ar Wise concluded, but that they we're
constant. ever-criminals and that they
should be punished by substantial Jail SEN
fences
Judge Martin announced that he wanted
r. consult his fellow Judges and post
roned the imposition 81 sentence until this
morning he permitted the defendants 10
change their plea temporarily. SO as 70
leave them AZ liberty on bail pending hts
decision.
nArrnn