New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-18
FOUR INDICTED IN
SMUGGLING FRAUDS
Bills Against Boston Customs
Emp|oye and Wife and Two
New York DreSSmakerS.
EXPOSED BY THE TRIBUNE
Mr.. and Mrs. Shevlin and Miss
Brennan Are Charged with
Conspiring to Defraud
the Government.

Boston. April 1.-THE federal grand
jury which has been hearing charges OF
smuggling at this port to-day reported
indictments against Terence l.. Shevlin.
local customs employe: his wife. Anna w.
Shevlin; Miss Kate A. Brennan and Miss
Margaret A. Mulhall. the latter two
being dressmakers Of New York. The
Shevlins and Miss Brennan are charged
with conspiring TO defraud the govern
ment of custom duties and with snug
Cling Miss Mulhall il accused Of SNUG
Cling.
Miss Brennan was arrested in New YORK
recently following the seizure here OF
trunk alleged to have contained womens
gowns brought i'm from Paris without
payment of customs charges. through the
connivance Of customs employees The
Shevlins were taken into custody later
here. Miss MulhalTs name had not been
brought into the case publicly before.
one of four indictments charges Shevlin
and Miss Brennan with smuggling en-
broideries. laces. gowns, dresses, costumes
and other wearing apparel for women at
this port on eight occasions from sep
tenber Is. 1908 to September 10, 1872.
A second indictment alleges that both
the Shevins and Miss Brennan conspired
TO bring in the trunk which was seized
on March II and was alleged to contain
twenty Partisan gowns valued at 1880. II
hore a customs label indicating that II
had been examined. though no duties had
been paid.
The other two indictments Involve MISS
Mulhall. I'm one she is accused jointly
with the Shevlins OF smuggling emDrold-
cries and laces here on March D. 1910 anu
in the other she and Shevlin are charged
with having struggled dresses. gowns ana
costumes on September 10, 1893.
sheylin was at one time a deputy COL
Iector OF the port. with salary or sz'-W.
Following a slight illness he was denoted
10 the rank OF clerk at salary OF siV''
II IS understood that the Treasury oinciais
believe that the government has oeeh de-
frauded OF many thousands of dollars oy
a smuggling ring made up OF persons III
poston and New York. but that preTna-
t,re publlcity given TO the detective WORK
., ,beir agents has made the gathering or
evidence difficult.
The Tribune on March p published an
exclusive account Of the smuggling con
splracv in Boston. which involved me"
emnloved in the customs service.
The method Of the smugglers' as de-
scribed in The Tribune. was to leave New
York for Paris or London under the"
own names and return from abroad uhuer
assumed names on steamships "hi'h
landed them and their baggage In boston'
When the special Treasury agents
learned OF the fraudulent enterprise they
made efforts TO take charge or the sl'u-
alton. but the investigation made by the
customs officials In this city and in Bos-
TON had been sufficiently completed 10
warrant action by Henry \. Wise, VINO
was al that time United states Attorney
for the Southern District Of New YORK. -,
II was made known that raids had been
made on trunks In New York, and the
name of Mrs &. Donovan q Co, OF NO.
% East 55th street was involved. ms
establishment was incorporated IN March
1905. and upon the death of Mrs. {. Dono-
van who was the president in 1910, IL was
taken over by another company which
included Kate A Brennan, president.
Edward r. Brennan, yice-president. and
Kate Hanlon, secretary.
Miss Kate Brennan was the buyer for
the concern and made two trips abroad
every year. always sailing from New York
and returning under an assumed name on
ships that landed az Boston.
+, ,yoe tho efforts of the smuggling ring
TO put her baggage through on the arrl-
val al Boston OF the Cunarder Carpathia
on March Il that led TO the detection OF
her part IN the fraud Miss Brennan had
been on one OF her customary fall trips
10 London and Paris She bought consid-
cradle stock. including models and mer-
chandise used I'm the dressmaking bust