The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1913-05-26
HELD ON CHARGES
OF UNDERWRITING
Accused Of Passing Goods Con-
signed to Wanamaker.
DISCLOSURES ARE PROMISED
Former Customs Examiner Held IN
$4,000 Bail In PhiIadelphia-Payment
of 100000 Started Probe.

Philadelphia, May 26. - Robert >.
chandise in the local customs service,
was held in $4,000 bail by United
States Commissioner Craig for a fur
Brierley, formerly an examiner OF mer-
ther hearing in the federal building on
a charge of ''unlawfully and fraudu-
lently passing valuable and dutiabie
merchandise imported from aboard and
consigned to John Wanamaker, OF th1s
city, as goods of no value"
Sensational disclosures, showing how
the government has lost thousands OF
dollars through the alleged fraudulent
passing of imported goods into this
country without payment of duty are
promised by the government.
The arrest of Brierley is the first
prosecution in an investigation start
ed two weeks ago by Henry N. "a
mold, assistant to United States Attor-
ney General McReynolds. Mr.. Arnold
was sent to Philadelphia from Wash
ington to investigate the payment aof
100000 by John Wanamaker to the
United States treasury department. On
March last in settlement of claims
of the government upon importatiOAs
alleged to have been undeTyalued n
the Philadelphia port.
Since the beginning of the invesfk
CATION much secrecy has surroundea
the work of Mr. Arnold and his assist
ants. The hearing in the federal btHid-
ing was no exception, as all Charges
against Brierley were made at secret
session. There was evidence enougl
however, for the commissioner to hold
Brierley under heavy bail. The teSflz
mony, it is said, was of highly selE
ssational character, and disclosed the
methods by which the alleged fraudlss
lent imports were made possible.
Henry H. Waters, deputy collect0Iz
of customs of New York, who was An
signed to participate in the investiEas
ton of the Wanamaker imports. waes
the only witness called, The warrant
was issued on the affidavit Of Frank
L. Gabarino, special agent of the d<Es
partment of justice, and who is assIeff
ing in the case. S7*
Deputy Collector Waters test{Ae8
that upward of 400 cases of valua
merchandise consigned to John
maker from foreign ports had h6} s 8
passed in. this manner He des1Ef
that he had gone over the books III IS =
appraisers office from 1906 to 19C1
and found that cases of InerchanGlse
invoiced as of no value, had been
passed as SUCH although they should
have been examined and the duty
marked on the invoice An examina
tion of the books of John Wanamaker
was made, and it was disclosed that.
in many instances goods had been
passed free of duty that were of a high
commercial value and on which large
duty should have been levied.
It was the duty of Appraiser Brierley
to examine the contents of the case to-
which the invoice referred and see II
that statement was correct. Whether
Brierley made an examination Of the
400 cases found to have been passed
is not known, but it was testified that
directly opposite to the mark of mo
value on the invoice Brierley noted
I'M red ink that an examination show
ed the case to contain sample posters
or some other matter of no CONNER
cial value. Wanamaker's books, how
ever, Mr.. Waters said, showed the real
contents to be valuable flags, tapes
tries and other TEXTILES.