Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-02-22
ARMY UNIFORM
CLOTH THIEVES
| &C I 100000.
Manufacturers and Quar-
termaster's Clerk Are In
dicted For Huge Plot.
SOME LOOT RESOLD
TO U. S. GOVERNMENT

New York, Feb. 21.-An alleget
countrywide plot involving illega
profteering in army cloth at the ex
rense of the government was dis
closed here today with the indict
ment by the federal grand jury o
eleven men, one a clerk in the quar-
termaster's department OF the army
en- charges Of fraud
Federal authorities believe the in
vestigations, which will extend tt
ether cities, will show the government
has suffered to the extent Of $4,000.
COO, but at the same time 1t was stated
the indictments today would serve tc
terminate further conspiring and save
the government from millions more
in losses.
GOVERNMENT BUYS TWICE
Eight of the defendants are manu-
fscturers Of army uniforms.
The profteering is made possible
the federal investigators explained
by the methods in which the cloth Is
cut. From material which the gov
ernment estimated would provide a
cozen uniforms. the manufacturers
would cut ten, or less, according to
the authorities, and the excess cloth
known to the trade as Clippings
would be resold either to the govern.
ment itself or to other manufacturers.
Some of the defendants, it was
said, represented to the government
that their clippings amounted to 3
PER cent. whereas actually. due to
their methods Of cloth cutting, they
amounted to PEE cent, the diner-
cnce representing the. excess cloth al
legged to have been retained.
CLERK AIDS IN THEFF ~.
Owing to the alleged activity Of a
civilian clerk in the army in connec-
tion with the purported plot. It was
easy for concealment to be effected.
So bold were some Of the defendants.
according to investigators, that bolts
of stolen cloth were displayed openly
in windows in the jobbing district.
"Clippings" were sold to manufac-
turers in Chicaxo, ST. Louis and Green
vile. ILL.,. and large quantities Of the
cloth have been recovered at those
places, it was said. Some manufac-
turers purchased innocently and will
not be prosecuted. Clothing houses
in other western cities also have OBJ
tanned cloth, not knowing it was
stolen. the investigators said, and this
has not yet been recovered.
The indictments are based on evil
dence gathered by the federal district
ONCE in connection with
the arrest about two months ago Of
Louis Davidson. head OF the Universal
Cloth Shrinking and Refnishing
works here.
The indictment against Davidson
contains sixteen counts and charges
him specifically with the stealing Of
2 1000 bolts of army cloth valued at
$50. 900.
LONG LIST OF DEFENDANTS
Davidson is one Of those accused,
together with Hyman Horwitz and his
son Benjamin, in business as Horwitz
& Muskowitz; Baret Tietz Of B. Tietz
& Co.; Jacob Weinstein and his son;
Abraham Pursh and Leon Levin OF
Pursch & Levin: Barney Robinson
and Morris Alewitz, shipping clerks in
The employ of the New York Manufac-
,urers' company, all Of this city. and
Ira L. Janowsky, civilian clerk, in
The quartermaster's office here. The
are ali accused Of hav-
ng received and retained army cloth.
Robinson and Alewitz are charged
with perjury before the grand jury
and Janowsky Is alleged to have de-
stroyed government receipts so as to
ION nceal thefts OF the cloth.