New-York tribune., 1918-07-27
u. S. Checkers Accused of
Being in League With
Butchers and Drivers
100000 Lbs. Involved
Adding Machine Enables In
telligence Officers to Dis
cover System"


was the prosaic instrument that led to
The indictment yesterday of twenty-one
men on the charge of stealing beef in
tended for soldiers and reselling it to
the navy. The adding machines role
OF detective was played in the daily
Iabulation in the navy commissary de-
partment of almost endless columns of
figures having to do with the sailors
butcher bill.
The tabulations showed that q GER
TAIN butcher was consistently under
selling competitors who, by reason of
superior facilities, should have been
able to undersell him. Naval intelli
gence men were set to work. After a
few days they reported their findings
to army intelligence men.
indictments and arrests followed YES
terday, when Assistant United States
Attorney Paul Yasalli explained that
the government had proof that it had
been robbed of at least 100000 pounds
OF army beef. Among those arrested d
we're truck drivers, government check
weIghmen and meat dealers.
Millionaire Butcher Indicted
One of those indicted was million
alre butcher, 1sadore Frank, of 18o
West Eightyfrst Street. Frank was
at his summer home yesterday, and
so had not been arrested up to a late
hour last night. All the others in
volved were arrested during the day,
but were released on bonds of from
$1,000 to $4,000.
Besides Frank, the indicted dealers
are: Abraham Rothman. 623 East Six
teenth Street; Harry Rothman, BAT
East Tenth Street; Joseph Zegas, 15s
Avenue c; Edward Kaufman, 73 West
r ltty-tlfth Street, and Isadore and JOS
eph Weiser, IS Waverly Avenue, Rock
away.
Others indicted were: Louis Aulicino,
purchasing agent for Frank, Alb Elev-
enth Avenue; George Kilian, PIT West
SlXty-slXth Street, and Frank Killinet,
2o3 West Twentieth Street, government
checkers; James Hickey, 338 West For
[y-hrst Street, Brooklyn, and Michael
Coughlin, II Perry Street, checkers
pany; Michael O'Donovan, 173 East
Eighty third Street; John Devlin, :19
West Twenty sixth Street; Arthur
Ames, 429 West Twenty Street;
James A. Flynn, 321 West venty-sev-
anth Street; George Burke, $50 East
eighteenth Street; Mike Lotto, 1928
charlton Street; George Williams, 433
Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn; William +.
Keefe, 458 West Eighteenth Street, all
drivers for J. j. Gillian and Theodore
Mancini, 450 Bergen Street, Brooklyn,
an alleged go-between.
Heavy Penalties Provided
All the men indicted were charged
With violating Section 36 of the United
States Criminal Code relating to con-
spiracy to embezzle and dispose of
property of the government without
.he authority of the government The
maximum penalty is five years in pris-
IN and a $4,000 fine for each offense.
The arrests were made by men of the
Army Intelligence Bureau, under Cap
ain John kaba, Captain Frank Evans
and Captain Robert Mullings, of the
Quartermaster Department.
The government evidence, it was
SSolCiooyp SHOWS lHdC govern
nent checkers at the Lehigh Valley
Railroad yards would credit the truck
drivers with smaller amounts of meat
than were actually loaded on their
wagons.
The System
The system employed there, it was
said, was to load extra hind quarters
after the wagons had been weighed
and checked On the way to the re-
frigerator these drivers would meet
three other men with trucks. These
men, according to the government Off
,ials, were Aulicino, Mancino and
Burke.
The meat for which the drivers would
not have to account when they arrived
1T the refrigerator would then be trans
Ferred to the trucks of these men, and
oy them carried to the dealers who
had agreed to buy it.
Aulcino, who was working for Frank,
IN two occasions, the government Off
,ials say, carted off two heavy wagon
Dads of beef Frank had contract
o supply 0,000 pounds of meat to the
Brooklyn Navy Yard.
The army meat has been disappear
ng for many months, it was said, but
he indictments cover only the period
between April 10 and May "a. All the
defendants are to plead in Judge
Hands court on Monday. The indict-
nents were returned before him.