The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-07
BIG TAX BRIBE
OFFER CHARGED
Secretary of President Ahnelt
of Pictorial Review Co.
Is Accused.
HELD IN $4,000 BAIL
Pr0ber Says He Was Offered
$4,000 to Certify to
Income Returns.
HELD IN $4,000 BAIL

An investigation begun several weeks
ago by agents Of the Department Of
Internal Revenue into the books Of the
Pictorial Review Company, a corpora
ton publishing the magazine of that
name and several others and with Of
fices in 222 West Thirty-ninth street,
resulted yesterday in the arrest of jay
A. Weber, an employee Of the COM
pany. and his arraignment before
United States Commissioner Hitchcock
on a charge Of attempted bribery.
Weber is accused in the complaint
OF having offered $4,000 to an agent
Of the Department OF Internal Rev.
enue II the latter would certify that an
income tax return filed by the Pic
torial Review Company was correct.
He was held in $50. 900 bail by Com
missioner Hitchcock over the protest
Of Benjamin p. De Witt. Assistant
United States Attorney, who asked
that the bail be fixed at 100000 and
stated that the bribe Of $25, 1000 had
been offered in an attempt to conceal
false income tax statements extending
over several years and by means of
which the amount OF tax paid to the
Government was nearly $500, 900 short
Of what IL should have been.
Secretary to President Ahnelt.
Weber 10 described In tho complaint
as secretary OF the Pictorial Review
Company. but the description Is incor-
rect. He is secretary TO William p.
Ahnelt, president OF the company. He
Is about S5 years old and lives in
Leonia. n. ]. A bond In the amour.
Of his bail was supplied by a surety
| company ast soon as his bail had been
nxed. He refused to discuss his ar
| rest. and at the Offices Of the Pictorial
Rep3eto 1t was said that no one there
cared to make any statement about It,
| Weber was arrested at the front door
of the McAlpin Hotel, He had Just
finished luncheon in the hotel with two
Internal Revenue agents. and while they
sat together other agents at q table
close by were watching everything that
was done and listening to most of
| what was said. The watchers had gone
there in the expectation that q bribe
| was to be passed. but when they ar
with him was in q position to swear
| that he had received any money.
The complaint against him Is signed
| by Daniel L. Porter. Supervising In
! terni Revenue agent for this district.
and the allegations contained in It are
all made on information and belief and
on the strength of reports made to
Porter by subordinates. Weber is
charged with Offering a bribe. not CIV
| Ing one.
Tho investigation originally begun
into the Pictorial Review Company's
books did not have its origin in any
suspicion that the Government was
being defra uded. The books OF thou
sands of business concerns are over
hauled every year to see IL their figures
tally with the figures they file with
| the Collector OF Internal Revenue in
making their income tax returns, but
a few days after the experts began
working in the Pictorial Reviep orricel
they reported to their suDeriors that
II appeared as though some mistakes
Rad been made in the company's report
for 1917 and that tho books they were
working on would require the most care
| full kind OF checking UP.
| Shortly afterward ono OF the account
ants reported that he had been ap-
preached by some one who represented
himself as greatly interested in tho &C
countant filing a favorable report and
who intimatsd that the accountant
would be rewarded handsomely II he
would certify that the tax returns fled
by the concern for 1917 were correct
The accountant. after the same man had
returned to tho subject a number OF
times, reported that he had been offered
ar. 900 and would be given $1,000 as a
| Co1 1tintied on Ftfth Pdoe