The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-12-30
BIGGEST RUM
RING IS Barred
Claim $4,000 Bribes in U. s.
Department Were Com
mon Occurrences.
JAIL D. C. FENCING MASTER
Prohibition Officials Reported to
Be in Giant Liquor
CabaI.

Due to the clever work of two
Washington revenue officers, what
is believed to be the biggest whiskey
ring in the country has been wound
up. Te work involved crooked
ness in the prohibition unit, by some
of the officials employed and may
extend to some of the higher ones
and many minor employees who have
left the Prohibition Bureau recently.
$4,000 BRIBEs COMMON.
1t is said that bribes of $50 900 We're
not uncommon and that many OF me
prohibition officials have made Tor
tunes in traffcking in Illicit nqror.
The officials of the Internal RcHenEe
Bureau and the Treasury D"parin'"nt
are trying to cover UP the Ilsc until
thew have obtained more information
and of such a nature that they bell"Ve
will involve some of the biggest men
in the country.
ID. c. FENCING MASTER JAILED.
The whiskey dealers got so bold
recently that they came to Washing
ton and openly bartered with Gov
ernment officials for whiskey permits.
One Of the employees of the New
York Prohibition Enforcement office
was here for several days last week
and bargained for wholesale liquor
permits.
SO far the only Washingtonian in
volved in the ring Is Prof. Antonia
Pappano, the society fencing master.
He was arrested yesterday by rev
enue Agent Stephenson. who has been
working on the case and was held in
SIC. 900 bonds by Justice HIT United
States commissioner. In default or
bail he was sent to Jail to await hear
ing January l3.
CHARGED WITH CONSPIRACY.
Prof. Pappano has been in Wash
ington several years and his pupils
were the society of Washington. Be
fore coming here he had been instruc-
tor of Fencing at the United states
Naval Acade my, at Annapolis and also
fencing instructor at Princeton Uni
yersity, when President Wilson was
head Of that university.
He had studio at 1f0G II street
northwest where he taught fencing
for several years. Recently he put a
sign on his letter box bearing the
name of "Thc Columbia Pharmaceu-
tial CO.
Professor Pappano is charged with
conspiracy to dcfraud the Unitec
states government anu pi lpN'N'
.VICTIM or FRAME-UP.'
Prof. Pappano was allied with the
whiskcy ring in New York, the pro-
hibition agents charge. and that last
Monday he was at the Ebbitt House
here in company with an employe or
the New York office, and that ar
rangements were then made TO issue
a permit for whiskey in wholesale
quantities.
At tho District Jail today Pappano
denied any criminal intent and said
he was the victim of frame up. Tic
declined to discuss the case further on
the advice OF his attorney, Thomas
! +. Taylor.
ARREST WOMAN INN.N.
The employed alleged to have con-
spicd with him is Miss NJ. r.. far'
| kins. "A worker in the New York Office.
| She was arrested this morning by
Revenue Agent stephens, in New
York, and three other men were ar
rested at the same time. The Rcvc-
nue. officials here refused to give out
| the names of the mon arrested.
The warrant charged Pappano
specifically with conspiring TO OBJ
tain permit for liquor for Fair.
! Lennon & Co, 1904 Gainsvoort
street. New York city He is al d..
legged to have offered a bribc Of 5000
to Agent Stephenson, at tho Ebbrtt
| last Monday.
| The warrant for the arrest If
Pappano was sworn out by Paul
Anderson, special agent of the In
tcrnal Revenue Bureau.