New-York tribune., 1921-01-08
Intelligence Bureau Chief
Sent to New York to Run
Down 500, 200, 900
in Struggled Liquor
Roundup Expected
Within a Few DAYS
Investigations Are Under
Way in Other Cities
Throughout Country

thorough investigation OF the il
legal liquor traffic, which has resulted
in the importation of 10O,O00,00C
worth of liquor into this city within
the last year, was launched yesterday
by Federal officials under direction of
Elmer L. Trey, chief of the special
intelligence service of the Bureau
of Internal Revenue, who came here
from Washington with orders to omit
no effort to unearth the source Of the
illegal liquor traffic,
Chief Trey had a conference i'm
mediatcly upon his arrival with local
Chief Hugh McQuillan, who, during the
last few days has made a roundup
of alleged crooked employees in the
Office of Feder,-l Prohibition Drector
for the State OF New York Charles
Z. O'Connor.
Chief Trey and Chief McQuillan, it
was declared yesterday. will examine
a host of witnesses in connection with
the more than 1000 fraudulent liauor
permits issued during the last year
in this city, and held responsible for
the illegal importation Of liquor Chief
Trey spent the whole day yesterday
going over the reports of special
agents concerning the liquor with
drawal permit frauds. He also cx-
smined closely the false withdra wal
permits discovered by Mr.. O'Connor.
in an effort to learn just how many
,,,
and about this city, the various pecu-
liarities of the sets of rubber stamps
used and the handwriting peculiaritics
Of the authors of the bogus papers.
Shake.up Expected
1t is likely that Chief Trey will have
before him representatives of many Of
the firms on whose names the forged
permits we're issued and that, as re-
suit Of his investigation, there will
be radical shake-up in the prohibi-
tion enforcement personnel in New
York and Washington.
Chief Trey sala tnat the preliminary
investigation already made through the
local agents of the government has
disclosed sufficient information to war
rant the rounding up of offenders,
official and otherwise. Similar investi-
cations, he said, are now under way
in other cities, and efforts are being
made to find connecting link, if pos
siblc, between the frauds here and
elsewhere.
Two men were arrested here yester-
day charged with stealing $l35,000
worth of aiconos The two men, Nor
ris Butter, of 40 Avenue D, and Louis
Solomon, Of 745 East Ninth Street,
we're held in $4,000 bail each for en-
animation January 10 by Magistrate
Tobias in Tombs Court.
Four other important arrests were
made at rectifying establishment at
81 Greene Street. it was announced yes
terday, when the city police seized
ternal revenue stamps valued at $780,
liquor Abels. AS result Frank De
Simone, Of 161 Mott Street; Daniel
Caputo, of SO Mulberry Street; Pas
quale Stripe, Of l9l Grand street. and
Saverio Sciortino, Of 165 Mott Street,
were arrested on q charge of counter
feting government stamps. Maxwell
S. Mattuck, Assistant United States
District Attorney, said that enough
stamps and labels were found to re-
lease $4,000 worth Of liquor Caputo
was held in $4,000 BAIL Sinone in
1000, Sciol tino in $1,000 and Stripe
in 81 600 Tor further examination.
Ramifcation3 in Capital
The ram lications of the whisky ring
of bootlcggers, it was declared yester-
day, have extended into the prohi ion
enIorccment Office at Washington. Dis
patches from Washington 5esterday
told of the suspension Of q c.erk in
the prohibition enforcement office at
Washington pending lnvestiga ton of
charges Of irregularity in issuing liquor
withdrawal psrmits.
Commissioner Kramer at Washington
would not discuss a report that the
clerk was involved in a confession al
legged to have been made by William F.
Mccoy, former auditor in the commits
sioner's Office, which is said to have
concerned the distribution of liquor
withdrawal permits valued at $4,000
each.
The investigation of the illegal liquor
traffic now under way and the discov-
ery of the methods whereby bOOtlcgpe RS