The New York herald., 1922-11-24
FORMER DRY AGENTS
AMONG 50 INDICTED
in U. s. LIQUOR CASES
Main Bill Alleges Plot OF
Prohibition Operatives
and Civilians.
CHARGES VAST FRAUD
Judge Foster Can See No
objection to Accepting
Jurors Report.
PROBE WILL CONTINUE
Checks for $4,000,000 Said to
Have Formed Part Of
Evidence.
PROBE WILL CONTINUE

Six blanket indictments, charging
conspiracy to defraud the Government
and to violate the national prohibition
law, were returned yesterday by the
September Federal Grand Jury against
thirty individuals and three corpora
tions.
The main indictment charges six
former prohibition enforcement agents
with conniving with fifteen other in
dividuals and one corporation to de-
fraud the Government of customs
duties and internal revenue taxes on
1900 cases of whisky and 295 cases of
champagne alleged to have been with
drawn from the Republic Storage
Warehouse on forged permits.
The five other indictments charge
conspiracy to violate the national pro-
hibition act and involve several of
those named in the main indictment.
Foster Accepts Them.
The Grand Jury. headed by w. de
Saussure Trenholm, who for ten years
has been serving as a Grand Jury fore
man. was dismissed by Judge Rufus Fos-
ter in United States District Court after
the true bills had been returned. The dis
missal resulted from publication of let
ter. written by the Grand Jury to An
drew w. Mellon. Secretary of the Treas
ury. In which it was charged that the
administration of Ralph A. Day as pro-
hibition enforcement director had been
conducted in an "inefficient and dis
graceful manner" After denouncing the
Grand Jury for permitting publication OF
the letter. Judge Foster declared on
Tuesday that any indictments returned
"by you will be tinctured at least with
the suspicion of prejudice"
II see no objection to accepting these
indictments" Judge Foster said yester-
Gay. MY remarks the other day per-
tained only to the matter under discus
sion at that time"
The main indictment names as de-
fendant Emanual II. Kessler, known
also as Mamie" Kessler Morris Sweet
wood, known also as James Wood"
and Morris Seizholz. Kessler's right
hand man. Joseph Fox. known also as
Joe, the book" Morris M. Becher;
Morey L. Birnbaum: George J. Shevlin.
Peter Grimes. known also as y. l..
Peters; !" Mark Aron; Millard j. Fried
berg: Robert Gootfried: George jean
demange: Albert Block: AL Goldman
lack Goldman: Bent katz: John X.
Maxwell: the firm of Hartman, Cold
smith & Co., Inc, and Irving Carson,
ROSWELL A. Saver, Joseph Fasullo,
George M. Fanelli, Henry Grunewald
and Abe Toplitz. former dry agents.
BiII Contains Nine Counts.
The indictment is in nine counts. The
defendants, 1t is alleged. "unlawfully.
wiifully and falsely and with intent to
defraud made and forged Customs Per-
init form 1907, purporting to authorize
the withdrawal for shipment In bond
the 1900 cases of whisky which had
heretofore been imported in bond by
Hartman Goldsmith & Co, Inc. to Phil
adelphia, Pa.and purporting to bear the
official signature OF S. 7. Townsend
Deputy Collector at the Port of New
York" Forgery OF a similar customs
permit for the withdrawal Of 2e5 cases
Of champagne is charged.
The defendants, continued the indict-
ment also conspired to violate the ma
tional prohibition act "by possessing
transporting. selling and delivering and
furnishing intoxicating liquors con-
tanning more tnd0 O1e-ndiI OF one per
cent alcohol to various unknown per-
sons for beverage purposes"
Defendants named in the other five
Indictments, also charged with con-
spiracy TO violate the national prohibit
ton act. are Allan Black. Matz & Cohen,
Inc, Walter Wormser. Bernard Born
stein, Nathan Bernstein. Emil wormser
Otto Gass. Charles II. HUFFMAN and
Albert Howard and A. A. Arditti & Co.
Carson Named I'm Five.
Irving Carson, brother Of Murray
Carson. who Is said TO have loaned
100000 TO Ralph A. Day during his
regime as Federal Prohibition Enforce
mont Director. IN named in five OF the
indictments.
Allan Black. In charge OF the liquor
department OF Matz & Cohen is charged
along with his firm, OF divertIng to boot
leg trade whisky legally Withdrawn from
bond.
Irving Carson. Roswell Saver and
George NJ. Fanelli. former dry agents
arc charged In the third indictment with
conspiring with A. A. Arditt & Co.. To
violate the prohibition act. The Ard.
It'll Company. II Is charged. gave all
its records OF purchases and sales OF
hauor from July. 1921 and June 26. 1922
10 the dry agents. The records subse.
quently were lost" II is alleged
Emil Wormser. Charles III. Kurtzman.
Albert Howard and Otto Gass are
charged with working in collision with
the three dry agents In possessing and
transporting COO cases OF whisky from
50 Jay street TO places unknown to the
Grand Jury, and without having oh.
aimed the permits for the removal OF
The whisky.
Walter Wormser Is alleged to have
removed the records OF purchase and
sale Of liquors from the B. u. Davis &
Co.. go Hudson street. and to have
delivered them TO Irving Carson so
Continued on Pngc Eight.