The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-08-05
IELLSOF$400,00O
Tribe IN RUM PLOT
Ex Customs Guard Offered Huge
Sum to Wink at Plot.
tut He GOT ONLY $3.50
Substituted Water For Whisky Order
ed by Greek Government and Then
Sold Liquor.

Sold Liquor.
! philadeIphia, Aug. 3.-How he was
| offered "A 100000. bribe in the alleged
s.. 100000 rum plot" was described
H.. Arthur Y. Hammel, former customs
: ard, ut the hearing before Cnlted
.ales Commissioner Manley OF ten
| o1 the men charged with u conspiracy
to carry 10000 barrels Of whisky ont
u bonded warehouses and substitute
! ii" water He said all he received
VAS $3.50.
! Hammel himself is defendant. but
! MS made IL confession and agreed to
$, rye as Il government witness against
! rs alleged confederateS. His teStl-
l.ony was only one high spot III Il
i hearing which lasted two hours, dur
| i.w the course of which several wit
nesses offered testimony involving one
| o. another of the defendants i'll the
! Lot to get whisky out of bond fraudu-
! irntly and sell it. At the conclusion
| cf the hearing each of the ten de-
ttndants was held in $4,000 bail for
| court.
Those held are Matthew H. Gi1i1in,
| Il. .rlner chief of The United States Sc
/ iet service here and now head OF IL
| i.ink protection agency, who waived
| Il hearing: Andrew L. Hamilton, EXPO
| Ice lieutenant Harold l.. Smith, john
| A-cTamney, former secret service op-
vrative; H. II. Simon, manager OF
| Griftin's agency: Arthur Hamnel, Il
customs guard John Friedrich, bot
.er, Fifth street and Rising sun ave,
uue; Thomas Kane, a liquor dealer,
Richmond and Huntingdon streets !;
.,amuel Gottesfeldt, warehouse pro
| rrietor, and Joseph Kleinnan, of Lin
den, n. j.
Hamlnel testified that Simon, said
- be one of the leading figures i'll tho
,ot, offered him $40 for each barre
of whisky tampered with. Simon.
liammel testified, pointed out that TO-
go barrels were involved and that il
The deal went through the custom
guard could earn more than the gov
cl4.nent would pay him if he worked
his whole life in the service He
further testified that the original plan
WIS to substitute inferior whisky foi
the good whisky in the barrels under
| his supervision.
The whisky had been ordered by the
| Greek government, which had failed
10 specify what proof it should be.
iIammel said he was shocked to see
Simon substitute water for the whis
ty, and at first was inclined TO draw
.ut of the affair.
He said when l first saw Simon
substituting water for whisky instead
of inferior whisky, as he had said,
told him | was inclined TO | ut a cri1nr
in his game, as he was going against
the agreement l had made with him.
At this he, Simon, said TO me, 'Remem.
ber, ten other barrels have already
undergone this substitution, and now
YOU are tn it as much as we are he
also said Don't be a fool now; why
there are bigger men than you i'll il.
and We do not propose TO be outdohe
by man like you. Why, man, there
are your own men in it. Even Noui
chief, Mr. Burns, is in it,
AT this | said | would call Burns.
but Simon said, Now, listen; you had
better take it as it comes, and you
had better take this money while you
have the opportunity He then offer
ed ne the bribe He said that would
be paid the money as the barrels were
removed from the warehouse on which
| was on guard.
Griffin, it was testified, was present
when the first hint was made of the
alleged rum plot.