Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-08-07
$4,000 RUM BOND
MAY Be FORFEITED
U. S. Officials Demand Proo. =,
Delivery Of Alcohol to
Greek Government
IS "WATER SWINDLE" Ecun

\ bond Of S2G2 900 furnished H.
bonding company to guarantee tho s,,,
and Legitimate delivery of 9Go druu.
Of alcohol shipped by II. l., smi,,
will be declared forfeited un,c,s
proper receipt for its delivery is -,
turned by next month.
This wns announced todov bv 49,.
toms officials. Smith, the former onns. rus.
and shipper Of the alcohol, is nna.r
bail as one of the thirteen rri,c;n.nr i;u.r
in the recent 5000 .OOG rum swindlo iHaS
Smith and his rcputcd assoc,atoS o..
accused of having attempted to w;.h u,e
draw great quantities of fine whisl;v smi
substitute water for It. then send n,n ".
water filled barrels to the Grcck Cow ne
crnment. '''
The 0G2 drums of alcohol f,r Whit,
the bond was obtained also wcrc conD
signed to the Greek Government. AVA
so far rs the customs officials know ths
alcohol reached It's destination.
Fees Were Piling Tn
The drums of alcohol were hold IN
bonded warehouse here for some finn.
piing up dcmurr8gc, storage onI ;n
D
tcmptS to send them out of the countrr
using his permit to ship to Greece b!,
the customs officials refused TO ratifr
his choice Of ships.
Finally Smith proposed to send ,bo
drums on the United States Shippin,
Board vessel MaSSilon Bridge, Tbs
waa satisfactory to the Govcrnmen,
authorities. and they released ths
drums after satisfying themselves the,
held alcohol.
ndor the customs law il IS ncccssary
when shipping liquor out of. the com.
try to put mp bond for the amount Of
rXcis" duty which the Government
would have collected if the alcohol hnJ
been intended for domestic CONSUMPTION
When the landing receipt. from Tho
port Of entry. is returned to the Gus.
toms authorities the bond is released
Smith put up n bond of S2Go, ,OO0
The customs authorities say their rule
is that the receipt must be returned
within eight months at the outside 4
the bond is 10 be refunded. The eight
months passed and there was no re.
ccipt forthcoming. The receipt came in
sixteen days late, and the customs
people refused il. They say also that
it has no wise by the American con.
sui n the Pracus. Greece.
Smith then obtained Il four months
extension from Washington in which
to get Il new receipt. The four months
will he up in September.
Has No Fear for Bond
Henry StrouSc, Of the firm of Icbley
4 StrouSc. local representatives of til,
United States Fidelity and Guarantee
Company, which bonded the shipment
denied today there was any danger
that the bond might be forfeited.
1T merely il n tcchnicality." he
said. "Thc landing certificate lacked
II seal. but I understand me alcohol
shipment arrived safe at the Greek
port, and we expect no trouble getting
back our bond. Our responsibility ends
when tlI" liquor is conveyed safely
aboard the vessel. | understand the
Greek Govcrnmcnt has put heavy
import duty on the alcohol and that
thor" hnv" been other bitches whcn
haze held things mp.
Mr.. StrOusc said that according TO
rumor one Of these "hitchcS' was the
attempted theft Of the bill of lading
from Mr.. Smith by one of his alleged
Assistant District Attorney Fried.
man said today that the Government
would pay no attention to IN anOny.
nous complaint that two prominent
l'hiludelphians were the "men higher
up" in tn" illcgitmate sale of whisky
here. The assistant said many anOny.
nous letters come daily and no atten'
tion is paid to any of them.