The Washington times., 1930-01-23
CUSTOMS HEADS
IN n. Y.FACINC
; RUM CHARGE

NEW YORK, Jan. % 1N.SO-
Failure to collect $4,000 in penal
ties, alleged to be due the United
States Government, from Herbert
L. Pratt, chairman of the Stand
ard Oil Company of New York,
for liquor alleged to have been
smuggled into this country, was
charged today to New York GUS
toms officials.
The officials involved are Phil.
lip Elting. collector of the port of
New York; Col. Arthur F. Foran.
controller Of customs; Henry C.
stuart, assistant collector; Thomas
j. Skuse. assistant controller;
George Brewer. assistant solicitor,
and George O'Keefe, special agent
here of the Treasury Department.
Charges Filed With Hoover
An affidavit, it was learned.
has been filed with President
Hoover, accusing the six men of
abuse of their official authority
in granting immunity from penal
ties, neglect of duty, conspiracy
TO defraud the Government. un.
due discrimination, and gross in.
competency.
The charges were sent to the
President January 9 by G. Row.
land Munroe, counsel for the
Anti-Saloon League of New Jer-
sey, on behalf of Ernest S. Braid
wood. Of Somerville, N. j., Braid
woods name figured as one of
the alleged raiders who made a
mysterious visit to the hunting
lodge of Colonel Foran at Mount
Airy, Henderson county, N. j., ON
Monday night.
According to charges of Braid.
wood, the customs officials failed
to collect duties and penalties
they should have levied after the
seizure of a large amount of
liquor on the steamship Excello
on May 20 of last year.
Billed As Flower Pots
According to the charges. the
Excello brought a number of
cases, supposed to contain flower
pots but which really held cham
payne. The liquor. it was charged.
was taken by truck to Pratt's
home at Glen Cove, Long Island.
According to the affidavit. it
was understood" that Pratt had
agreed to pay $4,000 for the
smuggled liquor.
The charges were denied by the
accused customs officials.
Colonel Foran and William j.
Calhoun, prohibition director for
New Jersey. we're in Washington
Tor an investigation of the charges
later today, it was stated.
According to the affidavit of
BraldWood, Pratt admitted having
received the liquor and when told
1t was smuggled liquor Pratt
turned it over to customs of
flclalS. 1t was placed in a Gov
ernment warehouse in Brooklyn,
according to the statement.
French Count Involved
The original bill of lading
covering the Pratt shipment was
seized from the person or bag
gage of the Count de Polignac.
a prominent French family pro
duclng an expensive champagne,
1t was charged. The count. along
with 33 others, was arrested here
last June in a series of senss.
tlonal raids and charged with
conspiracy to violate the prohibj.
ton law. Released on S25. 900
oall the count returned to
France a few days after his
arrest.
Application for a customs war.
rant for the seizure of the LIQUOR
was refused by the collector of
customs of New York on the
ground that there was not suf-
ficient evidence to justify a
seizure" the statement said. The
request for the warrant was made
by Calhoun, it was said.
Photographs of Bar"
In a raid in which it was said
members of the Anti-Saloon
League of New Jersey took part
on Foran's hunting lodge, several
photographs were taken, it was
! said. One was claimed to show
a bar.