Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-03

accompanied by Emil lola, attorney for the
American Watch Importers Association, ap-
peared in the New York customs Office and
filed complaint to the effect that the market
was being flooded with wrist watches selling at
prices far below the current market value
Several firms, suspected Of smuggling were
named including the Federal Mail Order Co,
Speciality Trading Co. and Gilden Watch Co,
the last being believed to be the chief offender
In connection with the Gilden Co. one IsiA
dore Tarnow was mentioned. He had been
selling his w-priced watches with great sue
cess, and on a pretext he was called to the
Office. The real object Of the visit was to en-
able Agents Lynch and Sandlands to get
spot" or him. They did so, and Immediately
got busy.
From early in November to December S. 1926,
they Swallowed him. To Montreal they went,
DIGGING his footsteps and there through con-
fusion on the part of q relief agent, they lost
him. Back in New York, they parked them
selves in Grand Central Station, where they
kept watch on all Montreal trains.
On December they picked him up, ques-
toned him, searched his effects and found an
especially modelled vest with secret pockets con-
tanning 387 Swiss watch movements His con-
fession implicated Abraham Bloom. Both told
all.
Their practice was to smuggle merchandise
from the United States into Canada, dispose
of 1t in Montreal in exchange for cash or mer-
chandise, chiefly watch movements purchased
from Adolph Speyer, which in turn were SNUG
gled into the United States When the matter
was presented to the grand jury the following
July, indictments were returned against IL men,
including H. Perelman and Norman Flaxman,
who pleaded guilty and were fined; Tarnow
and Bloom who had already confessed, David
Gilden Speyer and others.
PUT far from clearing up the situation,
publicity resulting from the case resulted
in bombardment of additional clues and the
new information pointed the finger OF suspicion
at the Federal Mail Order Co. and Superhne
Watch Co., both of Sol Broadway, New York.
owned by Paul Rabkin, Solomon Rubman and
Joseph Perelman. The goods, 1t was charged,
was coming in earthenware apparently with
the connivance Of customs appraisers The
agents took up the scent
After months Of work, during which hum
dreds Of cases were checked, the break came in
July, 1929, when an importer who had been
approached by the ring in Switzerland ap-
peared in the New York Office He offered to
enter into the smugglers' scheme and uncover
the plot. While refusing to countenance such
method, the agents were interested in the
information he had regarding the volume of
operations
representative Of the Watch Importers As
ISOLATION was leaving that night for Switzer-
land. They quickly arranged an introduction
to a certain purchasing agent who had Offices
in the same building and ON the same floor
as Balek at Bienne, wholesale watch manu-
facturer and shipper suspected of completely
Inc purchasing agent was to keep eye
on the packing and shipping operations of
Ba1ek and the importer was to cable regarding
suspected merchandise. Meanwhile from Flor
ence. Italy, came "Mr. Davis" dispatched as
o result Of cables to the customs attache Of
that city.
The mysterious "Mr. Davis" an Al sleuth,
went glm-shoeing about Switzerland confer
ring with exporters and importers, cultivating
acquaintance at suspected business houses,
notably Balek at Bienne, and Sulax at Berne
Hh0d assistants were at his disposition and
from him came Illuminating cables, couched In
confusing codes. Many dealt with shipments
ON August 10. 1929, came cable saying that
10 cases Of "eathenware" HOT SO-84.
End TBC 70-74 were due TO arrive on the liner
Berlin August ~. Agents were waiting for
GAe boat to dock. Through cooperation ex-
Se~Sed ~ officers Of the steamship company