New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-11-15
BOLD OPERATORS IN TEE CUSTOM
HOUSE.
A Conspiracy TO Defrnud the Government
Discovered.


Some Of the Loldest fraudulent tram actions thai
have come TO light for q long time have just been
discovered in the New-York Custom House involv-
ing number Of clerks in the employ Of the Govern
ment and some importers. The frauds have been
conducted ia such maDper AZ 10 leave no doubt IN
the minds OF any Ierson that thorough couspracy
had been organized with view to IefPetrate the
crime the more completely. This 10 evident from
tho fact that the clerks in several different depart
ments understood each other AID worked IN hlr.
Inouy in carrying out their nef.nOus bGtines- the
operation having gone on during several yeaTs. In
Tie ordinary business Of tie Cus;om-liouss II it
frequently necessary 10 refer 10 invoices which sre
hev, % lille. The clerk whose duly Y 10 10 esd the
desred invoices few days ego Uncovered that .
number Of them were mirsng. search Was made,
which resulted in tue exposure Of tho whole affair
The completely Of certain importers uiay DO er.
plsued thus: a merchant imports a cargo of goods
fom France valued OF %, 600 francs, bot present
,ng the invoice at tie House, swea;s hat il
is worth but 1900 francs. The Eygy Cers, ~
completely with tho fraudulent merchant, receives
this statement as coTTee, and by arranging II viii
other clerks the false invoice daily parses through the
oLe-hnn of the real value OF hi. importation. An
Entry Clerk can direct certain bale among dorsn
bales Of woniei TO be examined aud appraised TDis
particular bale may baye somo private mark by
which he ynzes IT, and 1t il the only one he or
ders examined All the other bales msy contain
ELK, although paced like the fgeciinen. Such Il
fraud could not be committed without tie AID Of the
clerks OF course the diiicrenco--an ainonn, which
although less than ssd difference is intended 10 rep
resent its divided among the operators. Tie in
voice subsequently passes through other hands, sud
is subjected TO tie same ormalhier SO a, - prevent
the possibility OF detection, the other clerk. not
necessarily beng in tho secret The result OF the
discoveries made thus far is the Suspension Of eleven
clerks in different depar. mens. while Others who
assert their innocence are npprehensive that tLey,
too, may lie suspended as they mhy bave passed tho
invoices ia the usual manner, thinking, # eousse,
that, before reaching them all possibility OF fraud
had been duly guarded against
Mr. j. K. Van Veohten, entry clerk, who WAS 81
ststed on Thupday, was appointed IL years ago at u
salary Of 81 800 per ennum. lie WAS in the Entry
Department under Mr.. Mldgott, Deputy Collector
position formerly held by Michael Holman. re-
Gently deceased.
Among others who have been suspended are:
oseph i. Beach, Chief Clerk ft the amendment
desk 10 tie li1uidating department. lie was 6p-
pointed in 1853 at salary Of 81 400. Thona, d.
Knower, Chief Clerk in the Invoice Department
who was appointed IN 1853 at II salary Of a 800.
William Is. hnower, Invoice Clerk, s1n Of Thomas
ID. Knower; also, several clerks in tie Naval Office
c.d wo appraisers.
The Investigation is goi1g on, and az fast IA the
proof Of tie completely Of Others becomes APPARENT
they zoo will be suspended.
All The clerks involved in this Wholesale fraud.
covering u sum amounting - between 500. 900 snd
$500. eco, are old Democratic employees whom Col.
lector Barney has retained ia the Custoln-li0usc.
t.<sszsr-ua -.r.--z>s-sasrs
FIRE on RAILROAD 1RAiS.--Ihe night express
train for Suspension Bridge took ire on the morning
Of the l2ih, near London G. W., at about O'Clock,
and the entire baggage, express and mail cars were
burned. Hardly scrap Of baggage and no, II mail.
bag was saved and none Of the express mntter ex-
cert the iron box Of the messenger On the arrival
Of the train, tho Great Western Railway Company
were prompt in paying the passengers for losses Of
baggage, &c., aud generally 10 their entire satisrc