The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-05-14
The Secret Police system OF New
1y


York.
Not long since man nar0ea Hilton Wa arIestet
In New York Upon the charge OF pfIsi'ng beadi
for the Confederate States. lie was q ioya
Lacquer, and asserted that he was merely pvintins
counterfeits of the Confederate bonds. lie was
sent 10 Fort Lafayette. Shortly afterwards George
II. Briggs was arrested and sent TO The same prison
and also James g. Cliaker, an inspector Of Gus
toms. After Briggs so. into the prsca he as al
lowed TO make some state@cnts relative to the
Hilton arrest, which ia had tcen instrumental ia
bringing about. Tine New York Wbyid says
From ihese statements IT appears that The Con
federase Government had discovered By their
agents taai il was sr Ei,tpa who was printing the
spurious currency, and that they determined 10
stop IT, They therefore sent several parties N0rtt,
to accomplish this. ehey found Mr.. Briggs here,
and, ffem his peculiar situation, found 1t conve,
p;eBt 10 make tool out OF him TO csrsy out their
purposes. They c0are.let hsfa by threats Of per
sonai violence, and by threatening bin a'so with
imprisonment through the iGhIsHce which they
had here with tine United states custom House OF
ficals, - assist in whiting the letters which were
Intercepted aud to be tue party TO supply info:na
tioa to the New York postmaster regarding the let
tfrs. Briggs had several interviews with thas'
Confederate agents, and manifested some TsruS
nance az being the parfyt0 incarcer3te III. Hilton
in Fort Lafayette.
II ono Of these Interviews Bigya was closefcd
Will, Major Cummings .hr agent of the rebel Gov
eminent ia New YORK., ,.atthe ST. Nicholas Hotel.
Taey were ni0le Ia 2 pom, aud Naiar Cummings
forced him, dew rev0ve. while they were lock-
ed up, AID threatened To bIow his brains ous ua
less he complied with his wishes In assisting In
the conspiracy against Hilton, ani he further
threatened to turn Iim over to the custody OF the
Government oiicia:s kere. lie said he was ini
mate Will ar Chakcr, In the custom House. Vsho
couit get BIN arrested at any tnIe. Mg Briggs, 1t
is stated gives his belief tha; the whole proceed
naainGs Mr. tstitiIu suogpsteH by Mir
Chaiker, aud carried cut successfully through his
influence. Mr Briggs, 1t Is understood, CO ao North
FIRST rs rebel spy but on his return south: being
arrested, got angry at the Confederate government,
and came North again rather inclined 20 be oppJs
ed 10 The Jeff Davis Government. IL was then
that he assisted in circulating the spurious Con
fed@fate currency.
WHY MR.. CHALKEg DIsLxgp FIR. HiLToS
Here comes Bit of history which not only
feis to show that Slr Chaker assisted in the
tuHg of sr Hilton, tu. also i!us.ra es the manner
in wiicn ne CID the business, and IN which he add
ed largely 10 his ituga! salary, Is Custom House
Oiiieia.S are w0at to do.
ar Briggs bad desire to go to Nassau and on
being Informed ny Ar Cheser ;ha: he could 60
was Oh the eve Of starting when word came fron,
ftr Lhaiser ihat there WGutd te tioEbie Il. Ill
Briggs should 20, and that he would probably be
arrested, as lie was inspected Of being a rebel
agent, but that on the payment Of three hnnlre..
iui:a to hin. he g oaid allow Briggs 81 ,i,Itsft~-
As Mr Btiggs was very anxious 10 % h. desired
~
hs.kcr said 1t W0ad be Rgc.s7gy IN pay fifty
dollars ~ The nest saturday :, ~ uli3.iu read:
Gut chick payable 20 - e.k..'S csdIr. vtjcfi
4is Chaker endorsed Ggi ueia which ae t-sS
the money. The check came a2 L ifom ~. aaak,
OF co4tse into ,g sIiit1a's lsu,is Afterwards D. :
Ebaiker esTd that s,r Hilton had sad tiat he had
this tnstoa House oticiai ia his pGwcr, ,scause
ne faa Ia his pssessG, ;his cfee. to- Hl,ns paid
IN aiioa mar, wiso vas suspcc.ed of being q
rebel agent, 70 Gtpait
iir Cfa,ker was uor,h!ed aboGt IT, and wen; to
n 10 "a. a h5sE
s.r Hilton dtli not ask .ayGon and WAS ros esre-
ca!y socabie. .hereapon EIr Cbai1er said he
sh0Uij not ne fool enough ID Ia ks3 another ChecS
evidently meaning tha: hereafter he should receive
only greenhacks as the reward OF corruption, as
they could not DC licn ii2a again S:r l.IaxET al
ter~atd el0tc inquiries as ~ where lie c0ald gai
possession oi this fifty dollar check, but with no
success He therefore CoanivCd Wta ie ra5s
1gelts in assisting TO get hf s;itoa iiti ,nio Fort
Lafayette, so that be should nos give evidence he
furc the co:nn,ltee from Congress winch was AZ
that time abont to investigate custom house frci5
iuc erit;nGe ts.al WIS sent IL the secretary OF
war was quite strong aud complete again Hilton
The SecTeia.y, OF ccuEsh, a.t Knowing the secfe
ri the intercepted letters.
CHaLRER's COMPLETELY WITH THE Rebels
Wisn Briggs came to his city in the spring 0i
1853 he made the acquaintance oi Cha!xeT, and
;,haikef s5ull learned his saleccdeH.s, a:id had
suci reiaiiads with t.El il.af he sooa Became sii-
mate with the Ge,zs agcats. '.tietf correspondence
II Is SAID, ..u; carried nn III cypht!, ana Ltasscf
was 81 far in their confidence t!lai he had the sc
ce 0t The cyphcr IN i,tS possession, IRa kept the
cr,t unil The agen.s iuit the city. lie, II is also
stated, aided ,heHi III leaving the city. An 0Tdeg
was issued II 1asii gtGn for tief arrest, aud aif
Cha'ker, knowing ..!is, put the officers who were
in search oi ileGt m 4e scent by Stating that they
had gone 10 Boston take passage from that place
when one vi iReE, named CaiaacK. lef. ON the
British steamer ccgsic.! for Nassau, h;r Chaker
was on the pier and saw hi;u oil, having b5ea in
innate with him while ne was IN the city Tsow
hfagp ffars w an. Major .g
were on tue pier with him. Mf thaiker did hot re
sort any Of fhe faets which he knew Concerning
them un il they we're vel, away from the country
so that they could hot BE- taken. fH.ie The Uisi
GERS were watching carefully at Boston Mr.
ChaIher's iniormat.oa, iac Confederate agents
were leaving New York under Cha!kor's pr0:ee-
ton
The Confederate ascnis. while Ia New Yolk
made their boasts that i,ity woaid net be arrested
10. teir is.iiiacy with Cha!ker Woa:i aiiow tbs II,
to leave the port Il; aay time. Sr GEdsker had
sufficient influence 10 have everything done lis
own way. sr. ehaiker, 1t is said, occasi0aaiy re-
ceiyed letters tIcG the confederate agents al la.
vana. What they are abcat the conIidiag public
IL no; permitted 70 know
Il is the common -tpaIt In Nassau that the in.
spactor's depa,iicn. OF the new York Cu-ton-
no;lsc can be bought at aay .irie al two ~ three
hundred dollars tG rinit vessels und cantrabaad
goods 10 leave !iis nei. hf ChuiktF Is the captain
Of the inspectors force.
Mr.. BG.aGs.
Ii Is said HAT it Is principally through ii,e Aft
Jayit Of Rieas that many of these highly Interest
ing and somewhat remarkable matters came 10
light. SIR. 6riggs, though the actor In the c9n
spiracy against Hilton was n"e uach 10 psamc, u
yvapld seem. He was made To believe ny ,hathef
tia, AR. Hilton was actually engaged IN shipping
machinery 10 The South, ana thus his Tcpagaanct.
to the proce eding was Bune wEat abaiei 4irir the
iepariiire OF the rebel agents sf ciahcT became
s;ii. mere Intimate with Mr. Briggs, aud teak him
10 tbs hauae in .obakeB, and kept his; and when
ssr. BfIagsas fim:ly came on from Georgia, aao
look tbcai there sir. Eiisss was Gcsi.oIs OF 60
ing 10 General blk aud stating The circumstances
In reference TO Mf. tliltan, hut As he WIS cns.af
Cnakes's root, enjoying hs hospitality, he cam-
es,aea not IN trouble himself about II. " hen he
was arrested his mouth was opened ana he told ta,
Whole story. ChaikGs's CONSERVATION at the ar
,es. was very gscat, and he was jraic:oas enough
10 ask Eiiegs flnr Gods sake 10 inat ti:ss
CHECK from HiilGn was borrowed money! Whea
Chn,ksr was arrested he gave fictitious mare.
A MICS IsTTLs Ts.ssAcrlos usDFR Tue cosrscA- :
T:oa LAW.
4 charming i.;le incident IL related .; the man
uer In which the eus,ci1- s:epse ofscifs take al.
vantage of the cen6seat9s saG0rys Osir of t.e
oicus who is s,Iii in high ttsndins aad seeite 1T
The casto..a house informed agaus; large piece Of
property In The SGnth, Mr. Cha.ger hssiaF psevi
aasy asceraiaea tia. Briggs cou.d give tsfislaeeY
which Eend insure = judstGe1t, ne cas-; Came.
on and IL Judgment was Obtained i1F so2,oGo, ef
which one half went 10 the iafassaer Pelaa.a
Mr Chaiees pot hair Of tSs AiSty i,ouaad doll .ts.
he coriainfy aesefyea r., Isir engtseeraG sae
matter, ard WIS Sc 60 ttweta s.l.' fstoftn's ss
pfiRcjai ai,n:sa. ayiaeck ef a. % as s.a ai,,,
il Is stated, fos r Bfiggs TIE pTiaeipas witness,
but Mi Gha2er Decnmlng greedy easss'a fie efeea
himself and gasa sir Bsig.s esie hundred aol'afs,
resesving nine hundred ;oE alsnseif aaa Eamatsas
Rrsss that he tclia'ser) had got 900, aat that
si0o was ssfirgis Hail. er Gf.aiker however, hid
h riggs Ia his power and by simply making kro1a
h:lS antecfdents could rrocBra his sun,ery arrest,
wi, aout process oil law, ri course.