The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-12-22
SziaasxslnH asea,o 900 Worth OF SILK
Great Fraud ON tho Revenue In

SAHs q ef&ktkAAaf 900 worth OF SEIk---
A Great Fraud ON tho Revenue In
New York. .FtE$ssBss 85eg
From the New York Tribune of Saturday.
Some time ago we reported the seizure Of
large quantities Of silks made by the collec-
tor Of this port, the probable value Of
which was estimated to be upwards of
100000. These frauds, committed through
series Of years. turn out to be much
larger than was at first supposed they
certainly are the most successful and long.
continued ones brought tosiight in this
country. 1t appears that two persons by
the name of Fegelstock and Bentina, who
did business in Readea street, were for
some time suspected Of bringing goods into
this port under cover of fraudulent in
voices, although the cases sent to the ap-
praiser's stores for examination agreed al
ways perfectly with the invoices odepo-
sited and sworn to at the custom
house. The cases sent for examination to
the appraiser contained clocks and other
goods on which but little duty is exacted
by the tariff, while the remainder, which
were sent directly to their respective
stores, were filled, as it, appears now, with
valuable silks and velvets. In this way, it
seems, an immensely large stock of goods
was clandestinely brought into this country
without payment OF duties. sMessrs. Fe-
gelstock and Bentins seem to, have been
acting merely as agents, while the .princi-
pals in these transactions were Messrs.
Guiteman Brothers, of Leonard street. The
amount involved, as fer as known now, ie
somewhat more than $3.50, 900. The two
frst-named persons have seen fit to make
good their escape, and they are believed to
be in Canada. Their fight was very pre-
cipitate, and but for an error in the writ is
sued for their arrest they could not have
got off. 1t appears that they made the most
of their time while the "Hrit was taken back
to the Judge for correction; for when
the officers at last entered their premises
they found that the guilty ones had flown,
after burning up most of the entries and
invoices which could have been used against
them, and, in their haste to escape, leaving
behind certified check. The fact Of 30
many of their entries being destroyed
makes it exceedingly difficult to discover
| the full amount of the frauds thus perpe-
trated. The Guiteman. Brothers justified
yesterday to the sum of $3.50, 900, and gave
| sureties for similar amount. They own
real estate in this city alone worth over
| 100000. Before justifying in the above
sum they wanted to exact promise from
the custom-house officers that they would
require no further sureties from them, which
request, however, was not aeceded to,
for it is believed most certainly that the
frauds committed will be much above
that amount. There are strange rumors
| afioat in connection with these remark
able transactions, of collisions between the
importer and certain custom house officers,
extending as they do over 80 long period
Of time. 1t is believed that somebody,
either in the custom-house or in the sp-
praiser's department., must have known
exactly what cases would bear the exami-
nation of persons not connected with these
bold and gigantic frauds, for one out of
every three or four cases only is sent to the
appraisers store for examination, and it
seems certainly very strange that the
wrong Tor right ones should always haye
found their way to the stores to be exam
ined there. We hope that this case will
receive full and thorough investigation by
the district attorney, on whom the prose
cution principally relies. ~ss-