New-York tribune., 1868-04-29
TEXAS.
THE TEXAS WAREHOUSE FRAUDS.

TIE TEXAS WAREHOUSE fhhCDo
''" 0'' 'Pe''-' GALVESTON, April lG, 1903
The late bold and extensive frauds upon the
revenue here having attracted such widespread atten
ton have pains 10 personally investigate the
whole affair and furnish the results 10 your readers
giring you official data only.
THE INFORMATION.
On the Ist Of January, special agent A. b. soanaker
who had hut recently been assigned 10 duty in this dis
trlct received anonymous communication giving In
formation Of the existence OF deepaid conspiracy to
defraud the Government OF its revenues Though cau
tiOusy framed, the information sufficiently definite
TO point out the Of the corruption. lewd wO
man. who had received bad bill for services rendered
so incensed at the imposition that she determined to
the baseness Of her paramOur, who occupied a
responsible position officer the Government ware
house. Sloanaker sought interview with the writer
and became satisfied that tho information was reliable
the more so, as s suspicious had previously Dec
by the anteccdchts OF tho accused party; George T.
Douglass an adventurer aud prcfesSed hGlolan Poi' @
tlcah from IhOs asSHmc9 lSr to OcCi i,or
offices to beStOw had stamped him as infamous through
what creyice mis- scaup crcpt INTO position OF trust
not, but IL would be interesting 10 inquire. Shad
ows were NIT upon his track one Of which succeeded In
obtaining employment in the New-orlcans whisky
Ring" Two officials were also dlrectcdt0 decOy III lhe
former seemed to be doing tho heavy business Of tic
sWIndling concern. This proved complete success
and led TO important Developments To cover more com
petely his line o operations and divert attention sloan
akcr left for Brownsville. This gave the cOuSmTaOrs
fuller swing, who made good Of the time, but they
were surprised by sudden return Of the officer accom-
panied by Capt a. T. Randall also special Treasury
agent when immediate steps wero taken to arrest tho
MAGcn 27.After the special agent had inspected tho
Crank Bowling Warehouse, to verify report prcvi-
Ously obtained from Douglass and discovering over
wheniHg evidence Of the tieving which had been going
on. tue warehouse SEIZED aud SOanakeT out
warrants OF arrest against Douglass, Priest Stapp, aid
Crankall Of whom, being called for were found to
The Chief Of Police, Capt Mccormick, was notified, hut
The birds had flown Hired ccniedSrates ent the tele,
voyage fpr his health toward New Orleans and the other
three took to the buSh elsewhere Strange enough %
the break In the wires could not be found for two days
though the cut" was only miles from tho city. The
storm having blown over. Crank came out on ms hdiug
paper lately started here having volunteered uge-
uOus defense for Crank, who unfortunately absent
from the city having been suddenly "caled away on
business" he surrendered himself The zeal manifested
among merchants Ia go upon his bonds was remarkable
feature of The examination bonds $4,000 The Despatch
again came out in tho Of the lnnOcents,
labOrins to ,exculpate them from suspicion,
merchants hid lost their whisky Next starp,
cOuragcd By the result OF 10 proceedings In the rSt
tho editor of The Desjtch, sitting United States Com
missioner, who went into rGy abOriOus and careful
examination of the charges against him. viz ctnpciiy
with Priest In misappOpriatiOn OF 81 600 taxes for
tobacco SOuthcrn, the only witness called Tor the pur-
pose failed 10 recognize stapp and he was discharged
The case occupied nearly As minutes He received the
felS:tations of his friends Whisky straight all round
warmly congratulated Stapp upon his triumphant and
honorable "equitta A certain officer VINO ought 10
kUOW, says Sapp had recently shaved his whskers on
clean greatly changing his appearance but then, that
was no doubt done on account Uf the pGrm weather.
SlOanaker having sued out search warrants, took pos
session Of the offices OF the accused and went through
the private effects of the CRIMINALS finding important
and convincing evidence Of deepaid conspiracy To de-
fraud the revenue duplicating all the persons Rs we'll US
merchants, not few ana others.
The documents consisted OF the private Journals OF the
gcOtnel Douglass, infinitely explaining the amount Of
dutOn placed in each barrel the quantity OF whisky
distracted aud the amount Of compensation lie received
hOm each person for the frauds also Quack recipe for
the adutertiOn OF whisky. His certificates OF inspec
ton, and blank certificates Of clearance to be trumped
up IN case Of seizure Of the whisky; duplicate stencil
plates for Inspection; checkboOk, correspondence, and
other valuable papers.
The bonds signed in blank by Priest with fictitious
seciies attached were also found Cranks checks to
Priest, Douglass, stapp, and various merchants with
their respective Endorsements thereon, the money having
been drawn; the stOrekecpcr's book Of merchandise
entered and delivered with private memoranda torn out
by Crank and found by search III his waeT-cOSet false
certificates Of tobacco IN bond which never placed
In the warehouse but taken from the wharf by Douglass
and Priest to commission auction houses in this city and
In the interior aud sold BY decOys sent out 10y the special
agent, the greater part has been seized The feTeng
out OF these raScaes has involved much time and labor
aud shows the following results:
CRANK & BOWLING s Z. s. BONDED WAREHOUSE,
Final summary, ia schedule tO Of Investigations Of the
frauds therein bD Special Agent SiOandser.