The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-12-22
Cus1Om-House omeers implicated
From a. Yelo York Tfibune.

= From The YelO York Tribune.
Some time ago we reported the seiz-
ure OF large quantities OF silks maue
by the Collector of this port, the proba-
BILE value of which was estimated 20 Pe
upward of 800, 900. These frauds, COM
nitted through series OF years, turn
ont 10 be muohSlaTger that was at first
supposed; they certainly are the most
successful and long continued ones
brought to light In. this eountEys-lt APP
pears that two persons by the, name OF
FegeIstock and Benlina, who did bust
mes in ReRde street, were for some lime
suspected of bringing goods into this
nort under cover 81 fraudulent invoices
although the cases sent to the APP
nraiser's stores for examination agreed
ALWAYS perfectly With the invoices de-
posted and sworn to, at the custom
House. ~ The eases sent Tor e1-
animation ito the Appraiser con-
which hut little delay is exacted by the
Tariff, while the remainder which were
sent directly to their respective stores,
yerB filed, as It appears now, with val
uabIe silKs and yelvets., In, this way,
il seems, an immensely large stock OF
goods was clandestinelY.ib brought into
this country without payment OF duties.
Messrs. Fegelstock' and BentIna seem
to have been acting merely as agents,
while the principals In these transac.
lions were Messrs. Guiteman Bios, of
Leonard street. The amountinVolyed,
as far as known now lis somewhat more
than $4,000. The two first named per-
sons have seen tit to make good their
escape, and they are believed to be in
Canada Their flight was very preclpf-
tate, and but for an error in The writ
i.sued for their arrest they could not
have got Off IsappeaEB thatthe made
the most OF their tune while the writ
was taken back TO the judgetor correc-
ton; for when the officers at last enter
ed their premises. they. found thai the
guilty ones had flown, after burning up
nostSof the entries and invoices, which
could have been used against them,
and, in their haste to escape, leav-
ing behind q certified check, The
fact of SO many of their. entries De-
ing destroyed, makes IL exceed"
inTlv dImedlt to discover the full
ffti6ufit OF the frauds thus perpetrated.
The GnItemau Bros justin led yesterday
to the sum of $685. 900, and gave sure
lies for similar amount. They own.
real estate in this city alone worth oyer
500. 600. Before justtl ying In the apove
sum They wanted to exact n promise
from the aCustom-House officers that
they would require no further sureLies
from them, which request, however.
was not Receded, to, for 1t is believed
most certainly that the frauds com.
United will be much a bove that amount.
There are stra nge rurnors 'afloat in CON,
nectton with these remarkapl e transAc.
lions, of collisions between the impor-
ter and certain Custom. House officers,
extending as they do over SO long a
period Of time. If is believed that
some body, either In The Custo n- House,
or in the AppEaiseris Department, must
have known exactly what cases would
bear the examination Of persons NOT
connected with these bold and gigantic
frauds, for one out Of every three or
four cases only is ssntto the ;Apprai-
ser's store for examination, and 1t
seems certainly very. II tram re that the
wrong Tor RICH n ones should always
be examined there. I'VE hope that, this
case will receive full and thorough
Iinyestigatioh by the District Attorney,
ON whom the, prosecution principally
relies. gl4lp9i7 ssT .sal-sy", y,