The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1869-05-13

~so'iN.tSNa ES4 ttN4 ~ wv N'Nif VI st'
Ewing, which was recently read in
open court at Washington, has very
naturally excited the greatest sur
prise and inquiry. u s@ah
The general public were Of the
impression that Mr.. Fuller was q
wealthy and honorable gentleman
when he accepted the appointment
of Collector, and the question was
often asked why man so indepen-
IDENTIFY rich should caro- to fill SO com
paratively insignificant an Office
This inquiry the Collector himself
has answered in his letter to General
Ewing, and even the dullest mind
must comprehend his language.
1t would seem from the data which
we have gathered that from the first
1T was intended to make money by
running this department. in tho in
terost Of a certain ring, composed Of
well known, influential, and ostcom-
ed to be highly respectable men, one
of whom resides in sNew York, one
in Missouri, one in Washington, and
number of whom, we regret to say,
reside in Now Orleans. This all.
potent ring was to coin money when
Fuller should be securely seated, with
Mr. W. g. Gray rs his erPer4tncea
chief deputy.
Their plans were all cunningly
c0ntriyed, and ii only remained to
execute them, They had brought
with them a 'numbor Of persons upon
whom they knew they could rely,
and those-together with other viii
ling tools found there-wcro. placed
at. once in positions whore they cod
facilitate theschemes emanating from
the fertile brains Of their employers.
Mr.. i. |. Ream, Euller's tather-in-
law, vas made. Superintendent Of
bonded warehouses, and matters were
-soonin excellent training. a@i A*
a About this time brokers and old
merchants were surprised by hearing
Of large importations of sugar, ci-
gars and coffee by, new. men, and
firms that had never before been
known to touch such articles and
this surprise was still further aug
mented by learning that all or most
Of these i1nportations were plac6d in
bonded warehouse no ., class 3. of
which ono Isaac Wood was the os-
tonsible proprietor, but which, it, is
now asserted, was to all intents and,
purposes a private warehouse Of the
ring, which they established for the
greater. facility it offered for carry
ing on their traffic. This ponchant
for a special warehouse was at first
unaccountable, tho more so from the
fact that Isaac Wood WAS a new
man, only known apparently to
those who patronizo him and to the
ring at the Custom House. Bonded
Warehouse No. ., class 3, soon Be
came notorious rs d repository for
coffee, sugar spd cigars but all the
old merchants and dealers regarded
with suspicion articles stored there,
as they did all thosc>who were IA.
irons and friends of Wood. Mr..
Wood himself soon looeled up as IN
importer of coffee in bond ,m New
York, nearly every steamG. Bringing
him largo .eonsignments, which wcrc,
of course stored in warchcQse No.
,, class B. fE a
Another remarkable factfwas that
about this timo there vas a rreat
demand for sugar, coffee and cigars
IN bond. Many Of our ola iuBofters
being importuned time and again to
sell, not unfrequcntly, by young
men totally ignorant Of the value Of
the articles they desired to Purchase.
This was easily accounted lor when
it was discovered that large quanti-
ties of these articles were evading
tie duties and being thrown on the
or shipped to the west
TO Illustrate the delicate scnsibili
ties Of, the nerves, SO to speak, OF
trade, and oftho rapility with which
like, the mimosa, It answers TO the
slightest touch, we win state that
just rs soon as the FIRST largo ship.
ment Of y fine grade Of sugars left
Havana for this port, the effect was
felt in Boston. The murkct there
was influenced by the very suspicion
which attached TO the shipment. and
the barometer of prices iou.. Immc
diatoly u shrcwd merchant in Bos..
ton wrote to the Secretary of the
Treasury that something was
wrong" intsugars in New Orleans,
and the Seerata7;y 1T once forwarded
tho letter to this Custom House.
We fancy wo can see the merry
twinkle Of tho ring masters eyes
when this letter, which was so thor-
oughiy understood, and which was
simply, regarded rs Il warning to be
moro careful in future operations,
reached him. The rcconnoit ering
party had fallen INTO the hands cf'
the enemy, and they only laughcdm
their sleeves.
The ] 500 boxes OF sugars seized in
Chicago recently by order OF the Sec
retary Of the Treasury, wero, it is be-
lievod,a portion Of these very sugars.
He can no doubt easily find more OF
thom.
La most cases il is said tho goods
stored in bonded warehouse No. 2.
Glass ), were taken out on straw
Bond for exportatf5n, and shipped
without being stamped, as is required
by law, " in bond, thereby oyadinc
the duties. Ofeourse these bends in
the Custom House must remain in
evidence against the parties charged
with fraud, and Mr. jerks, the Spe-
cial Treasury Agent, expected here
In q day or two, may, by looking up
these bonds, ascertain aust exactly
the extent oi the losses wAiea tho
government has sustained.
We are in possession OF the names
ofa number Of individuals and firms
who were extensively engaged in the
above transactions, aud we purpose
10 give them,in full as soon as Mr..
Jenks shall have established their
guilt,
+ hrom Noyembof to March, shTowd
brokers and old merchants Is who have
kept this mattcr well in hand, have
noted tho alriva, in this port~+undol'
circumstances in which tilp suspicion
OF thor having psiu no duties
amoaats almost 10 q certainty OF
about 1900 boxes OF Havana sugars
in bond, che duties on which, 10 gQld,