The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-02-19
wholesale SInuggling---E
Operations I'm Importod GDods--.Goy.
eminent sHlndled and the Trade
Dasunrcs3 81

wholesale SnuEgHnR...ExirRo
Operations I'm Imported GDttis--.Goy.
eminent sHlndled and the Trade
Damaged.
| An astonishing scheme Of adroit smuggling
has been discovered I'm New York, and is re.
lated as follows Ivy the Times:
For several months past the leading linen
importers have experienced a sensible de.
preston in trade, not that the demand for
goods in certain lines had fallen of, but be-
cause the market seemed to be controlled. for
some unaccountable reasons, by particular
| persons, who offered inducements in prices
that could not be competed With successfully
by those who received importations in the
regular way. This was especially true OF
fabrics known to The trade rs Dundee goods.
ltliS condition of things existed until it be-
clinc matter Of serious importance to houses
| pursuing legitimate Lusinos to know
| whethere they could SO on or not, rs their
Trade had become mt times almost paralyzed.
tlnally solution Of the difficulty was sought
IN "A systematic and determined investigation
OF the suhjcct, whcrcupon intimations reached
the customs authorities that the interests of
the revenue might he involved as we'll as that
OF individuals. The result Of Searching
| inquiry oscloseS something like wholesale
rascality.
1t appears from evidence already atidnced
that large shipments Of linen goods have been
regularly received per the various Liverpool
steamers since the early part of last summer
| from firm on the other side named J. II.
Solrlc & Go. The goods embraced nearly
Ill kinds of linen articles, but chiefly consist
ed Of Dundee articles, such as blIrlaps, jutc
towelilng, ailG an immense quantity of jute
| bags. III almost every instance the consigu-
mclits were made to order" and inyoiced
to one john Davenport, Of New York. In
some cases, however, invoices came to
McssrS. Morton, BlisS& Co., bankers, in order,
probably. 10 secure the punctual payment
thereof 10y the parties who ordered the goods,
the bankers being only collecting agents. but
| .la;ing no interest rs owners therein, ard
hence totally ignorant OF the fraud coiltcm-
plated. 1t will be observed, first, that all
these consguments came III all indirect way
| from Liverpool, instead Of takin. the natural
course of direct shipment from the fore 9n
| linen markets. and this feature formed one
suspicious circumstance in the business. 1t
| nav III. come to Light that the goods received
in ti!csc conSisnments We're being "sacri-
iced" in the market, and the wholesale trade
seriously prcjudiced therc''y,i i. became IL sub
,cct OF anxious inquiry who this John Dayen-
port was that had SO much to ''SNe,ilce" or
throw away.
AZ CT faithful research, John Davenport
was abandoned rs a myth, but in his stead 4
i've man appeared III the person OF one
| Thomas McGrath, boss Cartnan, pseudo ac-
couDtant, &c. lie was found to have made
the entries at the cus:onl-!ousc rs attorney
ur tie mythical JOHN DAY export, which
maine was doubtless used to screen the prln-
II, ! L., ,.t,,,A .aen
meanwhile, whether Davenport and The CHI
ulovrr OF Mc(ir7itl were not ono, and Nc
iilaln was ". J. PullOc!t's cart!nan. BY a
careful analysis Of the invoice and entities t.
the custom-hou>e, and comparison thereof
with the goods sold, the existence Of extern
sivc fraud WAS pretty cunciusivcly shown.
OF the many invoices, involving thousands OF
dollars. the mention OF few will serve to
illustrate the manner in which the
:.uu,;s occurred. IN The case Of lutC
iHgS, 4 consignment was received per steam
ship Wisconsin on her previous voyage III
December, consisting Of 100 bales OF bags,
each bale p;lrUurling t. contain go bags, ana
ilNoiccd 1T two pence hallpcnny per bag,
laaing in all 81, 900 bags. wherein duty was
pail at the price specified. The marks and
numbers on each lglc were mace upon t:
piece o. canvas scwcd OIL The respective bales,
~ iii:lt The moment the goods were removed
from the view OF the cll>tom-hJilsc officers
In. marks and numbers were taken oil, and
> tie identity thereof destroyed so far is com
yalisUa with the invoice was concerned
Among these bales would hc one Or more &c
, answer to the invoice description, and these
: were USUALLY sent to public store, thus mis-
!naG,iny the custom-hou>c as 10 III" exact
; quantity aid quality of merchandlsc. ii
one Instance, however, an entire lot 81
thirty ba!c>, per steamship Baltic, Ill Sep
!rnt.rr, went to public store, and were
: withdrawn ur0u ali ALLEGED Fraudulent
= NTOice aid entry, notwithstanding tht
measurement OF the bales i'll the bl Oh laaG
= ing ,spon which freight charges were paid
fled for aDoHt $4,000 I99s, or three time:
: She quantity on which duty WAS paid. The
!, presumption arises, therefore, that the cN
animation was hot very thorough il tie pub
liz store But i'll the Instance 1il>t cited
, while the goods were much uDs!ciyaucd
. tie actual quantity or number OF bags war
- i1N,auu instead OF 5000. In the matter O
nIi,c<, also. differentiation Is alleged OH al
Shipments by at least fifty, and i'll Hlany case
one hundred per cent. What With under
valuation at such rate and large importa
siCn> q pretty profitable business must have
UCch fpHliZcu.
i, Competent judges Place tic quantity o
bags brotlgi; i'll after tile manner described
, II TWO or three millions, and no wonder /
J. now expressed That reputable dealers sui
!;rcd accordingly. Of CORE these good:
/ were sold at large discount, and NONE!
was made even then. In the case OF bur
! ! laps the same system Of false invoice pre-
vailed: also il the consignment Of fine line!
.. goods, the invoices called for coarse l'ie tow
cling, tHc. The deeper this thing is probet
The more enormous the fraud appears, an(
rrincc!y fortunes arc said TO have been mad
at the expense of the Government and homes
merchants. Three largc invoices Of bagSant
,, imcns arc now in the possession Of tic Go
:. vcrnment, and will probably bt conhscatcd
=, Pollock was arrested 10y the United state:
! Marshal last Tuesday, and held 10 bail in 'ht
, sum Of $4,000 to await the action OF The
, grand jury. The Inca importers may now
: reasonably look for some Improvement IL
: business, and the Government will probably
, realize more duties.
4 Railroad Engineer Pounded = II 4
5 sxiSEsass by nearly Fifty scr'nans