The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-01-10

THE CUSTOM HOUSE INVESTIGATION.


NEW YORK.
THE CUSTOM HOUSE INVESTIGATION
New YORK, Jan. 9-James Elliott, laborer,
now unemployed, formerly worked for the Uni
ted States weigh master, testified to seeing last
month one hundred casks of bleaching powder
lanped from the ship Nesta, and the English
weigh marks copied on the books without the
casks being weighed at all. He also testified
to helping carry the election in a ward primary
under the direction of the foremgn, all their
party being armed with clubs. He was assess
ed dollar a week which he understood was
given to the harbor master, to send ships to the
pier on which he was employed.
Patrick Callahan, corroborated the previous
testimony as to taking English weigh marks by
men under q weigh master Thompson. He
said this saved the laborers and his opinion
ought to save the government from a weigh
master. The office on ThompsOns pier was
filled with sinicurists playing cards, but no lab
orers were allowed in that gambling hell
James Reilly eorroborated the previous testi-
mony of frauds in weighing by Thompson; also
that all dock hands were required to attend the
primary meeting, although not belonging in
that district 30
Hon. Noah Davis testified that he never had
anything to do with Mr. Lewis of the Post, on
Custom House frauds and there was only one
difficulty in the Appraisers department of
which there was any cognzance. There were
fifty or sixty cases of alleged fraud on the partof
Custom House officials pending for trial during
my term of Office. While there is in this city
large number of highly honorable merchants
there is very large class of dishonest mer-
chants to whom most of the corruption existing
among subordinate officers of the Custom
House is chargeable.
A DANGEROUS TOY.
VIM. Talton, seventeen years of age, was
killed yesterday by barber named Valid who
was firing toy cannon from his door as a sa-
hal.N
only powder. A piece of copper rod which had
been used as a hammer was in the cannon and
struck Talton in the stomach in the same place
as Flsk's wound and went clear through him.
LdteT-Talton is not dead but is doing well. A
brass cylinder two inches long and a third of
an inch in diameter was extracted from his
body.
DEATH OF A JOURNALIST.
Marcus A. Wilkes journalist and native of
Hartford, died in Brooklyn to-day of brain
fever, aged 43 years.
RAILROAD wAR-A BATTLE WITH FIRE ARMS
A railroad war has broken out in Hampstead
l.. l. The Brooklyn Trust Company took steps
to foreclose the mortgage on the Hampstead
Branch Railroad on behalf the bondholders
who have not received overdue coupons, The
Agent OF the Trust Company took possession of
a train last night and caused the arrest of the
conductor for refusing to turn over the monies
collected This morning an attempt was made
to seize another train in which two shots were
fired taking effect in the locomotive. The dis
pute was settled by the passengers who took
the train through to the junction of the South
Side Railroad, but the fight between the en-
ployes, Two parties continued for half an hour
and quite number were said to be wounded.
The Trust Company men were eventually driv-
en- off and the road remains in possession of the
original employees.
RUN ON A BANK.
The run on the Third Avenue Savings Bank
continues Thus far 81 $50, 900 have been paid
out. The Post says many depositors sold their
bank books at IS per cent
SMALL Pox.
There were eleven deaths from small pox TO-
day.
THE BURROUGHS POISONING CASE.
Bogert was yesterday arrested in Patterson.
n. j., as accessory to the murder of r. f.
Burough, the girl Lizzie Garrabrant making
charges duplicating Bogert, her lover, in the
the stomach of Burroughs.
THE FISK INQUEST.
The Fisk inquest was resumed this afternoon
hart Porter at The Grand Cenra
room and subsequently to picking up a bullet.
Capt Bymes of the police identified conf
cal bullet as the one given him by Crockett,
who got it from Hart He also identified the
pistol found by lady on sofa near the stair
case.
Ii. luIUcI UtSulucu W Tile wounds OF FISK
and that the one on the abdomen was necessar-
lily fatal. The shock and pertonits arising
srom the penetration OF two loops of the intes-
tines making four holes, caured his death. The
probing for the bullet had nothing to do with it,
Fisk ante norton statement was read des-
pte the objection of the prisoners counsel
Dr. Marsh the result of the post norton and
produced the ball. He also thought that the
wound was necessarily fatal.
Counsellor Graham protested that it was
nf IISfI 70 rrrxo f1pa "a
without allowing it to be proved that Fisk
was armed and as well prepared to take life as
Stokes; but the coroner declined to take any
exceptions, and left the case to the Jury with
the evidence that life had been taken by
shooting. tn
The jury retired at o'clock. AT $50 SUBJ
mitted the following report
The jury find from testimony submitted on
this inquest that the deceased, James Fisk, Jr,
came to his death at the Grand Central Hotel
in the city of New York, on the 7th day of
January, 1872, at or about ten minutes before
eleven a. M, in consequence of a wound infict-
ed by ball or balls from pistol in the hands
OF Edward ). Stokes, discharged by him in a
deliberate manner at the person of the said Fisk
at the Grand Central Hotel aforesaid on the
9th day of January 1872, at about o'clock D.
M, signed by all the members of the Coroners
jury.
The Coroner committed Stokes to the tombs
await the action of the grand jury. The coun-
sci urged the coroner not to send his case be-
fore either of the grand juries now in session
ON account of the present excited state of the
public, and said he would be justified by the
act, which says, Papers will be sent to the
next term of the grand jury The District
Attorney said, by the next term was under
stood any part of the then current term The
Coroner reserved his opinion.
FISK NOT ARMED.
1t is understood that DR. Marsh has discoy-
ed witness who is prepared to swear positive
~ that Fisk never carried concealed arms in
ms life and that he had personal knowledge
that he was unarmed when he left his home
last Saturday. ..-.,.
MRS. MANSFIELD.
Mrs Mansfield's house is closely guarded by
officers under orders from the Coroner to pre-
vent her leaving it without his special permits
sion.
THE COMMITTEE OF SEVENTY
At meeting of the committee of seventy to-
nlght PRESIDENT Havemeyer delivered an adj
dress, urging continued exertions in the work
OF reform until all the city officers, executive
and judicial are purified and the few rotten
tlmbers yet left be entirely removed and de-
stroyed. John Wheeler, Henry Clews, jack
son Z. Schultz, G. G. Detwold and Joseph Blu
menthal were appointed as a committee to urge
legislation at Albany in behalf of the people of
New York. 80
ONE WOMAN KILLED AND TWO INJURED.
.ELMIRA Jan. 9.-Mrs. Barnes was killed, her
daughter-in-law had three ribs broken and her
daughter was severely injured at Union, Broom
county, last Thursday, by horse backing a
wagon off bridge and falling on them. Va
NEW JERSEY,
NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE BoTTs-H STEAD
CASE.
TRENTON, JAN st appears that the wo-
man Wilson, on whose account Bolts killed
Halstead, was really the murderer's wife. The
fact was concealed to save his wife from trial
for bigamy.
SUICIDE.
Charles j. Perry, ex-Mayor of Hoboken, n
j., shot himself in the heart this afternoon, in
fllctlng mortal wound. Dependency is sup
posed to be the cause.