New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-01-09

a
had gone regularly through the Appraisers Department
and for winch the duties had been pHd A. I,y or
the Invoices on which the charges were founded were III
Tho wears 1850 and 1870 but In The examination oi ou
hooks they went back TO the year 1901, made the sg
rsion TO one of the examiners, but he told me u was
bis duty 10 take up anything he found and follow 1t up
| that ne could mako general search. -, .,...o,,
O. Did they take copies Of whatever thcy ri'lScul a.
They did Sir they had entire possession oi our poohH
and papers. ,.,.,-.. ,....,o,,, All
ahut your msnes. i'm every branch OF IT, great or suia
going back 10 1901 \. They had every iac i no., Tow
had part Of the time four, and part ~ the Time ,IN
examiners there making copies ana they were 'e'o ''
weeks nj this work. . ~
O. Did understand you 10 say that you were at an
times willing to leave the final determination @. lls
in TIC Courts of the United states you being ready 10
assume the burden of proof A. Certainly we made
O. That was not acted upon A. It was not it was
declined 10y Col. Howe both tmc.. ...,,.. ,,o nm
| yofiI business A. Altogether, tuily five weeks Whe
these men were i'm our Offices sitting round there so
thai we could not attend % any other business it alb
sOrbed all our time our corresponding cletk WI" VIZ
best tted TO give information TO these Gentlemen, war
their service all the time ono OF our partners was AZ
! their call at any time
A NICE CONVENIENT AGENT.
| Mr. Rayard-Haye you ever examined who This Mr.
| Browne was who made that affidavit a. No. sir.
| O. Have you ever seen him 7 A Yes Sir.
O. What was his occupation at that timei A. Spe-
cia Treasury Agent belonging to Col Frank J.. ho"eS
| bureau.
O. What Is his agei A. I should take him to he a man
| perhaps
O. Do You know what had been the nature q his for.
| mer pursusi A. do not. .
q Do you know how long he had been an onicai agent
q. He was one OF the guard employed by Mr.. Howe :
| A. Yes. Sir
O. During the time Of the occupation Of your premises
| by these men what their demcanor toward your
nresen at The time OF the seizure Of books and
papers but understand that at that time their manner
our Office whole crowd, with hats on smoking cigars
and sat down at desks. grabbing up our papers
writing stizng teegTaphlc dispatches, saying, 1--WE
want all these things they all belong 10 u.s. and acting
In the toughest way they possibly couA -,
O. We're the private papers surrendered 70 you AT al
during o he ye weeks qpGs e AFTER or one the
examiners, George Browne had claimed heI0pp0rtunlty
10 see ho ,ey ~gn cv anded ,o snyn With regard
TO steel plates fish plates
O. they didnot regard the dates of tho transactions
referred to in the affidavit at sll A. Not in the least;
they embraced matters not mentioned at ali in the a
O. Did they confne their examination entirely 70 tho
differentiation Of rail, A. That cannot inform yo
the Is yet in the hands Of the District Attorney
Q. What was the name 81 the examiner that took you
aside and whispered TO You that you mad better 10 down
and see Mr.. Howe : 4. Mr.. Brush.
Q. What was Mr. Brushs former occupation a. ]
O. Had You any acquaintance with any OF these men
prior to that time a. had not.
@ DO you know At the time Of che general seizure That
warrant was read in advance A. NY impression that
it read, but was not in the ONCE ~ the time was
@ Were any papers speched in particular in the Ian
guage OF this warrant - No.tir.
O. Was that held 10 include AL books and papers A.
Ar you from the character OF the document 1t Isl
SORT Of general search warrant
O. MFR Howe made YOU 4 statement, You say. that be
found that So due from you. but ho would take
$4,000 to be paid TO himself personally, or 10 the District
O. We're the causes Of your alleged indebtedness. to the
United States TO the extent Of Ss40O embraced IN tie
affidavit dled by Mr.. BIowni n II must have eNt"ndrd
beyond that because the hve invoices would NOT nave
covered any such amount 1t was the result OF the gen
@ suppose the allegations Of MI Browns affidavit to
have been true what would dave been your default 10
the Government Tor duticsi A. cannot tell you with
ont looking al our books. do not think the quantities
are given here.
q. The charge was that You had entered certain in
voices at valuation of per cent below their real value
had valued tc invoices AT the maximum elaimedf \.
understand The question: but cannot answer IT, because
I do not know the quantity.
O. Can you appro 1imate to the sunni A. Not without
O. Am correct in my understanding that the only
matter that remains to be cleared up i whether VII
O. In the course of your business is there not bond
given by the merchant to respond for any error that may
he found In the calcuIs<o- OF duties, II il be l"HLu
q. Is there not liquidation account, In which the
Government sometimes reinrus To importers small
amounts oyerpaidi A. Yes, cir
q. Did those duties sometimes dne 10 YOU oyer"ih
dutes. when the duties insuicontly ascertalned
ever amount TO more than Sl7lt a. Never.
an % %df ye TSI fd Gss % SitH' cafjo n
il not 10 my department Of the business ~ al; bat
the accounts that nave seen for SO SIS or $50 %c
q. these balances did exist on either side A. Ger
tainly. ...,
@ DO You know the names ~ these agents tha' ~
tered your and conducted tcmrclNc- ~ Tie nn
ner Won have described A. No. sir dc nor; - he
yond Mr.. Brown and MI Brush
q Had YOU any Application advice from these men
with regard 10 employing certain persons to conduc' iris
business with view to compromised A. No. sir; not
q Did YOU know Of such succeftious hcnr made 10
members OF yonr firm; audi 80, 10 whom r. mink
there were statements Of that kind hut DO not know
sufficiently of the matter 20 testify about il.
character Of the suggestion vas that our attorney Was
proper person To manage such ca'es rs aI thhi
We ought to amply 10 lawyers engaged IN thar sort or
business who were better acquainted with the revenue
O. Did the persons you have mentioned regard yonr
case only ot ciats 0. c-cst \ should think
@ Then the was not solitary instance Of such CON
| O Old yonr ease excite a good deal OF indignation
among your assoc late. and commercial lnen A. We ca
10 keep il quiet could, nom the shame
and moruiicaton we ieli tal our house hao been 20
charged; theyfhad company Of five or six men IN pos
OF our once and our pap"rs week after week W.
did not Ike TO speak Of to our bankers Tor II was
modification 10 and II a customer came in for his
Zee Waf E,/wcd u there were The men walking about
In orr office with their hats and -noknG aud persons
! Office would naturally ask questions; one man
always KEPT sitting irour outer Office opposite the safe
Q. Was their demcan0r NJ all times disTcspecttul and
! rude A No, sir; there were times when these men
| were pleasant.
O H'fore or since mi. happened to you. have you
heard al other similar cases :. Yes, Sir We have
O DO you believe that many other houses Of rcspccta
b,y have suffered This system A. think they
| O Your house / presume. isa wealthy onei 4. Yes,
| Sir.
| O. Suppose house of small means and restricted re
| sources had been subjected to such a seizure
as this uuder similar circumstances In all respects,
would they have been able to stand II financially. or
what would the eheoT of IL peeuniary, stop
ping business and affecting Their credit would or
| or would IL not have broken them d0wnt A. think II
would have gone far toward IT, think 10 would have in
nred their credit TO such extent that II would have
gone far toward breaking them down and the inter
Pnption OF their business, coupled with IT, would have
( gone far.