Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-01-25
CUSTOM HOUSE CORRUPTION.
The Plot Deepens-..A Mystery.
PeculatiOm, Robbery, SWindIing.
Tricks on Travellers.

/ On
NEW YORK, Jan. 24.-In the custom
house investigation to-day letter was read
| from the Secretary ofthe National Revenue
Reform Association directing attention to
frauds among the inspectors. The practice
is to have certain inspectors assigned for tie
examination Of foreign baggage thereby in
collusion with the customhouse brokers to
enable the latter to secure amounts from
passengers on the plea that they facilita e
the entry of their goods.
A Higher OMciaII-EO Names Asked !
Mr.. Moore, one of the largest importing
firms in the city, testified that he knew of a
higher officer under the Government walk
ing into, the Customhouse few weeks after
Grinnell became Collector, and offering him
check for $1,000 for the general order
business. GIinnel politely requested him
to leave the Office. The gentleman who
made the offer told witness andhe had it from
| the Collector. Witness was not asked the
name of the enterprising official.
To Senator Stewart:
The profits of the general order business
are enormous. Believe it is between $780,
900 and 100000 year.
No Redress fer Robbed Merchants.
Mr.. Robert, an importer of watches, testi-
fed that year ago he paid duty of $3.50
on case of watches worth $1,000, and
never got the case. BE applied for redress
! and was referred to the Cartman who took
it from the ship, and found the cartman
was an irresponsible person. He applied TO
Mr. Hoffman the carman employer, whose
real name is Patterson, who gave him 10
satisfaction. He has instituted proceedings
against Murphy, on finding that that the
carman bond did not protect the merchant
but the Collector. BE personally wrote to
the latter, and got no answer. Called at
the CustOmhouse and after being kept
two hours in waiting, with great
difficulty he got a copy Of the bond. he
ascertained that the names on the bond
were Crane and Hoffman and was told that
Hoffman was a fictitious name, the name
being Patterson. The surety was II. G..
Wells. The watches were stolen on their
way to a Greenwich street store. When
he went to look for Wells, whose name is
down for $4,000, there was no Wells. He
was told he had "gOne South" He has
communicated these facts to the Secretary
of the Treasury. The loss was IN Novem-
Der, 1870. He has never heard Of Wells
since.
SWindling by General Order.
James W. Buchanan, importer, testified
that he got over thirty cases of goods, ma
chinery, etc. The day the vessel arrived,
she commenced discharging, and when he
had his papers down at o'clock that day,
be found that twenty cases were in the
general order stores. He was charged
$253.25 general order charges, although the
cases were never fn the general order store,
but were left outside in the rain alongside
the store.
Peter Funk.
At the evening session of the Custom
house Investigating Committee, Peter Raf-
ferty was examined in reference to auction
sales of unclaimed goods. He said that at
public sale he had bought bag purport-
ing to be filed with English down feathers,
for S32, and, on opening it, found that it
was filed with rags; also, box marked tea,
and found, on opening it, it was entirely
empty. In Cask Of rum purpOrtng to
contain so gallons he found snly Is gallons.
He had made purchases tothe extent Of one
hundred dollars at a sale in August, 1869,
and the value of the goods did not exceed
10 collars. He was guided in his purchases
by a catalogue and did not see the goods
until he had paid for them. He had seen
boxes catalogued as containing sewing
machines, and when opened found to be
filed with scrap iron.
Adjourned.