The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-01-20
The Custom House Inquiry.

NEW York, January 19.-The inyesti.
CATION Of the Custom House frauds was
continued to-day.
Ex.AppraiSer Palmer sent q letter dc.
nying the testimony Of Spencer, to the
effect that an official removed by Palmer
and subsequently re.appolnted by Muir.
ply was not removed.
Anote was received from Special AGENT
Howe asking an opportunity to correct
certain statements.
Mr.. Booker testified as to the appraisc.
ment of damaged goods.
Tomorrow night the Committee ad.
journs to Washington City. i4a#g !
A correspondence was submitted con.
cerning the appointment OF Weigher
Thompson, by which II is shown that the
Secretary ol the Treasury declined 10 an.
prove Of the nomination OF that per.
son as Weigher, alleging That he
had information that he was
an unsuitable man, but on further
representations Of Murphy to the contrary
elect seconded the appointment. The
Secretary also declined to approve the
removal Of Weigher Lake, but Murphy
further requested change and the depart.
ment subsequently, aCquiesccd. The copy
OF Murphy's letter presented does not
specify the charges on which his s,lbse.
quent letter was based. In giving the
charges some he made on Murphy's per.
sonal knowledge. Treasury Agent Howe
submitted documents showing the amount
OF penalties paid TO the government in
1871 on information furnished by his men
to be $1S7,17 The amount was distribu.
ted to some officer some time in notifies OF
$225O. The entire expenses Of the special
treasury service Of the United States,
comprising IL districts and So special
agents, for the fiscal year ending Decem.
Der 3lst, 1871, were about 81 100000, Of
which $4,000 were paid ior expenses
and the balance in salaries During the
same time over $1,000O0O in cash was
palu 10 the Government by treasury
agents, with a number of large suits still
pending.
w. +. Stocking, of the firm of Lcet n
Stocking, was examined by Senator Bay.
ard. He testified that he met j. p. Lind.
say at Wizards Hotel, in Washington,
and was introduced TO him by tho clerk
Soon alter, Lindsay told him Grinnell
was getting up a carriage bureau in New
York, and, with his Influence, he ought
to be able 10 get it. He procured about
three hundred letters from Senators and
others, and came on aud got the bureau
at $1,000 a year US superintendent, and
held it until the Secretary abolished it.
Almost Immediately after, he Joined Col.
Leet and Wharton in the general order
business.
To Mr.. Bayard-Col. Lcet and got
into partnership through a liking lOr each
other. Mr.. Grinnell said he would like
to do something for us, and he gave lis a
portion of the general order business,
and afterwards the whole business.
w. CasserlY-How did you succeed in
getting so many letters from Senators
Is it customary for Senators to give such
A. 4 got them by my own influence.
Q. Was not the general order one of
the points in politics that the most inGu.
tial Judge here was cOntending lorP
A. SO | understand.
q. Was 1t not strange that Grinnell
should volunteer to give the general or.
der TO you? -
A. IdOn't know.
q. Did you ever hear OF external infn.
ence being brought to bear on himg
A. Not TO run Bayard. No one has any
interest in our business now but l.eet
and myself have only a bowing &C.
quaintance with Gen. Palmer. | had no
letter from him in regard to his coming
on here.
A motion by Senator Stewart, that they
adjourn tomorrow, 10 meet in Washing.
ton next week, was lost.
The Committee will continue their
court here heXt week.