New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-01-20
THE WEEKLY REPUBLICAN
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Advertisements,
CustOmhouse Investigation.

NEW YORK, January l6.-At the custom
house investigation this morning, atiidavits
from the appraiser were received IN dlspro0t
of the charge that the case belonging to IL.
b. Claflin & Co. was not robbed while in
that department. A letter was read from
John Jacob Rabmean, stating that for hav-
ing fearlessly testified before Patterson's in
vestigating committee year ago, he heard
that he was to be removed from his inspec-
torship. He also learned that he was re-
ported for receiving bride of $l5, where it
was S. for extra services. 1t was decided
to hold night sessions hereafter at the Fifth
Avenue Hotel. Ii. b. Clatlin testified he
had no fault to find with the seizure bust
ness. He had no personal knowledge of
the cases of his goods that were opened
He believed that the former generalor,ter
system should be restored.
B. +. Mudgett frequently heard during
his ten years service of officers receiving
-gratuities. Merchants had told him they
had paid inspectors for sending their goods
quickly TO the general stores. Mudgett
said he had counseled Grinnel to resist
the disgraceful system of permitting adven-
turers from Washington to get all the
plums Grinnell said he should. About
that time Louis Dent brother-in-law to the
President, wanted Grinnell to give the gen
eral order carriage business to certain
party That party consisted of General
Porter. Lieutenant Lindsay and others.
General Porter atterward came on to
Grinnell and gave an order to send goods to
Bxby's store. Bixby having arranged 1t
with Porter & Co. Bixby told witness he
paid Leet five thousand a year. Leet was
then ON Grants staff, and renamed IN
Washington year after the arrangement
At the end of the year Leet & Co. got the
general-order business. Subsequently Cen
eral Porter told witness in Washington that
neither himself, BabcOck nor Leet had any
thing to do with anything in the New York
Customhouse. and explained Leet's attempt
to get the business by means OF the Presl-
dents letter
Senator Casserly-And all this time, how
long had Colonel Leet been receiving $1,000
a year out of the generalorder business!
Notwithstanding about year" Wit
ness said Leet & Co. must be making
$l50.000 to 100000 a year clear profit out
of the general-Order business. Officers con
nected with compromising cases also make
out of the government. Paid political as
sessments at customhouse are still contin-
ued. Payments are mostly made through
fear of removal.
Mr.. Henry c. Lake testified he was
weigher under Grinnell, but removed by
Murphy that wOrkmen and worthless
clerks were detailed to assist him, though
the service rendered their employment UNI
necessary Said he had paid assessments
on three occasions amounting to Sll0. His
removal was made because he was not
Cenklng man.
Mr.. Shaw, merchant, said he considered
it very unlikely the Secretary OF the Treas
ury could hear of merchants bribing in
spectors. Never paid black mail himself.
and considers merchant who offers bride
lust as guilty as an officer who takes it.
Christopher Pullman. a cabinetmaker.
was next examined as to what he knew of
primary in the eighteenth district in the fall
of 1870 lie was one of the candidates The
president of the association was a custom
house clerk, and refused tickets from par
ties known to be his (Pulman's) friends.
The inspectors got their backs between him
and the table, and. as he thought. put tick
cts into the box without count The inspect
ors were John Il. Lawrence, clerk in naval
office: Josiah +. Thompson, in charge of
postotlice station: and Allen }. Dennis as
sistant assessor of internal revenue. 1t is a
notorious fact that customhouse officers are
used throughout the city for political pur-
poses. and clerks hold office by their
fidelity to the power that appoints
them He believes the power of the Col
lector would be used to control party issues.
Has heard of an inspector of election in
1871 being offered $500 by Murphy to carry
another primary. Charles S. Grant, clerk in
the appraisers department, and at present
a reporter and correspondent for the Press,
stated that his friend Terry, a custOmhouse
emnloye told him of having been offered
nromotion in January by son of Arthur
Murphy and Howe for signing returns OF
urinary elections; that there was repeating
At the election; that he was one Of the i'll
spectors. and that he finally signed the re
Turns in December. He also told witness
FIAT the returns were fraudulent, and thai
the pressure on him to sin them was made
by Arthur Murphy and Howe.
w. II. Decamp. a lawyer formerly EN-
plOyed in the naval office, testified to his be
inc removed by an order from Washington
after Murphy's appointment, anu &s ne un
drrstOod, on representations sent to Bout
well by Murphy. Grinnell, naval officer
gave him the NOTICE, stating at the same
time that he was one of the most efnclen
officers and best Republicans he knew, AM
that no charge was made against him.
Ouestion-Whose influence was brough
70 hear on Grinnell to remove you
Answer-The Presidents, as | was in
formed
Q. DO you know of other instances o
public interest being so set aside
A. There were several others removed
about the same time from similar causes.
Witness said he was president OF tn
Twentv-frst District Republican Assoch
tion. He refused to appoint persons dtsii
mated by Murphy as inspectors at electiol
for the district and county conventions.
The committee then adjourned to NEE
next at the Fifth Avenue Hotel, where the
will hold dav and night sessions.