Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-12-31

and Ohio prisons much TO the apparent
disadvantage of the former. The report
says that rcformatory schools and houses
of refuge are matters of economy to the
people. even were they more costly in
cash expenditures than all the prisons.
THE REVENUE SEIZURES IN BOS-
TON.
Our dispatches have contained intelligence
of the seizure, on Saturday last, of the books
and papers of Jordan & Marsh of Boston by
| revenue officers. The following more COM
ple,e report is from the Boston Advertiser Of
Monday:
Saturday morning United States Marshal
Usher with a corps of deputies proceeded
quietly to the wholesale department of the es-
adjustment of Jordan, Marsh & Co., and
sought an interview with member Of the
firm. The business of the officers was quickly
made known. They bad come with warrant
issued by Judge Lowell of the United States
district court commanding them to take pos
session of the books and accounts of the firm
covering the business from 1869 to 1874. The
depostary of the books not in actual use was
opened to the officers, and every facility af-
forded for the prosecution of their purpose.
While they were present the senior partner
| arrived, and upon being informed OF the state
of affairs acquies ced in the steps already taken
and showed disposition to give up freely
everything necessary for thorough and COM
plete investigation. The removal of books
was soon afterward begun and late in the day
completed, all the property taken being re-
moved to the United States courthouse,
where it was securely stored in safes and
| vaults. There they must remain until the
court issues an order for their examination,
which will be work of time. Not book or
paper has yet been examined, nor can any
| such examination be begun until legal au-
thority is obtained The reports current
Yesterday thae the books were to be returned
this morning had no reasonable foundation.
The information upon which Judge Lowell
issued his warrant for the seizure was col
lected and presented by Mr.. N. w. Bingham,
special agent Of the Treasury department, and
his assistants. The allegations are that for
term of years Jordan, Marsh 6 Co. have de-
frauded the government by means of false in
voices Of their importations at this port. 1t
is charged that some of their invoices do not
contain true statement of the cost, market
value and dutiable charges that should appear
therein, and that upon other invoices appear
fictitious discounts, by which the government
has lost considerable revenue, some directly
and moro indirectly, the latter by changes of
rates effected by false invoices. These are
the principal allegations in the complaint
made by the special agent. And here it should
be stated that the course of proceeding in Bos-
ton is different from that which has given rise
to so much just indignation in New York.
There special agent needs only to make oath
that he believes a fraud has been committed,
to obtain warrant for the seizure ofthe books
and papers of commercial house. Here the
judge requires the evidence upon which such
a belief is founded to be produced for his ex-
animation, and unless satisfied himself that
there is reasonable ground for a complaint the
warrant does not issue. In this case all the
items of evidence, several hundred in num-
Der, which form the ground of the CO mplaint
were submitted to and examined by Judge
Lowell. The seizure therefore is upon evil
dence which satisfied him that the interests of
the government required that this harsh pro-
cess of the law should be taken advantage of.
Under such circumstances any special con-
domination of the action of the revenue officers
would reflect also upon the action Of the
judge.
The statements of the amount involve ed that
were current during the excitement on Sat-
urday were unauthorized by any Of the off,
GERS concerned in investigating the case, who
alone have any accurate knowledge of the sub
ject. II is now impossible to fix the sum with
any defnteness, nor can it be done before the
examination Of the documents in possession of
the court is completed. 1t may, however, be
stated on the best authority that the officers
of the Treasury department who have been
engaged in the investigation up to this point
have no idea that the alleged frauds will
amount to the sums mentioned in the sensa-
tional rumors that obtained currency Sat-
urday; but they do claim that large and ag
grayated frauds appear to have been commit
ted, which require investigation with the aid
of the books of the firm. They express the
desire that nothing should be published to
prejudice either the case Of the government
or the interests of the firm. The matter is in
the courts, and will be in due time judicially
determined, after q thorough examination Of
all the facts and circumstances.
Meanwhile the members of the firm protest
that during the time they have been in the
importing business no law has been violated
for their benefit, and no duties evaded with
their knowledge or consent. limitations have
come to them from time to time that the rev.
enue officers were on their track, but they
paid no regard to them, as their business was
done openly and aboye-board, and because
they were perfectly willing that any officer of
the government, or any person having right
to inspect their business, should do so to his
hearts content. There has been no time when
their books were not accessible, nor when any
technical error or suspicion of wilful fraud
might not have been rectifed and set at rest
if it had been brought to their notice. But in
all this time, variously stated at from three to
eight months, in which the detectives have
been" working up" the case against them,
they had no authentic information of what the
officers were about till the demand came for
them to deliver up their books, and it was
over the country that they were
guilty of frauds amounting to million and a
half, ard probably great deal more, In the
present state of the case they welcome the
most rigid scrutiny into their accounts with
the government, in absolute confidence that,
barring the technical errors inevitable in
business of such magnitude, they will be
found to be correct.
LETTER IRON CAMBRIDGE.
CAMBRIDGE, Dec. 29th.
TO The Editor of the Journal: