, 1873-01-27
aud dividonda, but In tho monna l,e has adopted
to suppress tho truth and acrcon 1linuo1f.
THE FRAUD OF PuELpe, DODGE l. co,

frauds porrotrntod upon tito National royei,lo
by tho worldwide known houao Of pho1ps
Dodge t. Company, OF Now York. Tho promt-
nonco Of tho lending mombors Of that firm, thoir
almost oatontatious display of pioty anu sollcttdo
for tho religious education Of their follow mon,
and tho rolentloss rigor with which tley hayo do
mandod Justice upon all Offenders, l,ayo givon to
thoir detection All interest Of tho mogt pointed
character.
Tho founder OF tile firm WAS Anson Phelps
Who In his day, was successful in business, aud
whose last yoars woro devoted to tho ca,1Bo Of
humanity and religion. Congress, soon aftcr
tho war Of 1879, passed. m act to encourage Art
by admitting, FREQ Of duty, atatuary, paintings,
otc, and Mr. Pholps imported from Europe
yosHol load of lead, zinc, and other metals, cast
III tho form Of buats Of franklin Washington, and
other onainont Americans. Tho motnl thuH o.
capod paying duty, and from which an immense
profit for those days waB nlalo. Aftor his death,
the namo Of Tho firm Phelps, Dodge l. Co. was
made perpetual by net of tho Legislature.
Tho proHont mombors Of tho firm of Phelps,
Dodge l. Go. arc: ". Z. Dodge. sr., Jamoa
stokos, D. Willis Jamos, Anson Phelps Stokes,
". Z. Dodge, Jr., and Thomas stolos nil of New
York. Tho Liverpool louao, doing buainoas un-
dor tho namo OF Phelps, Jamos & Co., of Liver
pool, Is composed Of Daniel James, of Liverpool,
and tho various mombors Of tho firm Of Phelps,
Dodge t. Co., Of New York. W. Z. Dodge, Br.,
Daniel James, Of Liverpool, and James stokca
married tho daughters Of Anson Phelps, tho
founder Of tho house, which hna existed for
nearly seyonty-hvo yoarH. The capitalists Of tho
firm, ranking in tho order Of thoir wealth, nro
Dnniol James, Of Liverpool, Wl1in,n E. Dodge,
Br,, and Jamos Stokes, each Of thoso being worth
from two to five millions OF dollars. Daniel
James, Of the house of PholpB james l. Co., Of
Liverpool, Ina boon tho purchasing agent of tho
perhaps, IT ycnrs Of ago.. ". Z. Dodge, sr., is
about G4, md Jan1os stokos GO years of ago.
Tho principal business manager Of tho hougo
Of Phelps, Dodge & Co., in Now York, is D.
Willis Jan1os, son Of Dnniol James, of Liver
pool. uo camo to this country some years ago,
and is, Perhaps tho ruling man III tho active!
management Of tho. business, though all tho
partners participate moro or less.
Tho business Of tho firm Ia dealing in metals.
They aro importers Of Bloot iron, ziuc, wiro,
block tin md tin plate, tho latter being spoc-
ialty in which tho house has never had SUCCESS
full rivals. For forty years they hnyo boon ut the
head Of that trade, aud havo outlivod Hcoros Of
firma TINT hayo dnred to compete witt, tllom.
Nevertheless, tile immonHo profits Of the firm
hayo boon made during the last fifteen years.
These profits have boen large, not only in tho
direct limo Of the trade, but III roal estate which
they hold in largo quantities in almost oYory
Stato IN tho Union. OF this real estate thoy
have acquired much iu tho way Of settlement
with debtora md 1t has i'll most casos advanced
In yaluo to the groat profit Of tho firm.
Tho Now York Golden dgc speaks ftho recent
traneaction as follows:
Thore las been an Intentional md extensive de-
frauding Of Government, but both tho motive md
practice Of tlo corruption wero concealed from tho
knowledge Of tl,Rt venerable aud honorcd man, nr.
Wm r. Dodge, who la tho seuior partner OF this cee
bratcd house, mud who now benrB moat un Justly tho
odunl which should attach only 10 subordinates Mr.
Dodge received the knowledge Of this Indictment as II
tho whole Alps hnd tumblcd Oh hin, in Rnglo ava
been guilty Of my frauds at all. Wo assured that
lilo proofs Of the faso invoices, when laid before
lin, filled him with profound md humiliatug
surprise. Ho had not suspected any Of his partners
or agen8 10 10 guilty Of such tampertng with moral
rcetudo and commercial honesty. Seeing the wrong
done, he promptly Raid 10 tho Govorn1ncut officers
"Gontemen, whnt tis firm It will pay II It takes
every dollar Of B property" In Wow Of tho difficulty
Of calculating exactly what did owe, involving, wo
nro told, four n,onha' task for an accountant anl
requiring close comparison botwcen pyramids Of
papers, Pholps, Dodge & Co. proposed to pay to the
Government round Rnni Of quarter Of d million
dollars. This proposition wuB further augmented by
adding 900 to cover eli expenses Of counsel fees,
etc. Accordingly, they offered certified check OF
$3.50, ,00o in full settlement Of all clamu.
1t las been repeatedly tried for many years, by
American firms, to purchase tin plato in Europe
and import it; but in oyory case it las boon
demonstrated that Phelps, Dodge l. Co., of New
York, could soil at profit that motnl, from { to
10 per cont cheaper tlRn it could be imported by
any otlor American Aouso.
This plate is manufactured in Wales, and
is purchased by Phelps, James & Co., OF Liver
pool : thoy other re-aell ii to Phelps, Dodge 4
Co., Of Now York, or purchase 1t for tho latter
firm. Iu oithor case, the invoices must be made
out by tho house Of Phelps, James i Co., of
Liverpool, and theao invoices must bo received
by como menlbor Of tho Now York house and it
is not likely TINT the member Of tho
firm priyy to any falao invoicos ID tho
porson WHO had to do. tho falso swearing at
tho CuBtom House. TAat probably WIS per-
formed by Bono junior partuor, Or clerk, wllo
having 10 knowledge other than tho invoices
placed in hiB hands, could honestly awear to
tlIom as tho roai invoices.
Tho duty Oh this article Of tin plato las boen
groaty increased during tue 1aat ton yenra. Tn
1916 tho duty on tin in bars, pigs, or BLOCKS, VIA
s por cont; In 1857 It waa made froo, and con-
tinued 30 until 1869, when tho duty was raised
to Ii por cont, Which is tho present duty. Tho
duty on lin plato WAS II por cont in 1886, was
reduced to por cont In 1867, increased 10 10
per cont In 1861, nill to 25 or cont In 1869, and