New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-03-21
JAYNE's EXPERIENCE IN FRlGHIENlN'
EIRMS.

Tho case of C. Landmann q Co. or NO
eouth william St. which was oompromlseu Ny INC D"'
nent Of s25Ooo Jan 20, ISL as gwen by Tue urn, Po
80, ,ho features common in the cases with which Mr.
Javne had 10 do-of repeated tbreats successfu lht
.as,Ior and the spoaon OF firm crippled by the loss
a, s hooks and the various embarrassments to Its ousi
mes. caused by conflict with the Customs authorizes
The hooks of this house seized few weeks before
the compromise made in the latter part OF 1871
The ransacking OF the premises very thorough No
corner and no place which could hold documents up
ssirs OF down stairs was pred into. Many private
letters and papers were taken away, and no proper
receipt was given. Mr. Jayne Immediately went 10
work to scare the importers He told them that their
case was very bad-perhaps tho worst In his
experience Csir. Jayne appears 10 have had several
worst casesl In impressive way he read TO them
extracts the laws bearing on their alleged crimes
and Impressed upon them that he could have them
imprisoned for any OF many acts which he declared
they had committed. The charge against the hrm was
Of underweigh in five six invoices received IN Inc
years 1868 and 1884, which, 1t alleged, had been pro-
eured by bribng the weighmasters The hrm uuni's
that there small discrepancies IN the weights OF
these invoices as gwen on the weighmasters returns
and az shown by account Of sales IN ther DOCKS
This they attribute the careessness OF the ohcas IN
weighing and declare that they had never given brides
70 officials to induce them give underweight or false
representation OF invoices, although they had gwen
the customary fees, indispensable TO secure prompt
and reasonably fair returns from the weighers They
assert that there any attempt made In the
books to cloak payment OF these fees or to hde TIE
occasional slight discrepancies between the official
weight and the weight shown by their sales ii
there had bribery there would have been some at
tempt TO conceal these things in their books 1t is as
serted among importers that weighers are not given
the usual fees, some OF them will often return over
weight upon cargo to force the recactrant importer
g. fee them.
Jayne could not claim that than 5000 was due in
duties upon the invoices whore the alleged fraud hao
occurred, but he threatened 70 bring SUIT fol
che aggregate value OF al the invoices-a sun
Of several hundred thousand dollars. The EN-
barrassments OF from the detention OF theh
books Of shaken credit abroad from the repor
Of their difficulties with the Government and th'
threats OF Mr. Jayne, induced Landmann Co. to orde
Their lawyers TO effect compromise. Jayne at first Sc
extravagant sum, taking in lofty way Of the agra
waited nature OF the case and OF the vast sums which
could be recovered. He seemed bent on gaugng his de
uaDds by what he thought the resources OF the hrm
and only with difficulty obliged TO lower his eXray
agant demand by proof Of their dsprop0On 10 the vol
Of business Of the house He felt stron
IN his position because he thought he had Thoroughly
frightened LsndmanD & Co., and 1t was only Wit
Erumbllng that he finally accepted $4,000.