New-York tribune., 1874-03-07
, CLEAR CASE OF FRAUD.

TIE TAXES on THE ESTATE or GEN. JOIN T. WOOL
SETTLED, RECORDED, AND COLLECTED BY HAw-
LEY, BUr THE HALF OF THE AMOUNT PAID TO
sANBoRN UNDER HIS CONTRACT.
In the report OF the Secretary of the Treas
uy on the Sauborn contracts there appears under date
of Aug g. 1873 the following letter from John d. sanborn
relative to the payment of the legacy and succession
taxes on the estate OF Gen. John L. Wool:
NEw-YoRK, Aug. 3. 1873.
SIR: Referring 10 the contract made by me wItn the
Hon George = Boutwell,. late Secretary OF the lfea
-nry hearing dae August 10. 1872, and amended 10y
the agreement October 81. 1872 have the hOnOr 10 re-
Cnn Jcb1 F wool decelsed late Of Troy, v Y, and
one Of the parties named my schedule accompanying
[ 'u % r"ni of taxes due the Government by
bm arising from the legal assessment on legacles ana
SUGGESTIONS OF said trust, ana Wncn mas never neIore
ueeu pad. herewith lnco'e said sum, ana rtspert
y request thar oaehif OF tho same snail he paid INTO
me AlossS t, ~ i inin hlr thereof snail be paid to
me IN accordance The terms OF IEy said contract j.
81 TeW.YoTE very respectfully, JOIN D. sANBOEN.
me lion VIZ A. RICHARDSON, Secretary OF tne Treas
ury, Washington d. L.
This case is as remarkable as that OF the ate John
Phelps lately described in TIE TRIBUNE, as illustrating
The fact that SanLorn drew his 50 per cent on claims
which were recorded in the Offices Of the internal rev.
cnue officials ana which could not by reason of the
prominence and wealth Of the testatOr. Gen Wools
death was widely noticed and his Will, which devised
a large estate was generally published, yet 1t Will be
seen by the statement OF his executor sanDorn was
paid several thousand dollars for discovering what
every body knew II viii be further that the in
formation was ~ time in the office OF Collector j.
f. McMasers Of Troy, and was transferred By him to
the Office of Supervisor Lucian Hawley the same VINO
stands indicted with Sanbo for conspiracy in Just such
transactions in the Brooklyn district, whose United
States Attorney they had found possible TO buy
up with dividend OF five per cent to overlook and
and the conspiracy.
Mr. Asher T. Morgan, the executor OF Gen. Wool, has
an Office IN this city at No. Beekmanst. TRIBUNE
reporter called on him on Wednesday and surprised
him with the intelligence that he figured in the sanbOrn
contract report MI Morgan quite positive that he
had never met any such person as Sanborn and 1t was
ONLY upon the perusa the report that he could believe
that ms name mentioned therein. In explanation
OF the case he said
Maor-Gcn John L. Wool died in November. 1869,
eaII1g many Deducsts but making prOviso that
should be paid untii after the death OF ms wife Mrs
Wool died In May 1873, and l. as executor immediately
commenced making prep lratons to close up the estate
rhe OLD revenue law required that the legacy TAX should
be paid immediately on the decease OF the testa-
tor. but by the supplemental law OF 1866, pay
ent was not required until the lcgacies became due
and payable Many the legatees opposed TO the
payment OF any taxes at any tne ana some questions
OF legality raised The matter was hrs brought TO
the notice OF the Secretary Of the Treasury IN letter OF
Cram to him, IN which he oDectcdtO the payment
OF the tax bequest TO him. Learning OF thS also
wrOe 10 tde Secretary in regard 10 tue matter ana an
opinion was sent by him 10 Col j. +. McMasters OF
Troy n Y, and copy OF the same to me. About
TINS time, person unknown TO me- But Whoh DelleNe
10 have Deen attacAe of Supervisor HawleYs once,
called al NY Office, and asked If returns mad oeen made
in the matter OF the estate OF the late Gen Wool |
replied in tho negative, when he requested That they
should be made TO Supervisor Hawiey. / informed
Collector McMasters OF tnis. and nc wrote ne TO
do AS requested. Al few DAYS aferwaTd eXJudge
Alden a clerk ia Supervisor Hawleys once, called
upOn me and a day appointed for me 10 meet the
latter Al that argued the various legal points at
some engtb and several deductions were made IN The
taxes About the lst OF August Mr. Alden again called
m INV office aud left the corrected returns calling for
S14 GG, ia taXca. asked whom the check should be
naae payable when he replied, to the Secretary Of
Tie Treasury" and l drew the check payable 10 his
Order and gave to hm, to be handed TO supervisor
Iawley. There were a large number OF legaces made
in the will and did propose 10 pay the taxes until
an opinion was obtained in regard 10 their payment
Though they were distributed fast as possible they
we're not all pad till the following October, and even
then several months remained IN which 10
settle up other affairs connected with the es-
tate. The name Of SanOOrn rds atrer men
toned III connection with the settlement, and |
suppOsed that il being made through the usual
souTce The original correspondence, which i have
Kept fully demonstrates the motive IN the delay in
making the returns. / never noticed the name upon
The receipt until this time, II did SO at the tue IL
was received naturally overlooked 1t, supposing IL was
that of the Collector of this city. All my transactions
we're with Supervisor Hawley directly. or some Of the
attaches of Ills Ofhce."