St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-03-13
The Black Mail System.

purIps DODGE Il CO. : DEFENSE BEFORE
The WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE.
In the investigation before the ways
and means committee 1T Washington
Yesterday, the principal testimony was
from Nj. Dodge. of the New York firm
of Phelps. Dodge & Co. He claimed
that the firm had been guilty of II"
fraudulent intentions or acts. ana had
been mraigncd for mere clerical errors
amounting i'll the aggregate I" only
$1,000 : that they had been treated III
the most outrageous manner ~ ihIol III
or JAYNE and the custom house gang
that their second book keeper hitd been
E,ribcd TO expose these minute errors III
their accounts. and Informed Jayne OF
everything that took place III then
counting room that they bad been
logged by spies. so that even their con
tertnce> At their private residences were
known 10 J.Is ne. and that they had
been cheated out of S2U0.OW. He test
fled that on his first interview with
JAYNE. the latter said hC WIS sorry the
government was III possession OF Facts
To show that the firm Nas engaged III Il
deliberate attempt to dcfland ii" icNe-
line. by a systematic >rrle> "t t"Igcrl">.
and by importing goods with false aud
duplicate invoices and that lac tJaEnc)
supposed that he tDudgc) knew very
well what were the penalties involved
under these circumstances, giving HIM
to understand that every act of perjury
of which he, might hc guilty subjected
him To II tine of 5000. and iupli>uu-
mrnI for 80: less than two NcaI>. jaime
1 l..
and unLrr-v Valuation. according to the
law of l-ti3. the firm had forfeited = =
IJO. 100 To the government. and that hr
had Il warrant from the district court /"
take puS~c~~ium of the firm books and
papcrs.Mr. Dodge said This came Ia himi
like Il thund,. holt lie kurw Judge
Davis To tc au honorable and upright
man aud said To- him II hi~ l. Il
strange proceeding. 1t i entirely ne"
10 nrc : DENY the whole of il. defy
This man Jaime to produce a single du-
llicatc invoice ever used by Phelps.
Dodge \ Co.,. Ja,nr said. i have
aiiidavit~ to show thai You tanpcIrd
with th.. officers of the, governments. III
reply I" which Nil. Dnd2, said to Judge
Davis. IF there ,tIc ANY books OF pa
l,cr~ To- establish such eases. they are At
N"ur service. Going Ia hi. office. MI.
bod - sud I" those plcScnt. " tn'l' l.
Il fearful charge against Us of dctrdud-
ing the revenue. and of perjury. and
here i Il United States officer to take
Iu>>tsSiuu of our books" JAYNE had
one 81 tNn officers with him. The 81
men III ;hc store Wclr at their desks.
and were n~tuni>hcd ~ the proceedings
Jayne took what books he wanted. and
u cart was backed up al the door To
take them away. Mr.. Dodge further
testified III regard To Il report that Gen.
Butler had said he had a >iugle letter
from Phelps. Dodge & CO. which was
sufficient t. convict them III any United
States court. that the firm learning
what il was. laughed When the firm
tor the first time imported Tin tul
chcesc-vate. instead OF putting it i'll Tin
boxes IL NnS put liz bundles. With strips
OF galvanized non lound them. ! he
appraiser called their attention To the
fact that the tir should have been in
boxes TO avoid future trouble. they
WI"tt their friends abroad To thereafter
PM the Tin IN boxes. With marks ut
thcir weight and manufacture. The
reply came that they would cndea or
I" follow Instructions. but the mann
tartuIcrs added If in any respect
We shall differ let Us know and We viii
Tx it" ten. Butler nov had it, We
viii. on this" he said. "ronNict Phelps
Dodge y Go. in any court IN the Uuitcd
States" When he dodge returned
from Washington the firm decided that
the! had better pay the amount de
maudcd. than have Il Judgment of II. -
|Jn.nOl entered against them in court.
They settled. aud paid the money TO
,ct lid of the Infamous charges against
them. and being ut that time in igno-
rance OF the real amount they owed the
government. They now think thes
were fools tul pay in. the muucl. hut
there WIS terror i'll the vciN thought
that they found themselves dogced lv
spies III any steps they took. They
r"uId not have private meeting of the
finn ~ might hut " hat it WAS known in
the dark hall at the custom house. One
81 his partners. rs January came round.
opened his desk. and. culluu uut such
letters as he wished IL retain. burnt the,
rest. immediately after. they received
Il letter from their attorney. Informing
them that Jayne said Phelps Dodge X
Co. we've burning up their paj,rI~. and
hi would have them all III Ludlow
street jail. that night.
The Temperance Movement at Mont
peller.