The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-01-06
THE BOSTON FRAUDS.
Further Developments in the Case
Of Jordan, Marsh & Co.
The Members of the Firm To Be Grim
inally Prosecuted for Perjury.

The Members Of the Firm To Be Grim
inally Prosecuted for Perjury.
BOSTON, Jan. s, 1874.
Public interest still clusters around the investt-
CATION now in progress concerning the alleged
frauds OF Jordan, Marsh d Co. upon the revenue.
The examination OF their books ana papers, which
were seized by Special Agent Bingham, ID not
more than one-fourth completed, and 1t will prob
ably be February before any definite idea Of the
extent OF the alleged frauds Is obtained. In the
meantime the commercial community. and IN fact
the whole public manifests the keenest interest in
what Is going on The Treasury o1icials In Wash
ngton, as well as their officers here, are confident
of the infalllbility OF their evidence already Sc
cured to make several instances OF wilful fraud,
and it 10 expected that the number OF cases Will be
multiplied by additional evidence to be gained
from the books and papers now in hand.
have learned from the highest Official source
that the department. at Washington has in it's pos.
session large number OF private invoices differing
materially from the Custom House invoices, being
larger in amount and containing more charges and
less discounts than appear upon the invoices pre-
sented at the Custom House. Furthermore. the
allegations in the complaint OF deliberate fraud in
the way OF letters of advice, amounts current,
be complete, and more than the officers ex-
pected to find. The order OF the Court limiting
the examination of books and papers to the mat
ters specifically set forth IN the complaint 1t is
thought possible may prevent the government
from recovering as much as it is entitled to re.
cover, but, nevertheless 1t is claimed from what
Is already known Of the case in Washington, that
this order will in nowise affect the result except
as to the amount, each case declared upon in the
complaint having been fully substantated by docu.
mentary evidence before the seizure.
For prudential reasons the details OF the pro.
gress of the examination Of the books and papers
are withheld for the present. Ii would not be for
the interest of the government or Just to the
defendants that any premature publication OF the
facts involved should be made. The case s one Of
such magnitude, the parties OF such high social .
inevitably to be tried before jury, it s desirable
that they should enter upon the case without pre-
JUDGE.
Mr.. Bingham, the prosecuting ofacer maintains
demeanor OF quiet confidence which. coupled
presented to a Judge wholly dislnclined to grant
SUCH warrants, and who. from his very
could mot grant them unless
dence leads to the Inevitable conclusion that there
| is much genuine fire underneath all this smoke
made such light Of and worked themselves into
| such q ridiculous and apparently indignant lever
| about. have ascertained In interviews with Mr..
Bingham that the claim Of fraud is not based upon
any technical violations OF the intricate revenue
laws nor upon any question where there could
OF the importer or the action OF the Collector, nor
| upon any species Of evidence obtained or to be OBJ
| have been or could have been tempered with
directly indirectly by the clerk Jackson or any
| Mr.. JacksOn's position as custom house clerk Of
the firm enabled him to be familiar with all their
se Of s re
frauds perpetrated would have been largely in ex-
cess OF those now charged, and sufficient to have
! concern. On account Of Mr.. ,Jackson's failure or
refusal to assist in further detrauding the govern
the time I'M he len Il vas not one-Saif what Is
paid ny other firms for similar service.
ins us' towards ' Mr.. Jackson on. were iurt6er
aggravated by the refusal OF the latter TO wed q
niece OF the mercantile prince. These matters,
Client to state thar Mr.. Jackson will figure con-
spcuously in the case and that he will assist the
It has been decided to proceed against the firm
on criminal as well as a civil process. Inc
charges OF perjury, the offence being alleged to
| have been committed in taking oath to false In
Sa Tsy In S Ss asI al @
than punished volatOrs Of the existing revenue
laws and kindred acts providing for the collection
known as the Mutual Admiration Society, OF the
Hub, took their case up at the regular monthly
virtue and time honOred integrity OF the offending
| arm, they passed series of resolutions demand
culated to punish those VINO seek wealth at the
| expense Of the internal revenue.
John w. Gambler was the special champion OF the
| firm, although in his remarks, as well as in the
| resolutions which he offered, she name OF Jordan,
| Marsh q co. was most carefully omitted. The re-
| solves which he submitted were as folows:-
Resolved That in the JUDGMENT of the board the laws
which the sn:om ns Ss s are
In comnectiom with the demorasIns system Of reward
nioTmers Sy mOiess and WITH ihs arbitrary power
books and they swo c%m"Dy as
ruptIon, oppression and private bribery.
That the evils are great and are exertne
we respectfully ask Of Congress in the the com
Of hs al
benefit Of al % Of ns e
and papers and to enforce the Of private
Of ansOm Sd q thu saes
afforded by them are which imperatvel
tuition for them Of simple. specific duties wherever
Resolved. That the delegates from this Board to the
National Board Of Trade to be held in Baltimore the
of the Board and to take such other measures
oh he %sy sa assm to secure
Mr.. Gambler had scarcely finished reading the
resolutions when the members of the Board broke
out with approving applause. In urging theil
adoption he SAID that the manner IN which the re
solves mad been received showed the popular feel
| ing or the merchants OF Boston concerning the In
| famous revenue laws. He said they were clearly
against the spirit Of republican institutions, an(
| denounced all laws as unjust which increased the
compensation OF the Offlcers II the men whom theJ
| prosecuted were convicted. In his attacks upon
the system he said he hoped that the merchants o
| the entire country would go before Congress ant
| demand that the lnjudici0us and Infamous Law
shall be at once wiped from the statutes
Every importer In the country, he said knew
| that it was utterly Impossible to protect him
self from possible errors as the law existed
now, and furthermore CLERKS could make false
entries and thus render their innocent and homes
employers liable to suspicion and punishment
Heaiso called attention to the fact that In sucl
cases as the one now exciting interest In the com
munity, only small portion of the amour
claimed and obtained from the alleged offender
IN fbo Unv fl.at {eoIIt On,