Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-01-07
The treat Boston Firm Accused OF
Revenue Frauds.

increasing, and a lively curiosity is felt Al
TO the nature OF the charges and the pros
poet of their Notifications beside 4 tOlelca
Bile strong resentment against the arbiira
Try character Of the proceedings OF thu
government agents. lu accordance Will
the provisions OF the law, Collector Rus
sell has appointed Special Agent Bingham
Of the treasury department, and Messrs
Kimball, Mcorsbouse and Graves, deputy
special agents, examiners to inspect the
seized accounts, and they are busily eigag'
ed 10 the work. The 6rn have taken tEans'
cripts Of all the charges filed against them,
that they make known Of what they stand
accused.
In the affidavit upon which Specia'
Agent Bingham obtained the order for the
seizure il is stated that the frauds are oil
different classes, which are given. Under
class one, the frauds are said to consist OF
false classification of goods imported, at,
fectirg the rates and amount OF duties
memoranda Of the firms dealing with for.
eign hvuscs, giving names and dates. in
which, evidence of fraudulent invoices ap.
pear, are cited as proofs Of the charges.
Glass two relates TO cases in which the
cost of boxes, packing, commission aud
other charges were not added to the prime
cost of the goods, MS required by law OF
all merchandise subject to ad yalorem du.
ty-in many cases, it Is charged, these
charges were actually deducted. Glass
three contains charges of the expectation
of merchandise in bond and its r%eimporta.
ton without change of ownership and en-
tries invoiced by which the cost of the
goods was stated at less than the actual
cost and true dutiable value. Glasses
four and five relate to goods imported and
put into consumption IN which revenue
charges were wholly cvaded. Glasses six
and seven include the charges OF goods
invoiced at prices much below their cost
and Of fictitious discounts. Papers and
correspondence of the firm are cited in
almost every instance, in support of these
charges; and it is alleged in the affidavit
that documentary evidence exists showing
that Jordan Il Marsh were personally
cognizaDt Of these frauds.
The wonder is, supposing ull the charg.
cs arc true, how the government got at
the facts. Jordan. Marsh & Cos business
has boen pretty closely scrutinized by the
treasury agents fer two years or more, but
the members Of the firm do not seem to
have been aware Of it until quite recent.
ly. Their custom-house business has
mostly been committed to the care Of one
individual, and it is rumored that there
are suspicious of a conspiracy" TO injurc
them, by making fraudulent entries and
Their informing the agents. 1t is the gen.
eral opinion that some one in the establish
ment has assisted the officials TO most Of
tho facts on which the charges are found
cd.
A special dispatch to the Boston Her.
aid from Washington says that it is learned
at the treasury department that the super
visors have been at work for two years
obtaing tho evidence upon which they
acted in Selling the books, The supervis-
ing special agent himself spent some time
in Boston, recently, investigating the case.
and says the evidence in favor of the gov.
eminent is overwhelming. 1t was obtained
at the Boston custom.housc, most OF the
goods imported by the firm having come
to the port of Boston. No doubt is en-
tcrtained at the treasury department that
the firm can be mulcted for almost any
sum that the government may sue them
for. There is likely to be delay of some
months before the suit can come to trial
in the United States court.
If they succeed in proving their charg-
es, the informer, the collector. the nava|
officer and the surveyor Of the port will
get big slices, and the marshal, district
attorney and clerk Of the court will GET
fat fees. If they fail, tho law provides
no remedy for the importers whose books
have been seized aud business character
traduced. In all this the law treats The
importer as an enemy to be worried as
much as possible, and makes him pay fol
the iueficiency of its own agents. 1t is q
foolish, vicious law, and l. makes incom'
petent. vicious officers.