The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-05-28
SILK SMUGGLING.
Civil suit Against Chas. L. LaVyrenc
for More Than SI,OOO,OOO.
from the New York Tribunel

Civil suit Against Chas. L. Lawrence
for More Than SI,OOO,OOO.
From the New York Tribune.I
The rate of duty to which hosiery and
other cotton goods are subject was paid
upon the silks alleged to have been
struggled through the appraisers Office
at an differentiation by Chas. l.. Law
renee. The difference between the duty
which should have been paid on these
silks and that which was paid is, 1t is
claimed, 81 1886, 400, and suit was be-
gun yesterday in the United States dis
trict court to recover that amount from
Lawrence.
The detectives received their first
intimation of the true state of facts in
October last, when they began an in
vestigation to discover, if possible, how
silks and laces could be sold in this
market at an differentiation, They
were assisted in their quest by dealers
In this city who had been losers by such
sales. Shortly after the beginning of
the investigation the detectives found
that what purpOrted to be cotton goods
were delivered to a lace house, and we're
consigned to some fictitious consignee,
the entries being made by Charles L.
Lawrence, who signed the bonds for the
withdrawal of the goods. Lawrence
claimed to have a power of attorney
from the fictitious consignees. The
detectives watched Lawrence night and
day, and Collector Arthur detailed
Deputy Collectors Phelps and Baulch
to assist them. The watching of the
suspected persons continued until early
in January without any important re-
suit. AT that time Gray Brothers, Gus.
tOm-house brokers, made an entry OF
eight cases of what purported to be
cotton goods, consigned to Freeman &
Powell. The entry was made before
Col. Des Anges, Lawrence signing the
bond for the withdrawal of the goods.
Des Anges, as usual, selected one of
the cases for examination and appraisal.
The detectives watched Lawrence while
he was signing the bond and making
the entry. 4 few minutes after Deputy
Collector Baulch made inquiry of Dea
Anges as to what bond Lawrence had
signed. At this Des Anges became
suspicious and alarmed, and gave an
order coUntermanding the withdrawal
permit.
This order was sent to Mr.. Mooney,
one Of the detectives who was in Hobo,
ken watching the discharge of the cargo
of the Pommerania, on which the cases
of goods were. The cases were then
removed to the warehouse on the dock,
and an examination of their contents, 6
few days afterWard, showed that they
contained silks. The goods were seized
and placed IN the seizUre-rOOm of the
custom-hOuse. One of the cases-tht
one chosen for examination by Col. De-
Anges-cOntained cotton goods. TIL,
Indictment of Lawrence and Des Ange
followed. Lawrence fled to Canada
whittier he was pursued by the detect
ives. While in Montreal, he received
Geographic dispatch from a CONFEDERATE
in this city, informing him that tn
detectives were on his track. He i'm
mediately left Montreal in a sleigh, OF
February u, and pursued his jOurne,
toward st. Johns and Halifax, Will
the thermometer was forty degrees be
low zero. He afterward sailed TO
England under the name of Ct. G.. Cor
don. He was arrested on his arrival q
Queenstown by a detective from Scot
land Yard. Lawrence took his arres
very coolly, not suppOsing that he couI,
be eXtradlted. His case came up befOr
Police Magistrate Sir Thomas Henry
and he was defended by Judah P. Ben
Iamln, the former secretary of the con
federate treasury. The magistrate OF
dered Lawrence's extraditiOn, and tn
prisoner was then placed in the CLERK
enwel detention house. While Their
Lawrence had conveyed to him ne7
d1rk-knife nearly a foot in length
When this was found upon his perso
he was confined in a dark cell. Effort
were then made to bride the detectives
or at least to rescue the prisoner fror
custody. None of these attempts wer
successful, and Lawrence was fnaIl
put on board the Scythia and brough
to this city. He vhad about 81, 500 i
money on his person when arrested.
The detectives connected with tn
capture say that the combination {
detraud the revenue was one of th
greatest conspiracies ever formed.
numbered about 500 members, many
them being men of wealth and position
both here and abroad. The most e,
tenslve qualifications of the system wei
IN England and on the continent, agen
being kept in nearly every large port.