The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-05-27
SILK SMUGGLING.


CIvu smit Against CnNs. l.. Lawrence
for More ThUn SI,0OO,OOO,
From the Scw York TnbuncI
The rate Of duty to which hosiery and
other cotton goods are subject was paid
upon the silks alleged 10 have been
gmugglcd through the apuraIscr'B Office
nj an undcrvaluNtiou by Chas. H. Law.
renee. The difference between the duty
which should have been paid on these
silks and THAT which was paid is, it il
claimed, -, 1896, roo, and a 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
vnstlgntiOn 10 discover, il possible, how
silks and lnccB 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
Ralce. Shortly after the beginning Of
Che investigation the detectives found
that what purported to be cotton goods
were delivered 10 Il lncc house, and were
consigned 10 some fictitious consigncc,
tho entries being made by Charles Il.
Lawrence, who signed the Bonds for the
withdrawal of tho goods. Lawrence
claimed 10 have II power Of attorney
from the fictitious cOnHignccs, The
detectives watched Lawrence night and
day, and Collector Arthur detailed
Deputy Collectors Phelps and BRulcll
10 assist them. The Watching of the
suspected persons continued until early
in January without any important re-
ault. At that time Gray Brothers, Gus.
tom-house brokers, made m entry Of
eight cascs Of what purportcd to be
cotton goods, consigned TO Freeman &
Powell. The entry was made before
Col. Dog AnPcg, Lawrence signing the
bond for the withdrawal of the goods.
DeB Anges, as usual, selected one OF
the cases for examination and appraisal.
The dctcctivos watched Lawrence while
no waa signing the bond and making
the entry. A few minutes after Deputy
Collector BauIch made inquiry of Des
Angos aa TO what bond LAWRENCE had
signed. At this Dc8 AngeS became
suspicious and alarmed, and gave IN
order countermanding tho withdrawal
permit.
This order was sent to Mr.. Mooney,
one Cf the detectives who was in Hobo.
ken watching the discharge of the cargo
OF the Pommcrunin, on which the cascs
Of goods were. The cases were thcI
removed TO the warehouse on tho dock
gud m examination of their contents, {
few duya aftcrward, showed that the,
contained Hilks. The goods wer0 scinet
and placed IN the sGlHure-rOOm Of tin,
Cn~Btom-hOusc. One Of the cnscs tn,
one chosen for examination by Col. DE
AngcB contained cotton goods. Th,
Indictment Of Lawrence aud Dog Ango
followed. Lawrence fled TO Canada
wuthor he WAC pursued hy the detect
ives. While in Montreal, he received II
tclugraphiC dispatch from n confederate
in this city, informing him that tho
detectives Weru on his track. He I'M.
Indefinitely left Montreal in Il slcigh, on
Fobruqry H., and pursued his Journey
toward ST. Johns and Halifax, while
the thermometer Wn8 forty degrees be.
tow nero. He ultarward sailed for
England under the nnmc Of q. G. Cor.
don. lie was arrested on his arrival at
Queenstown by Il detective from Scot
land Yard. Lawrence took bis arrest
very coolIy, not supposing that he could
be cxtrnditcd. His case came up before
Police Magistrate Sir ThOmus Henry,
and he VIA defended by Judah p. Ben
lamin, tho former secretary of tho con.
federnte treasury. The mngistrate or.
dercd L%awrenc0's cxtradition, aud the
prisoner was then placed in the Clerk.
cuwoll detention house. While there
Lawrence had conveyed to him Il new
dirk- knife nearly II foot in length.
Whom this was found upon his person
he was confined in II dark cell. Efforts
were then made to bride the detectives,
or ut leaSt to rescue the prisoner from
custody. None of these attempts were
successful, and Lawrence was finally
put on board the Scythia and brought
to this city. He had about ~, 500 in
money on his person when arrested.
Tho detectives connected with the
capture say That the combination to
doirnnd the revenue was one Of the
greatest conspiracics ever formed. 1t
numbered about 500 members, many of
them being men Of wealth and position,
both here and abroad. The most ex-
tonalyo qualifications of the system were
IN England and on the continent, agents
being kept III nearly every large port.