New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-06-16

there was also no irregularity in the impor-
| tatiOn of the Domingo cigars; importers
! are always notified to be present on the
| opening Of their goods for inspection.
To Mr.. Reilly-The officers in the sp
praisers' department we're the only ones
who could possibly know the contents oi
imported cases by actual inspection, that
being their special duty.
To Mr.. Complaints in regard to
customs and duties since Collector Casey
| came into Office, have all received prompt
attention.
The routine of the manner in which i'm.
ported goods passed through the Custom
house was then given by witness.
David jackson, swOrn-Testlfied vOlun-
| tarily relative to the error Of the custom
dues Of eighteen cents instead of twenty
four cents per 100 pounds on the ship
Pericles, which arrived in this city some
| time in December, 1870; the witness said he
had no knowledge of the mistake until sev-
eral days after; informed certain parties
| and the officials, and was told the mistake
would be rectified relative to the initials
or private marks G. H. w. and c. II. L.,
| witness told Mr.. Kinsells that they stood
| for carriage hire, warehouse and other ex-
penses, and further, that it was none of Mr..
Kinsella's business, as it related to his (wit-
J
Masich; he was dark, stout man; could not
remember whether he wore side whiskere
or not. Mr.. Masich was an importer Of ci
gsrs.
Gustave Drewea, sworn, to Mr.. Whita-
ker--Is q c0nfectiOner; knows G. w. Fergu-
son.
Question-S.ste what you know of him
relative to perjuring himself.
Mr.. Stevenson objected to any witness
ryIv n Tn o. WI
ness before the committee had at previous
time committed perjury.
Mr.. WOOdburn observed that if the COM
mittee had followed the rules Of evidence
and the law, but little testimony would
have rewarded their labOrs, as the mass of
the testimony was hearsay evidence.
Mr.: Reilly begged to differ with Mr..
WOodburn.
Mr. New said he would oppose embodying
hesrssy evidence in the report Of the COM
mittee, when that report was submitted to
Congress. This committee, clothed with
inQuisitOrial powers, had seen proper to
take great deal of hesrsay evidence, but
in his opinion this was done for the purpose
Of arriving at or reaching the main facts.
J. N. Davis, sworn-Te Mr.. Whitaker-Is
an inspector of cigars in tho Cust0mhouse;
has filed that position during tho last six
years; recollects about the twelve cases Of
guava jelly and msrmalade sent into the
cigar inspection room by mistake for cigare;
these cases and cigar cases resembled each
other go much that almost any person might
make mistake, unless close examination
was made; from $4,000. 900 to 10000 900 of
cigars have been imported in the CITY dur
ing the time witness has held that position.
Relative to the statement of Ferguson,
that q case containing 3S 600 cigars had
been passed through the CustomhOuse with
out paying duties, witness testified that it
would be impossible to manufacture q case
to hold this number that could be handled
without being broken to pieces by its own
weight.
Mr.. Conger-Have you ever seen case
that would hold 80 600 cigarsl
Answer-No, sir.
2uesti0n-How large would such case
Answer-AbOut half the size of this room.
Witness referred to Parlor P, in which
the committee holds it's sessions. and which
is one of thelargest rooms in the st Charles
Hotel.
To Mr.. Reilly-To get box of cigars out
of case tied and sealed would require a
space to be pried open of six or seven
inches; one inch pried open would break
the rope, seal or case.
Mr.. Conger to Mr.. Reilly-If you can find
out how Ferguson got that box, would
largely increased since Collector Cssey's
administration. Relative to Ferguson's
statement that he had pried open and
taken out of one of these cases of guava
jelly box Of cigars, witness said that was
impossible without breaking the seal, or
showing such unmistakable marks upon
the case that it could be easily detected;
Ferguson could not have entered the room
in the night, without permission of the
and that officer would scarcely
admit any empl0ye of the Customhouse in
the inspection room, either before OF after !
Office. .hOurs; Ferguson could not have en-
tered that room from the outside of the |
CustOmhouse Witness testified to having |
letter from Ferguson, dated New |
York. April q, in which threats we're made |
against certain Curtomhouss officials; had |
the letter at home; would lay it before the |
committee at the evening 90 ssiOn.
To Mr.. Reilly-Hsd never known case |
Of imported cigars or other goods broken |
open after arriving in the Customhouse, |
and q portion of the contents stolen; had |
opened casee. where cigars we're 400 or 500 |
short. The robbery must have occurred in |
Havana in the packing, as the vacant space |
would be filed with paper.
James Morrison, sworn-To Mr.. Whita-
ker-Is employed in the appraisers
department Of the CustOmhouse; assisted |
in the examination of the twelve cases of |
guavs jelly; examined them all; one half |
was jelly and one half marmaIade; two
other appraisers were present at the time;
there was an iron hoop around both ends
of the boxes containing the jelly and mar
malade.
George Washington (coloredl, sworn-To
Mr.. Whitaker-Is in the appraisers de-
partment; opened twelve boxes containing
yauva jelly and marmalade; Mr.. Ingalls,
md Mr. Morrison and others were present
1t that time.
To Mr. Reil1y-NO one spoke 10 witness
sbOut the evidence given in Washington
'elative to these boxes.
To Mr. Conger-A blind man the witness
aid, could tell a box of gauvs jelly from
'igar box, although some of the boxes of
he former were in size about the same as
he latter.
To Mr. Vance-American nails, four or
I've inches long, we're used in mailing the
,Oxee; the boxes were 40 securely fastened
hat it took witness some time to open one |
With hammer and chisel.
The committee then adjourned until
even O'Clock this evening.
EVENING SESSION.
Examination for the defense resumed.
Charles E. Ingalls,, sworn-TO Mr. Whita-
;er-Is an examiner of imported goods; re-
Members the arrival from Havana of twelve
ases of guavs jelly and marmalade; was
resent when the cases were opened; they
IL contained suava jelly or marmalade;
here were no cigars in any of the cases; it
vas impossible to mistake boxes of Jelly
or boxes of cigars; all cigars imported go
through government warehouse No. to
he cigar room, and be inspected and
tamped before they can be removed to
ny warehouse.
To Mr.. Reilly-Was in the cigar room
vhen all the boxes were opened; could not