New-York tribune., 1876-05-19
GENERAL PHEss DTsPATCH.I

CIGARS THAT ESCAPED DUTY.
GENERAL PRESS DIsPATcu.l
WASHINGTON, May 1S.-The Select Commit
tee on Federal Offices in Louisiana examined to-day
G. W. Ferguson Of New Orleans employe III the Gus
tohouse at that place. who testified that his purpose
in coming to expose some OF The rreguar'ucs
Of the Customhouse. Mr. Ayre of NewOrlcans met Wit
ness at the hotel in this city since lie arrived heres ard
asked him what he was going testify about and told
him that II would irJure the Republican party in New
Orleaus Ayre also told witness that Mr.. lerwig Dep
uy Collector at NewOrlcans, had plenty OF money ana
could bring hundred witnesses to prove that witness
would believed under oath witness received the
impression that Ayre here to arrest some OF the Wit
nesses who might testify before this Committee as Ayre
Is deputy marshal and brothcr-inaw OF Marshal Pack
ard witness did not obtain leave OF absence when nc
came here and told Ayrc that lie expected to have his
head cut off the first OF the month Ayre replied mat nc
wold do Il II he their place ut the Cust0houSe
he asked his brother go to the CustOmhouse aud tell
the officials that he sick and could not attend to his
duties, and lie then up here He said the reason
why he deceived the officials about coming here was that
II they had known it he certain he would not have
been allowed TO leave the State alive.
Witness said he employed in the sugarroom In
tic Customouso in 1875 when twelve cases purporting
to contain guaya Jelly received at the Custom
house, consigned to man named Hubbard. one bls
box only contained Jelly and the other eleven contained
cigars The case containing Jelly opened IN the
presence Of witness and other laborers anc they were
then told that there more work TO be done that
day, and they went away. witness privately opened
OF TIE other boxes and found they contained cigars
There 900 cigars In all, AMI the fraud consisted
in entering them a. jelly Tie duty on the cigars was
81 80 per pound p per cent al yaorem duty aud the
internal revenue stamps On the Jelly the duty was 10
per cent The cases all marked exception brand
indicating them to be cigars. Even the case OF jelly was
marked TO represent cigars; the marks were all alike
All this occurred in March, 1873.
q. How do you know the employees were In a RingY
4 The importers had told witness that Thomas Ong,
who collected the money from them, hal kept all the
money and had not divided with the others, and that
hereafter they would digGe up the money themselves
aud then pay II 70 the different employees the I'M
porter paid 500 per thousand the cigars, and that
sum vas divided Dillingham;, naval officer; lierwig'
deputy collector; Crawford, entry clerk, and Thomas
Ong were in the Ring
Q. Was Collector Casey member a this Ringf A
Not Shat nm aware or
By Mt Hoskiu7-ware you present when any money
wa, divided auong these mcn A. decliue 10 answer
After d.scusio among the Conmitteethe witness
w.s toll that he coad answer yes or no without erm
mating himself and hc answered yes He saw 5000
paid Is Hr Domingo; had never received penny MN
self nor any other valuable consideration. THIS took
rec i D,n'ngn's store about February, 1875 and the
money was paid 10 Mr oac witness knew that this paw
mont relate. TO cigars because Domingo said. acr oAg
went ont. D these fellows. they come aii,r me
before can c hc cigars ont of the cases. know was
not tie duty for this was paid In erccnracks and the
luty +. paid In gold and Mr. Olg hal authority to
collect the duty.
O. Now gi,c us another case o' irrcgnlary.
lWituc., testified that IN the Fail oi ls13 Mt Nl'-oeb
wont 10 Havana ana before going be toll witness that
b. was going to import lot Of slr', ana the c.erSs III
;h Cn.ou-hols, had told Lin to send all MS cigars to
Warehouse No instead of tho cigar room, ana tbcy
oad De a.n care Of lot ~ thirteen cases 81 cigars
arrived and were cent vinegar factory on Ben'hle
st. Sir Eiusea, special ant found them iuch'Fge o'
Nj M,ssocs clerk nui hs deputy went ~ the vinegar
factory and told the clerk he got them out in one hour
all right II not Lc would Heile them.
Tho witness then detailed q statement about 10000
c,ar. that had shipped o. ScwOrlcans In March,
1870 which were invocci 20 0OO and they we've de-
,iverrd - r ncCaty thN ua mcnt ~ duty on 10000
only. Mr. McCarty made the entry ON these cigars Mt
the Gust n-hou,e. but they were taken to hsssochs
store Witness said that Mr. Massoch "asa large inl-
pntcr and his fraudulent practices IN Importing cigars
had broken down the small mPor,er'' some OF whom
have sad that they could bay cigars of Massoch $40 per
1000 cheaper than thoy could import them for