The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-19
THE THIEVES IN LOUISIANA
EXPOSURE or THE RAsCALITIEs OF
THE CUSTOM house RING.

The CUSTOM house RING.
In Collision with Importers TO swinde tho
United states Treasury -HiEh-Priced Ci-
Ears smuRaIed Through as Guava Jelly.
wAsHINGroN. May 1s.-The select COM
mittee on Federal ofllces in Louisiana held a
secret session to-day. at which the Chairman
reported that ho had applied to the Attorney
General, as directed, for immunity for the wit
ness Seeye, and that officer had requested that
the application bo made In writing. The COM
mittee then examined q. W. Ferguson Of New
Orleans, an employee In the Custom House at
that place, VINO testified:
was employed In the Custom House when left New
on Hs' S o Se
s G e cs Il Ssw hea and & Ed e me hs
ing testify about, and told me that II would injure
sss .ss S Deputy
nss plenty m oI d sYna nD be- orS
1reped that did not think that could pc done and
some 81 the waes.e. VINO ,nig6, testify before his
law OF ssf:ss fscs.rd OiplS cDi.in esgS q al
sence when came here her s9d ,od Ayre % that expect
replied that ne would 40 II he was In ther place al
FRAUDS OF THE CUSTOM HOUSE RING.
Q.-Now tell us what you know about any frauds
Al VAS employed in the cigar room in the Custom
ao Gassa @ "sT were resd az s pusto House,
consgneO 10 man named Huaard. II twss my duty to
A hs Deputy 1 coceCT aerss " ems @ into the cigar s
eSS cpSSred ths s room 70 bs Oessd 10 Insas an In
.pec!or, VINO was also connected with the Ring had
bu. he did not examine the other cases Two men that
% sS s po & 'SS sssS mt S SS%s Ssd es S
sS%nps sS% s 5esssdia Y. t. s se Cs o ns T'ss
leyed. 70 Keep me away from the ware;
SSIs 4sHraed ps'e eissr open
the cases which had not been exam exsIninrd dlseo,.red
:. Il .Su1dsSiiy, and recio.ed Ine .psrsufs These
s s Sn al sbu s tue
hs the iase Hs Thug
eaespts d,Sn 40 o. tue sSs r.na une "a eases @
ie1ng them as jeM ~ lhe duty on tue cissrs was 81
Se S,srns Res q" the y the auy wa.
ten cent The loss to the Governinent amounted to
NJ GopsssTSs case: case. we're q. marked EsesD;
mar. xsTS .a.'ss; Al snis Cs.ar.sdia S.f.h: ls!s
ago and oiS my % Sso,h e Of a.. m % was@ oeea.,ed
the ir.Sd aud Il I'D 90 they were al the Ring 10
geiher.
WHO WE'RE IN THE RISo.
o-How do you know they were in a Ringi A-The
inorers told me that rnomas ong who collected the
money from them. kept II all anu did not divi C WIN
tne others that hereafter tney would DIVIDE up
eSpoyee Tue importer paia SO per soassud On tie
| cigars, AID that sum was divided
| witness gave the names Of Dillingham;, Naval
| Ofncer; Herwig, Deputy Collector; Crawford,
entry clerk. and Thomas Ong, appraiser, as
members oil the ling.
| Q-wm Collector Cssey menber OF this Ring ?
BY Mr. ho.klns-werey you present when any money
was dNded between these men 2 Al uecline to
ansueI; :, .,, ..,...,.
me. ana It might not. wish to consult counsel.
After some discussion with the commute the
| witness was told tnat ne might answer yes or no
| without terminating himself, and he answered
| yes. Witness continued:
saw 5000 paid BY Mr.. Domingo: never received =
fh,s too2 place N Domingo store about February.
@ ayr sas lsss s Domingo ss
sr ne st teeT. ne
no aa hcry TO 70 Se dSs G ias VA. Rs
gsshier's dgt, ! had frsquent oonvers tion, with
pif'n,d that tncse Custom House men would cone
h. nioTe,. ana hs Iaoasal 4 va. 10! iaiI Tne la,IS
rs M hpe'seT ss psDSy Sose.Sr ana N.y. % oes,
mG.i PISS, and it Necessary thai these per'on,
they Iormed this Hing tpokeu OF.
ANOTHER CASE OF FRAUD.
9NoT & s's ss a 'g9o7S ~ s,.s OF resSn A
E9s me oS ,Ss me ,1 na. he , r.Ss 8 os @pof
toll ri to send al his cigar. 10 w.rchouse No d,
sled q The gNr sore anu they would be isksn care
,snt ic ynessr factory "a Bsnyllie street, snd 81
me efse " M Maocas eers m Kinssa ,eqaG "a
specisl i .sep q tae ire.'sr. pspar!men and hi.
clrrk II he got them cut in hour all righ he
SSci i6e d.puiy wosd not SLOW, ana they we're
czcd cJnnsc ted aEd sold Three Of the seized
ai'iss on item showing that they we're his proper
sud hal passed through tne Custom HOusc. Tue other
ten cases. tniuk from VIII heard and saw, were
-krn out o. ~arehou.e No Sand carried TO the vinegar
q. ami Mr.. Hin transacted the -slness.
| Br Mr. COuger-Ihen ms WAS an attempt TO smuggl,
whlcn was frustrated, was ltP A-Yes, sir. II wa
Hcrwly his brother were tue OF sarehOuse
No aud No IL, anu Received the storage pronts ars
lux from them.
MORE FRAUDULENT PRACTICES
| The witness then testified about 10000 cig m
| that mad been shipped to New Orleans In March
1875 which were inyoiced as 70.COO and thel
we're delivered to MIR. McCarty ON the paymen
Of duty on 1000 only. Mr. McCarty made tn,
cn'ry ON these cigars a. the Custom House, b q
| they were taken to MassoCk's store. Wines!
sid that Mr.. MdssoCk was n large importer, anS
his fraudulent practices In importing cigars haC
broken down the small importers, some u
wnom LA 'e said tha they could puy cigsrs o
Nassock SO per 1000 cheaper tnan they coul,
import hem.
. morrow, when he Will produce some data I,
substantiate his statements. lie will again b,
, suOppnaed before the committee at New Or
: leans. where CoFrOOorating proof will be pro
ducei by Unering the official records OF the Gus
tom House IN evidence.
Ferguson said he came here with the or gina
, intention Of laying frauds that h ID come ~ hi
Treasury. On arriving mere he called upon Rep
resentativc Darrall of Louisiana, but hs ueye
Bristow. He had conversation witt
Deputy Sergeant-at- Arms Calhoun, and the re
suit WAS he was subp@naed to appear before tn
committee. Ine communication he intends,
for the Secretary Of the treasury, for reason
Uest known 10 himself, was never made.