The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-11-11

soriums ON one oath. valued at l. 200 marks. All
these goods were classified as church regalia. The
one prominent fact about this line of alleged frauds
is the Expensive quality of the vestments imported
Priests of poor churches were made to swear in
some to two entire sets of vestments worth in
Paris lOOOf. In the above manner the govern
ment was Is stated. cheated OF from $500 $500
on a single oath. and on single invoice as much
$4,000.
No. 8. The passing OF church statuary, manufac-
tured OF mineral substances: as works Of art =.
statues for the decoration Of churches. These are
made of a mixture of plaster paper lnseed oil and
figures Of the Saints. Of the Saviour in divers at
ttudes from the crib to the cross. and other sub
jects of like character. BY this wrong classhca-
ton it is said. the firm only paid ten per cent duty
whereas they should have paid forty per cent.
alleged fraud consisted of passing large quantities of
gold embroidered silk. church and Sunday school
banners and other goods of q like character
stead of sixty per cent duty on the same.
No. 5. Passing books free of duty under the law
years to be SO entered.-It is claimed that large
quantities of books were admitted free under
this act which should have paid twenty-five
is alleged, were made out in the most ambiguous
manner. emitting the date Of publication and on
that account the discovery of the alleged fraud
rendered almost impossible. III some instances tho
titles had to be searched back for forty years
Of the books having had several reissues. Bibles
and devotional works were. 1t is charged invoiced
simply as 'books." AS the value OF prayer books
depends entirely upon the material anu manner Of
binding, some being in ivory mother Of pearl. vel
vet and other expensive materials. it is claimed
that invoices made out in this way were very de-
invoices it would hardly; it is claimed. cover I'M
bound books.
No. 6. Church ornaments passed as church
regalis-t is alleged the Arm passed ostensoriums,
ciboriums reliquaries. censers, candelabras and
various other objects Of the same class as church
reealis These articles are manufactured of metal,
many of them being highly flushed in gold and sill
YER, while some were studded with jewels These
goods. it is charged were passed through by means
Of the oaths adroitly procured from the unsuspect
ing priests. and paid no duty. whereas thoy should
have paid thirty five per cent or more.
No 7. The passing OF gold crosses jewelry.-By
this classification as alleged. the firm got through
very valuable class of goods twenty-five per cent
which should have paid forty per cent ~ manufac-
No s. This alleged fraud consisted of the firm Civ.
ing goods out OF their stock. when they should have
imported the articles the law directs When priest
would order any regalia other article that was
allowed free he would be supplied at once. In some
cases. it is alleged the travelling agents Of the Arm
took goods from their sample trunks and delivered
them on the spot.
A PERFECT SYSTEM.
These alleged systematic frauds, is averred.
were nearly perfect as mans ingenuity could
make them. and even in the most minute details were
side agency. The goods alleged to have been got
through were never sold under the market
ppu,s;tive competitors in that direction might he
avoided. II is stated that not single invoice of
the firm has been found that is free from alleged
fraud and that the universally of the operations
led to their detection The part Of the alleged frauds
performed In the Appraisers Office was it 10 stated,
executed with considerable adroitness. Yet it il
said that there must have been q thorough under
standing between the crooked" examiner already
referred to the implicated clerk and agents It
is asserted that the n0dus operdnds of the alleged
fraudulent transactions was about as follows:-
The clerk of the importing house indicated the
one acting as Custom House clerk for the firm
would classify the invoices to duties for the
OF the Custom House people. by specifying case or
without designating what the case contained
why that was the rate OF duty. The object Of this
will appear presently These cases. however. always
contained articles of low rate OF value. The
most Of the invoice-the valuable goods
he. stated. would classify as Church
rsgalia Free" With his invoice SO classified the
Custom House men, as alleged, would then fill out
an '.mport entry" blank, on which would be desig-
mated the numbers and marks on. and the contents
IT, each package, also those to pay duty and
how much, and such as were free. The duties and
charges would also be made up. On the
the importer is made to swear that
everything is correct. To these, 1t is
stated. they would attach sufficient number of the
manipulated oaths of Catholic clergymen to cover
the free goods on the invoice. and having gone
through whatever other necessary formula there
might be the agent of the firm would hand his in
voice into the Appraisers office and the entry and
oaths. falsifed alleged to the Collector The
aiming clerk in tine Appraisers Office would. Of
course perform his part OF the compact, which con-
ssts OF differentiation and wrong classification of
the goods. and thus ccnsnmmate the frauds.
In the frauds statuary alone, 1t Is stated that
the government lost $4,000 annually. The phrase
ology of the alleged fasifed oaths was always
changed by marking out the word "swear" and
writing over il the word ''affrm." thus making the
Catholic priests afrm" but not ''swear" to certain
representations. 1t is charged that in making oath
to the correctness of their invoices. the Arm
always used an "owner's" oath. and not a
consignees'. i'm. ,orters' agents ith. they
should have done; aud that both representatives OF
the house would sign the oath personally. whereas
one name was sufhcent. The reason assigned for
this is that they were evidently determined thar
uaither ahOulQ have the ADVANTAGE of the other in
case they got into trouble It is estimated that the
government has lost by these alleged frauds during
the years about $780, 00 and altogether not
less than $500. 000
THE cLERGYMKN NOT INVOLVED.
No censure is attached to the Catholic clergymen
whose oaths were made Of in the way above de-
scribed as of course. they are not expected to be
familiar with the intr1caces of the law to under
stand subterfuges which often resorted by
unscrupulous business men.