New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-01
A DEFICIENCY OF $4,000.
MONEY LOST IN THE CUSTOM HOUSE.

GOLD CERTIFICATES THAT MYsrERIOUsLY DIsAP-
PEARED--wHO IS THE THIEF
conspicuous sign on the wall In the cashiers
room IN the Custom House has attracted attention
for the last few days. II is placed over the table
where the brokers and others fill out their deposit
tickets to be used in connection with the pay
ment of duties on imports. The slgn reads as fol-
lows
Tickets Cor dues must be made out in ink and not In
lead pencil. BY order Of THE COLLECTOR.
As the sign was new and caused some re-
mark on the part of the brokers, TRIBUNE reporter
inquired of one of the clerks in the cashiers Office
what was the meaning of it.
81 can't tell you," said the clerk. 1--WE arc for
bdden to say ANYTHING about it. You will have to
see the Collector"
Further inquiry developed an air Of mystery that
led the reporter to pursue the subject.
Has anybody been changing the figures on the
tickets after they were deposited" asked the re-
porter of clerk at the other end of the room.
Tickets Notwithstanding fgures-what do
You mean 7" was the clerks reply.
81 mean 10 find out said the reporter. what is
the cause of the Collectors orler in regard to the
of INK instead OF pcrcll the deposit tickets"
"Oh,' and this clerk also Immediately assumed
very mysterious air. " | can't say worl to you
about that. You will have to see the Collector"
The Collector was not in, and whsn anv of the
subordnaes in his Office spoken to on the
subject they Immediately became nom
communicative, and while not denying
tlat there was information which they could give,
they all referred the Inquirer after to the col
ectOr.
STATEMENT OF CUSTOM HOUSE BROKER.
visit to a prominent Custom House broker how
ever, led to better results.
"The notice in the cashiers roon," he sli !, was
put mp the day after there loss of SO, 900 in
the cashiers Office The money is unaccOuntcd for,
nd | understand that every effort is being made
to discover whether it was stolen or whether the
loss could have been the result of mistake in
counting the money and for that reason the Col
lectOr wants to keep the matter quiet. | under
stand that the Government officers, under direction
of Collector Robertson, have been at work
the for some time, and the pub
lication of the news may in some way interfere
with the success of their plans However, got
my information outside of the Custom House;
therefore / have objection to telling THE
TRIBUNE what know about it. The loss occurred
on Monday. March ~. On that day there was over
5000, 900 in duties paid When the mon y came to
be counted in the afternoon for deposit in
the sub-Trcasury it was $4,000 short.
As the money was handled by few
persons only, it is the general belief that
one of them abstracted that sum. The Collector
understand, is cnaeavOrng to trace the loss"
HOW MONEY IS HANDLED AT THE CUSTOM HOUSE.
The reporter returned TO the Custom House and
investigated the manner of receiving and counting
the money in the cashiers Office. Persons depositing
money for the payment of duties fill ont blank
ticket, of which the following is a sample:
Nrw-YoRK CATALOGUE No. go.
CUSTOM HousG, NEw-YoRK. March II. 1888.