New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-02-26
SPECIAL AGENTS PUT OUT.
n,sM1ssAL OF BRACKET AND CHALKER.
ryrrrRs FROM THE SECRETARY OF TIT TREASURY

LETTERS FROM THE SECRETARY OF TIT rhEA'o"A
GROUNDS FOR HIS ACTION
Tho axe fell at the Custom House Yesterday ana
cut off the official heads OF Speciai hpen.
n Bracket and james ). Cnaiker. } nc T TAoousi
Cas the Secretary of the Treasury. Inc removal
~thase twn offic,als was made by the secretary
anon the receipt Of the report from Speclai ASenIs
Spauldne and Tichenor the Cdin;straton OF ths
Spppc;aI cents' Office under Captain BracKett ana
tbs charges of bribery and indifferent investigation
q %ssSn and the ,n Barbour linen
sasas The letters of removal arrived at the custom
Honse in the first mail, and were addressed 10 sI;
Brackett and Mr. Chalker in person they reporTe s
the;r removals. to Special Agentin- charge ira
Ayers IT, and almost immediately captain prackev'
went out and did not return I'll late .n1 nhs
Bantam Chalker was surrounded by a large huinpei
Cftba other offcials who expressed their sympathy,
spoke of him as one of the most jealous an anu
energetic officers IN the Custo"S ''i W
i0Tfhose who knew what the report OF the Corn
mission contained refused to talk about IT, IL was
Ssda IN the Crdwood Watson case They were
The consgnees of an invoice of linen goods from
Glasgow which had been entered nnder v ii
Custom House broker, and given him $o,Ooo IN
small bills to use advantageousiy In getting tne
goods out of bond An inyes'ga,oh T Rrscsett
and ChaIker and the result was suit brought oy
the Govern Ient against the consignees when Is
still pending Charges were maoe ,at '1 stores
oncsr time Tan was necessary Captain Bracket
claims not to have been responsible ior these con- ON
eharge of the case Another subject OF inquiry was
a seizure of glass eyes claimed TO nave ave os saa
BY BaS%On and a Hoehn was n ie sas
connsel for some reason gave to Inspector Frank
kLOseman $780, he having been connected with the
Moseman testified tHas q 1G a' Rpace TT
denied the charge before the ComInissl0n.' AEother
case was the Barbour fax thread undervalda Ia
In this il was testified that Moseman received SZ00
to he divided with Inspector LAWRENCE. and that
n was afterward returned to the gLyers.
Both Captain Brackett and captain Cnaik fer
absolutely declined to make any staienent 10.
Ratification 1t was learned that captain BracRett
had written to the Secretary OF the treasury de-
mandng that his dismissal DC tat IN ue
In the t,lrdwOod a. Watson case he should not DO
held responsible for any fault against the inyostga
ton as Iaptain ChaIker was the investigator and
10 ss;mnlv forwarded Captain Chalkers report.
Caniain Brackett felt greatly depressed, and
simply remarked: 1t is hard after htteen years Oh
hard service to be thus dlsgraced." captain
Rrackett was sergeant of police, stationed at the
CITY Hall in the early days OF the civil war lie
did merltorious service III tne orti. ioos III TO-
WAS appointed Fire Marshal. and secured nine con-
yictons for arson. lie was leglslated out OF ONCE
BY the Tweed charter OF lS|V soon alterward ne
was appointed Inspector of Customs by Collector
Moses III. Grnnell, and assisted IN the discovery OF
a systematic robbery, amounting 10 more 'hai,
fhe proprietor, Rodney G. Mason: who fled to
Canada and has not since returned: Ror TINS ne ne
Jann.ry. 1911, and continued under all of the
following secretaries, investigating many cases s
Involving hundreds of thousands OF dollars; He
Succeeded Special Agent Hall Ill charge OF the
BnTeau. and was succeeded by General \. NJ Curtis.
The latter was succeeded by Captain c. e. Adams
and Captain BracAett succeeded ADAMS III Decein-
her 1850. remaining in charge until he was super
seeded by Colonel Ayers about four weeks ago.
Special Ageut Chalker said: My official record
10 in the hands of the Government, and | am ready
and anxious that all of my acts may, have a
thorough and impartial investigation; | do o. not
customs Inspector under Surveyors Rufus r:
Andrews, Abram Wakeman, and A. b. Cornell, and
i'm 1870 was appointed Special Agent by secretary
Bontwell He remained Special Agent till the force
was reduced from ffty-three to twenty. in 1876.
when he became an Inspector, and was promoted to
Special Agent April "a. 1882.
a dispatch from Washington says that the secre-
tary OF the Treasury has dismissed Jesse L. Strick;
LAM assistant inspector of steam vessels here. ana
Insoactors Lawrence and M0seman OF the Special
Agents Office