New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-15
ACCUSING THE APPRAISER,
CHARGES AGAINST MR.. McMULLEN.

WAsHINGtON, Dec. l4.-When John Sherman VA
Secretary of the Treasury he began an energetic
and systematic investigation Of the great frauds
upon the revenue which going on. He sent =
lumber OF special agents abroad and had searching
inquiries made into every branch Of trade. His
policy has been maintained ever since snd
has saved manv hundreds Of thousands Of dollars
to the Treasury II is estimated that the reports Of
Mr.. Tingle on silks was alone worth 5000 900 .
year to the revenues. That on Colonel George
Tichnor on the lace and fine silk trade has bene.
ftef the country yearly 81, ,O0O, ,00O Among the
present special agents is w. II. Osborn, q man %.
pecially expert in the cutlery trade Last summer
he was sent abroad through England and Germsny
on mission of inquiry into undervauations. He
has made series of important reports The last
0ne which completes his work. reached the Depart
ment early this month. II deals with the passage
OF frauduently undervalued aud classified msr-
chandIse through the public stores at New-York,
and presents not only charges against prominent
cutlery importers in New-York. but makes serious
accusations against Appraiser McMullen.
OPPOSITION FROM THE APPRAISER AND HIS A..
sIsTAvTs.
The examination was made with the assistance
of Special Agents HanlOn and Adams and has been,
Mr. Osborn says "as complete an invesrig ration Of
the matter as the determined opposition of the APP
praser and Assistant Appraiser Ialsted. who have
reSorted In their interest and that OF the impl
Gated Importers, their close friends to every means
in their power to place obstacles in the way, would
permit" Mr.. Osborn takes occaslOn to rem ,rk that
had his reports from Europe been acted upon. tho
present investigation would not have been re-
CURED. and the evil would have been virtually
cured, fraud put an end to, and the revenue bono
fted very materially"
When he first called upon Appraiser McNullen,
that official denied the existence Of undervalua-
tion and still maintains this position DESPITE the
proofs which Mr.. Osborn has accumulated. Tho
house OF Alexander CopDel. of Solngen and Phila-
jeiphia which Mr.. McMuIleu is accused of having
materially favored. has been involved in revenue
controversies for years Between June 22 and
September s. as the result Of an invest cation. Mr.
Coppel paid $252l As in penal duties
alone The late Special Agent Adams
of Philadelphia. had frequent trouble with
him, and January II, 1856. in
report to Secretary Manning. accused him Of UNDER
valuations and said: The boast Is still being
made by him and his agents, that he has no diff
Guilty IN getting his goods through at New-Ycrk at
the invoice value" This report was forwarded 10
Mr. Osborn in Germany Writing from Eberfeld
last February he states that Mr. Adam,s strict
ures are trne and apply not only to Coppel but ia
many other German importers Of cutlery. He even
accused the firms with which Mr. OLeary and Mr.
Hawkins the merchant appraisers who reappraised
Coppeps goods materially raising the figures OF hts
invoice, are connected of similar undervaiIar
tions These firms are Alfred Field q Co.,
of No. 03 Chambsrs-st, and IL. Boxer
& Co.. OF Nos. 1Ol aud 103 Ouane-st. Mt. Osborn
says that the evidence in the Departments possess
sion Is sufficient to warrant proceedings against az
least nine or ten firms.
HOW THE UNDERvALUATioNS ARE PRACiISyp.
The alleged methods employed by these houses to
escape the payment of the proper duty are nearly
all alike. The foreign establishments with which
they deal arc real their own houses. Mr.. Coppeps
manufactory at Solingen is now under bis own
name Just as he runs his house at Philadelphia.
Mr.. Field is discreet His firm hero
is Alfred Field & Co. They import from
their own Office in Soagen," Mr. Osborn
says, (which is managed by q young man
named Waiter Klaas IN whose name all goods are
shipped IL Boxer & C :. in New-York, receive
their merchandise frCsl Heinrich Boxer. of Ant
werp. Most OF the accused firms not manu-
facturers abroad, but merely merchants. They get
the goods there, invoice them at lower values than
are true and right, or under improper classifca-
tons, and pay duty On them here upon these In
correct invoices.
Several serious charges are preferred By Mr. Os-
born against Appraiser McMullen. He distinctly
occuses the snnraisor of beng closelv connected
with nunher Of the houses concerned in alleged
nudervauatons of impeding all efforts at in nyesti-
cation ana of disrepardne reports sent to nim for
h,s nersona, ,nouiry In one place he saws:
On Decsu her last wrote stating that from very
n,I NV, .,h."sttrs i,vestiy.ton reo.ri,py ris
- To- nm.,t . "mtierS coulI comr 10 no other con.
@ go % M t,'sa 600 r.r m,dsr v.i,.i ~ lssss
en eusuh u, - a a. ,, e., I'm nc lst a.sn "a Va
90 Observation-Disclosures p N tbe Densrnsnt giving s,iienco
anil tim al
% nu, ,ion 49, "a ~ are II II nat ereafsy than T., tina
cass nf "meI Kamak castor a I'D Others VINO lad been
lad =. No. =" I,r,e AN amount for ,doDsl ana
U.n ,n,i.s frscom,nrrdei furtper that ia view of
a ,a,. THAR Ram. cied ir yoices OF nri ware should
ha cosaiv scr,nizrd aud # may he that is why the
G .In,tnn oI some of ;hos~ goods has beer recsu,ly
ch.ngeI In this counuuc alton poiuted to an article
tvnce a. one biads uearl han lie knife when was In
fact not knife At all hut cisar-cntter, iuvoced ct
~ tiaox rha