New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-16
W. n. 0SBORN'S CHARGES.
nrNrA1s FROM EVERY ONE ACCUSED.

Appraiser McMullens desk was adorned yesterday
afternoon with his hat picture OF President
Cleveland and another Of Secretary Manning, and
n COPY of The TRIBUNE. The Appraiser was much
disturbed by the publication IN THE TRIBUNE OF
extracts from Special Agent w. II. Osborns report.
in which allegations of Incompetence and favorit-
ism were made against him. lie said that the first
information he had received that such report was
in existence came from THE TRIBUNE In all essen
tial particulars, he declared, Mr.. Osborn's state
ment was tissue of falsehoods He continued;
Mr. orborn Is Special Agent OF the Treasury De-
partment anyhow lie was Tia Tia TeSs a
utely vaueess Many OF them were sent py the depart
menf 10 me- He complains that ignored them had TO
ignore them There was nothing specific in them. He
would saw that knife No 10. say was worth In songen,
tecuTe or optpon Had he said that A. b., OF soln-
gen invoiced knife No. 10 at marks to d. e. OF Lon
of Sew-York at marks, should have had something to
go But II his reports were OF no earthly use
ted 10 enter ut so per duty knife. when 1t should
have been classified under the head OF 'oDacconiS'S
Even II the charge were true it would he of
oaence than mere Incorrect classification. Experts
always more or less mixed what is the proper class
aoation OF things. But Assistant Appraiser Hastead,
under these goods classified says 1t Is not true
Mr. Halsted, who was near at hand, corroborated
his chief and took direct issue with the truth OF Mr.
Osborn's statement.
Neither have appointed incompetent men, continued
Mr. McMullen. Perhaps. had given Mr. Osborn place
"""-' -NON wv"
Did he make such an application
lie did.
nhont two voars oro His reflections on Boxer Co.
and Field g. Co are wholly false They are excellent
firms l have known them both many years have
known Mr. saxton OF Fled Oo i iDtegry Tbey are
nv friends but Mr. Osborn means to imply that en-
poy nv friendship in efforts TO assist any one IN commit
ting frauds the revenues he says what Is not true
Assistant Appraiser Halsted was earnest In refu-
tations of Mr. Osborn's statements. declaring that
values had not been increased by reason OF Mr. Os-
born's work abroad that his work had been Of no
practical service aud has not increased revenue col
iectiops q nennv He said that he himself had am
ple experience in the cutlery business, not, as Mr.
Osborn said, as a bookkeeper but as a member OF
an importing firm lie declared that his examiners
Gnion and Hartmann, were competent men. Inc
cigar-cutters he said. knives with the cutter
attachment. Those which were cutters alone mad
paid the full duty of 20 per cent.
COMPLETE DENIALs FROM ALFRED FIELD 81 co.
A. H. Saxton, of the firm of Alfred Field " Co.,
which firm Colonel Osborn attacks in his report,
sent this letter to THE TRIBUNE yesterday;
TO the Edftor of The Tribune.
SIR: desire topronounce the statements in the article
in THE TRIBUNE OF this morning pgrporinS TO be ex
tracts Report the United states Treasury De
parment on Cutlery Importations-so far as they are
applicable TO my hrin-whouy untrue ana WITHOUT
In the first place Mr. Leary. who has been employed
by my firm the past years, has never been mer-
e. Mr. Walter Klaas is our resident agent in Sol
ingen and employed by us to purchase goods from ne
different manufacturers We pay him a salary Tor TINS
work goods that he buys for our firm are lnvoced
10 NewYork at precisely the prices paid no more ana no
less, and the charge that they are nvoced at lower
values than true and right can be dsproVeu DC! ohua
al The statement that Osborn's charges against my
firm have resulted in promptly raising the values OF our
no changes whatever except what may be incidental 10
the changes OF the market ana what Is moIe We 10 ho
a. In my communications 10 the Department | have
made no ausion my wealth or u my friendship with
for q long while. but do not suppose have met nm
twenty times in many years The statement tnat MI
McMulen has allowed me TO read Official correspondence
a. In relation to the Coppel underyauatlons my firm
In connection with another firm, did complain to the Dc
partment and asked that strict surveillance should DC
put them w. Ill 9S1T about SIX .S eagS %se
ton rejected his application and presume he Is taking
winter he sent to Europe, accredited by the
Treasury Department but under Pags "a @ To- ex
anime into undervauatons OF cutlery: NY urn Wrote
the Secretary OF the Treasury on December ~ 1882 d"
lit is our judgment that the Government should nyes
tigate the appointment Of Special Agent W. H. Osborn
and may add the manner of his appointment as 1t Is
pretty generally thought that he IN at least para pay
We ncoscd extracts letters of solngon agent
in which he related lot of faehoods uttered by OSBORN
about our firm and continued as follows:
We nothing whatever what Mr. osborne may 90 rs
between him and the Government but we must enter our
protest against him. the representative OF the Govern
ment publicly uttering fasehoOds about our firm. with
have nothing to conceal from Government that they
ought to know. and we are at all tunes prepared 10
demonstrate absolutely that we never nave during the
period OF existence ever made a false invoice and
those that know that there not money enough
in the ned States induce 10 do such thing. so
under these circumstances you can well Imagine IL Is
anything but pleasant matter FOR us 10 ne put under me
impntaion of issuing fraudulent invoices, by such man
as we consider Mr.. Osborne. .
Last fall there an attempt made by the special
agents lock up all importatons OF cutlery and so
prevent fulfilling contracts. We took our case to
the secretary of the Treasury September 20 thanking
him for his prompt action we wrote as follows .,...
and cleanliness of our record ana motives, we very
wrong doing should have been put upon u.s. and we feel
very certain that somewhere back OF this whole move
ment the annus this persecution is to endeavor
ruin the cutlery portion of business all hazards
We therefore desire to make the proposition to your de-
partnent that for any invoice or invoices OF ours you
may select Will furnish your department the original
manufacturers invoices. accompanied with their
| atfdayits and our afhdayits, that the prices
charged are the prices o pad Id na ana in,
voiced by us and we also further invite tne Depatmen
TO put expert accountant on our DOCKS ana papers anu
if there be found single Instance where our frn has
made fraudulent invoice with the intent TO derand the
Government out OF its Just and proper dues we VIII en-
ter into bonds to pay in that case all expenses OF the in
purchase our goods cheap skill and money will al
low and goods always nvoced at precisely what
his TO- any seeker after facts We believe the Govern
being unwittlngy used to prosecute and damage
reputable men, and think II is high time the Govern
| mcnt put such people where they belong.
Ihaye this day wired the Secretary Of the Treasury
newing the above proposition A. ii. SAAToN.
Neic- OTk, Dec Is, 1856.
MR.. FUNKEs STATEMENT.
| Herman Funke, the agent of H. Boxer & Co., of
Nos 1O1 and 1O3 Duane-st. had his time fully 90
cupied yesterday denying to interested callers the
charges of Special Agent Osborn that his firm i'm
ported goods, by favor of Appraiser McMullen. be-
low their true valuation and thus defrauded the
| Government Of Its just revenue. Mr. Funke read
each statement that reflected on his house and made
specific denial. He prefaced his remarks also with
| general and sweeping denial OF ali wrongful acts.
| He said:
In the first place, Agent Osborn asserts that " the
methods employed by these houses to escape the payment
of duty are nearly all alike The foreign establishments
with which they deal really their houses D" then
he says that H. Boxer Co, OF New York. receive their