New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-15
A CUSTOM HOUSE DISGRACE.
COLLECTOR MAGONE APPOINTS MOSES
DINKELSPIEL.
A PooLsELLEB MADE PAYMAsTER OF TIE AUDIT
oRs DIvIsIoN-A FAMILIAR FIGURE AT TIE
RACE TRACK TO DE TRUSTED WITH
LARGE SUMS OF MONEY.

ORs D1yIsION-A FAMILIAR FIGURE AT IhE
RACE TRACK TO DE TRUSTED WITH
LARGE SUMS OF MONEY.
The present Custom House Administration has
made some extremely queer appointments, Dut
in the selection of Moses Dinlkelspel the profess
sional gambler, for the position OF paymaster IN
the Auditors Department Collector Magone has
surpassed all his previous efforts in this line.
Heretofore the Collector has shown some slight
regard, at least, for decent public sentiment in
appointing his assistants They have been for the
most part law-abiding citizens however incom-
petent they are as public officials. But In this
instance man has been chosen to fill one OF the
most responsible subordinate places in the SER
vice, who is, or was until recently, the tnanciai
manager of John DAILY & Co. the boolmakers and
faro-bankers.
As is generally known. John DAILY and Philip
DAILY his cousin are the heads OF the Two gam
bling establishments at Long Branch, which are
among the largest and best known in this country
Again and again the Grand Jury OF monmouth
County has been asked to indict them, but Ior
reasons best known to the vioators or the la" anu
certain jurymen no serious or sufficient attention
has vet been paid to the complaints of respectable
residents of the county to shut up these institu-
tions. In consequence Of this influence " at
court. the owners of these places continue to
flourish season after season right under the eye of
the law in open contempt Of the proverbial Jer-
sey Justice.
IN WITH RACE-TRACK GAMBLERS
The Days are also among the heaviest race
track gamblers in the United States. Their pool
selling stands were seen last season at Jerome
Park, Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn and also at Mon
mouth Park, despite the fact that New-Jersey
has law permitting book-making such as
the Ives Bill in this State. The most
conspicuous person in charge of their interests at
all these meetings was tall, round-shouldered,
keen-eyed active man Of middle age, who seemed
to possess the confidence of John DAILY & Co. to
an unusual degree He was frequently in the
box and occasionally on the block arranging and
In either position Mr. DnlSelspel impressed
those who saw. him being remarkably we'll
fitted for these peculiar places. Indeed 1t was
the general opinion that as BOOKSELLER Mr.; Dink-
elsplel achieved success that he never would nave
attained as Representative of the Allth District
of this city in the Assembly had he remained In
that body hundred terms instead of one Yes,
Moses Dinkelspiel is an eX-ASsembyman, though
doubtless this fact will be new to most people as
his name is seldom seen outside of the directory.
He was elected to the Legislature in 1886, as the
candidate of that refuge Of ssoiled statesmen the
County Democracy. j. +. Lowenstein, p Tam
many man. was put up against him. but only IN
prefnnetory way That distinguished e lammaay yd
at Albany and to Albany he went. LowenSteln
only received about l,400 votes while Dinlelsplel
found 3, G39 supporters.
ONE TERN OF DINKELsPIEL sCFFTCED.
The XIIth District can stand good deal, but
one term of Dnkelspel's service tried his cOnstt-
uents so severely that even the powerful Mi.
Keenen could not return him. Realizing that
there was no chance for his reelection, Dinllespel
went openly to work again last spring at his
profession as n gambler. lie remained with John
DAILY all summer. When the racing season closed
he turned his attention more to politics, again
this time with the view Of obtaining an appointive
Office. Just what influence he and his friends
brought to bear on the Collector is disputed
question ..., :.
connection with the matter but all Of them now
declare in the most emphatic manner that they
never knew such a man as Moses Dinkelsplel:
His hackers whoever they were, proved successful
In their efforts and last week the x-Assemblyman
received the place in the Auditors Department
formerly occupied by Peter ii. Jobes, who was
removed because he failed to pay over to the men
under him the money that he drew for this pur-
pose, but who, Notwithstanding this is still en-
is Democrat. The Paymaster draws n salary OF
$4,000. Under the present arrangement at the
Custom House the official holding this place is
entrusted with the money that goes to pay the
laborers weighers, and inspectors who receive
their wages at the places they are at work. Ere
quently the paymaster has as much as 5000 In
his possession at one time good deal of money to
entrust to a man who does not conceal the fact
that he is a professional gambler
Mr.. MAGovE DOES NOT LEARN BY EXPERIENCE.
One would naturally suppose that faithful
public official such Collector Magcne pretends
to be would take every precaution to secure a
frstclass man for this position particularly after
having such unfortunate experience with Mr..
Jobes. Yet strange to say, the Collector accord
ing to his own statement made little if any inves-
tigation. lie did not even know until yesterday,
at least so he says, that Dnkelspcl was pool
seller, fact that could have been acertaned with
fha laDG Cs1nl 10 h1n
When Tribune reporter called on Mr. Magone
yesterday he found him engaged in conversation
with Auditor Greed, DnIespers immediate Off
cial superior. The Collector read the clipping
handed to him by the reporter with considerable
interest, particularly the latter part of it, which
he read i i aloud as follows ,.,
John DAILY d Co., bookmakers last year. Having
served a term as a Democratic Assemblyman, OF
and term of service I'm bOokmaking concern like
Days makes him even more especially fitted to serve
the present Reform Administration.
THE COLLECTOR DOES NOT KNOW RACING TERMS.
When he had finished reading, Mr. Magone
looked up and with smile that was chidllle and
bland said:
What is boolSmaker ?'
The reporter had met Mr. Magone before and did
not feel in any mad haste to explain the matter.
Seeing this hesitation the astute manipulation Of
St. Lawrence County politics added with another
innocent look:
oh, yes, it's of those fellows that sells bets
on races and that sort of thing, isn't it?"
Then, as the reporter bowed assent, he added
with look of astonishment, the genuneness of
which would have deceived the very elect And
do you mean to tell me that this man Dinlzelspiel
was connected with business Of such character
Again the reporter answered in the affirmative
and about to pursue the interview when the
Collector turned away though overcome with
the terrible discovery that his new assistant was
gambler. The reporter the point Of
pressing sympathy with the grieved official when
he found that Mr. Magone had simply turned
around to engage IL the most matter-of fact-busi-
ness talk with the head Of the Auditing Division.
Plainly the Collectors grief and surprise was
deeper than his Ignorance regarding pool-selling.
COMMENT CAUSED BY THE APPOINTMENT
The Auditor declined to say anything on the
subject and as Mr.. Magone did not care to pursue
the subject further the reporter withdrew Din
kelspels appointment was the subject of much
talk thrnnrhnut the Cnstnm House narticnlarlv