Omaha daily bee., 1888-07-01
CHEATING THE GOVERNMENT.
Seized Sealskins are Sold Below III
Market Price.

A special dispatch to the San Fran
cisco Chronicle, dated at Seattle, w. T.,
Jun 10, says: 1t will be remembered
that last summer particulars were given
of the seizure of six English vessels and
over twelve thousand scalskins by the
United States government in Behring
straits and the storing of them in the
United States custom house Mt Sitka,
Alaska. Six thousand two hundred and
twenty-fOur of these skins, or about one
half of the total number seized, wero
advertised for sale in the Alaska news
paper, published at Sitka, and bids were
asked, the skins being appraised at q
tritle over 50 apiece; but the democratic
officials in the United States custom
house, Sitka, aid not wish to make O.
Legitimate sale, but held them for their
own profit.
The opportunity finally offered itself
in the shape of the arrival at Sitka,
early in April Of the present year, OF
Joseph B~oscowitz, IL wealthy capitalist
of Victoria, b. c.. and owner of the six
vessels. This visit to Sitka was ex-
pressly for the purchase of the seal
skins.
In the mean time a combination of
United States officials had been formed
at Sitka, composed of A. K. Delaney,
United States collector of customs, JEFF
j. kuehn, special deputy collector Of
customs, and an inspector on steamers,
used as n dummy, named Ma Endel-
man. They were to sell the skins MT O
low figure, if possible, and thereby de-
fraud the government, in whose employ
they were. Boscowitz, with the usual
English sagacity and an eye to business,
battered with the combination and
finally bought the skins at So. 40 apiece,
or 81 60 apiece less thar their appraised
value. Asa bonus for their liberality
he gave the combination IA check on the
Bank of British Columbia, payable to
Max Endelman or order, for 81 1856. The
check was as follows:
SITKA, Alaska, April 10, 1888.
Number 1855. Bank of British Columbia,
Victoria: Pay to Max Endelman or order,
Eleven hundred and ffty-siX dollars.
81, 1876. JOSEPH BoscowITz.
Besides this check Roscowltz gave to
the combination 207 scalskins, rated at
S3.4O each, making SOB so, this making
a grand total of 81 1884, so to be divided
as Doodle between United States Col
lector of Customs Delaney, Special
Deputy Collector Kuehn, and Inspector
Max Endelman, and by them formed
into a trust. The check was endorsed
by Max Endelman to M. NJ. Buchanan,
purser of the steamer Ancon, who i'm
dorsed it, tOOk to Victoria and had it
cashed on April 26, 1883, as shown by
inc Ollclal stamp OF lle Dank lie look
the money over to Seattle, deposited
800 of it in the First National Bank Of
Seattle to the credit of JEFF j. Kuehn,
and the balance Of the money-$456--he
gave to Kuchn personally mt Sitka on
the steamer Ancon's arrival there.
The 2O7 scalskins given by Mr.. Bosco-
witt to the combination are now in the
possession of jeff J. Kuehn at Sitka.
These 1924 sealsKins at s. apiece weg,
worth to the United States governments
S3l ,l2O, and Mr.. Boscowit2 bought them
at $40 a piece, making s2l ,l6l. so for
the entire lot, thereby robbing the gov
eminent Of 80, l5S. 40. Had these skins
been brought down TO Puget Sound in
February, according TO the statement Of
United States Marshal Barton Atkins,
they would have been sold for Sc q
piece, that price having been bid for
them.
In connection with this transaction IL
will not be amiss to state that A, M.
Delany, United States collector OF Gus
toms at SitIa, who figures so promi-
nently in this combination, went to the
democratic convention at st. Louis as
a delegate from Alaska, elected by
United States democratic officials there,
whom he brought out from Wisconsin :
with him. Delany was the defeated
democratic candidate for congress from
Wisconsin two years ago, and was sent
out TO Alaska by CleYelagd a year ago.