The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-04-12

Makes Away with Eviaenee
Against Hlm--Tsse ststute OF Linn
is.sions saves Old Onenders-
Blue Receipts. and where the
Moaey went--Arrests 10 Toiisw--
Blind special Ageats.
PoKT T0wxsExp. April li.- The
United States grand jury rsine into
court at 4 p m. and Foreman Lalimer
handed Judge Hanford big batch OF
documents. which the court passed
oyer TO Clerk Whittlesey and oriered
him to file the same. They then pre-
sented report dev, ted entirely to the
molly chestnut Of the miserable quar-
ters BOW occupied by the custom
house. and petitioning the treasury
department 10 let go of the S24o 900
which the last Congress appropriated.
Beyond this, the crowd which assem-
hled saw and heard nothing. Clerk
Whittlesey pocketed the documents
and soon after the court adjourned for
the term.
Tie men indicted are as teIegraphei
last night: Herbert f. Beecher,
Quincy A. Brooks and William
Harmed So far as can be learned. the
indictments are based on evidence of
irregularities as shown by the investi-
CATION Of the custom-house books.
The matter OF smuggling opium and
~
upon at all. The details Of the insiict-
Inents were not made public, hence it
is impossible to more than surmise
that each defendant is specifically
charged. but the PusT-I TGEsrER
ments were found on testimony which.
summarized. il shout as follows
TEE 0FSEssEs CHARGED.
That the opium stamps are from 5000 10
5000 short; that Harmed. as deputy col
leetor. received 500 rs duty on part of the
cargo OF Q British schooner July Is last
from Gritfiths, Bridges 4 Ssetson, and
failed 20 turn the amount over 10 the gov
erumenL and that the books OF the custom
house contain no record Whatever OF the
Transaction; that there WAS collected of
wah Chung 4 Co. Seattle, sls25, aud only
$l6fl catered on the books ard turned over
20 the treasury. that s2zz5 WAS received from
Wee Sing & Co.. Seattle, and
only 1892 entered on the books and
accounted for; that the receipts for
customs duties during the month Of July.
1855, were. so far a. ascertained. about
$4,000. and only about 5000 accounted for;
that Harmed some three months after be-
ing dismissed from the service, voluntarily
came to Acting Collector cullom snd
rendered him Sano 70 cover any antici-
paied shortage in his accounts. AT the
same time confessiHg that this surn was
due 70 the government and had been
taken from the safe by him, which 1900 Ii
still in the customs custody: that part Of
the records OF the custom house M .sr the
that al of the record describing Harned's
regime as acting collector. between the
end OF Beecher's term aud the begin
ming OF Brupks's terms Ii gone, and
that Brooks record, for the remainder
OF the term azc not In shape at all; that
t5o0 turned over to the collector by Clerk
Ledge-wood. OF Seattle, on forfeiture cases,
has disappeared: that no daily record waS
kept from april, iSSS. TO October, iSSs,
when Harmed was dismissed. and that the
customs house for years and years charged
Illegal fees on shipping. and the money
thus extorted was put iato the pockets aud
divided aanong the officers and employees
THE FIRST THOROUGH INVESTIGATION.
II Is passing strange that OF all the special
agents sent out 10 investigate the affairs OF
the Port Townsend custom house, none
shouid have given the books q thorough
overhauling. Had this been done in sea-
son. several officers now barred by the
statute Of limitations would have been Ia
dicsed. It 10 explained that heretofore the
men sent 70 Washington 20 Investigate
have been steered into an Investigation OF
opium smuggling aud cOztrahsnd Chlnese,
which always has been fruitiess.
United States District Attorney
White, commenting on the proceed
ings which ended to-day. said:
This expose was done entirely by q
Systematic. bnsiness-iike, accurate exami-
nation OF the records as nase By Mr. :. L.
Lupton. He came here as an expert. WIS
industrious. did his work well. without
prejudice toward any officer or employe.
ana IL Was through his excellent work that
we obtained evidence ON which 10 end In.
diesments- Another thing: He has made
II very easy for the new collector to begin
a new order of things. and so iuanguyafe q
clean system. absolutely disconnected
from the scandals which have heretofore
attached To the custom house.
It is estimated that the receipts from
illegal fees have averaged about $12 q
day for the past three years.
The Posr-lNTELLI9ENcER correspond
ent learns this evening further partic-
ulars os to-das's work. Beecher and
Earnsd, who are In the city, will prob
ably be arrested tomorrow and taken
before Commissioners Wood, who viii
place them Under 5000 bonds 10 APP
pear before the district court. Ex-
Collector Brooks is ont of toxn. He
has been East for some time, and is
supposed 10 be IN Washington.
rwsrry -sxyky COUNTS AGAINST aARSxD.
IL <.as 4ss,<. e.s~
extortion in ottice and two counts of
snllsgxlement, viz. The largest Of the
amounts given above.
TWO COUNTS AGAINST BROOKS.
Brooks is indicted on one charge OF
embsxz ement. viz: being sIl 600 20
SO, 4 % short IN his accounts. and one
charge OF extortion in office, viz: being
parfic<ps eyimsiais ia the pool made up
from iiseg dis collected fees.
TWELVE COUNTS AGAINST BEgCaEE.
Beecher is indicted on one count for
removing public records from bis
office and oa III counts for extortioH
in osiaee from April IL. 1856, TO August
4. fSs6.
THE INDICTMENTS.
The indictments for enlbezxlement
are under section s48s. Revised
Statutes. for extortion in office. under
section 54si, and BeecheF's, ior re-
moving the record. under SOS.
TliE FEssirrEs-
The sections referred 10 above are
as follows:
s>csIon sos Eyery ociear having the
custody Of sny record. docnment. psper or
proceeding. specified in section s4G@ (gssb
Iic Fecofssss, who franduieEfly takes Away
ar wikhsFaws or destroys any sash record,
document, paper or proceeding, zi~6 In
his Office, ~ seposs ed with hssa or IN his
ensseay. shall pas . tine of not rnore than
$soUq or suffer-imprtsonmeaS al hard labor
not Eaare fhaa three years, or eozhs and
shssi, moreover, forfeit bis Office and be
| forever xfferwsrd disqualified from hold
ing sny ocice under the government 81
/ the United states.
See 5xsi- Every oficer OF the Uuised
States who 10 guilty of exfefsto1. under
color ~ his ossce, shall be punished BY q
/ fnS OF not IEoFe than 500. or oy smprzso1-
meat nos more than cue year Ecxesps ia
specially provided casesl-
| SEC. Ss9l. Every offsser or agent Of the
UasEsd states who. having received paaii,
msa1ey ~nsch be - nos asthaF12<d 10 re-
t.is ss 81 airy, pay o. en0saraeHt fails -
rendsx his account so- tfle sArne as pro
weed hs iaw, shall re deemed guilty oi