New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-18

A RESULT OF sKATING.RrEK POLITICS.
TO BYRNE's GRoTEsoUE "INvEsrGATIoN."
TO fhe BdStor of The Tribune.

APPRAISER M'MULLEN's REMOVAL THE SEQUEL
TO BYRNE's GRoTEsoUE "INvEsT1GATIoN."
To fAe BdStor OF The Tribune.
sir: The removal of Appraiser MeMulen is tho
SEQUEL 10 the so-called investigation Of the sugar
division OF the Appraisers stores, in 1887, by ono
Byrne the manager Of a skating rink In Philsdelphia
This man had q brother who IS, or was, reporter on
@The Boston Herald and the two secured influence
enough TO get Thomas the skating rink professor ap
pointed as a special inspector, who upon MS own
urgent request was detailed with Special Agent Moore
Of Boston, to work up New-York sugar frauds" In
the interest OF Boston. He represented his great
ability 10 do this and permitted by Secretary Man
ming TO browse around,' he expressed II. II Is
duo TO Secretary Manning TO say that he took no stock
In this individual and assured Appraiser McMulen
that his investigator was OF no consequence This
was in answer TO the Appraisers complaint to tho
Secretary Of Byrne's outrageous proceedings In bis
department. Byrne declined to hold any conmunica-
ton with the Appraiser and openly declared that he
had come to prove the existence Of Z" sugar ring'
oreanlzed for the purpose Of defaudng the rovonue
% which the Appraiser Assistant Secretary Feirohifd
the head Of the United States Laboratory and several
prominent sugar importers verc members he stared
ont I'm the manner OF amateur detective 70 prove mis-
assertions, rejecting ali testimony except suoh a.
seemed 20 confirm his theory, and so Duudozns ana
tnehtoning weakk need officials with threats of dis
afterward denied which were so twisted ana per-
verted as TO DO unroco gnizable by their authors.
Rvrne was 80 ignorant Of sugar that he did
not know a polariscopo from an apple pie. and a
nuartE plate to him might have been as big as the
moon. or a three--cent piece. Yet men who had been
brought up In the business. men OF scientific attain
ments and unblemishod character, were compelled 10
submit TO tho catcchsm and criticism OF this roier
skating mountebank whom fortuitious circumstances
or,bortty Inflated with the Importance Of an In
vestrator he secured In the Appraisers storcS
and for moro than a month conducted secret
nnuisltIon employing force OF clerks, stenographerS
and messengers Employees were sworn TO secrecy
and were alternately threatened caJoled and neu u
In the most unblushing manner TO extract evidences
nom them duplicating the Appraiser and his chief
subordinates. The homes Of many of them were IN
yaded during their absence, and absurd and I'M
nertinent questions put members of their families
Real estate records were investigated 10 see what
property was owned by employees, and Mr. Byrne pau
a visit to Garden City, J.. l., to ascertain no" much
NJ the Stewart estate stood in the name OF Mr. Edwafu
sherer, chief OF the laboratory.
Finally these disITaceful proceedings came 10 an
end, and Mr. Byrne, some months later maze MS
0totesaue report accompanied by large packingooN
GIIcd win testimony and exhibits. Much of this
testimony was unsigned the witnesses refusing TO
ocknovledae It after It was manipulated by Byrne
No notice was taken Of this report In Washington
for n long tlme untl notwithstanding Maynaru
tboueht he saw chance TO make politics. out OF H.
M reference of It was made TO the Ap-
rraIser. and that Official was In enure
Ignorance of its contents, but Mr. Maynard seec'eo
from il a list OF sixteen names, known afterward As
the black list and directed the Appraiser TO recon-
mend their removal and also the reinstatement OF one
Nc Flwee an examiner OF the sugar division VINO ha1
heen removed by NJ. McMullen for drunkenness, Dut
Who mad been particularly servlccabie 70 Mr. Dyrno
IN his investigation This done, but sll Du FOUR
Of the black list succeeded In getting tnen hames
stricken otf-one because no was son Oh eA-stats
senator Jacobs one because he was protoee Oh
Tims Campbell, another through Congressman Jun
some Of the daily papers took up the mater ana
I'm dne time the Hale Committee came 10 NeW-f
and succeeded In bringing out some OF the true l2wara
ness OF Mr. Maynards politics. The appraiser was
called "a witness and tes tilted most reluctantly to
The peculiar methods OF the Assistant SECRETARY liver
sn.e that time Mr. Fairchd, who felt called upon
to sustain his assistant, has manifested the most
wa,svoicnt disposition toward tho Appraiser and with
the aid IN his face tool special Agent Holahan WHO,
becanse ~ the refusal OF Mr. McMulien 10 recommend
Mr., For an assistant appraiser bore him an added
rridgs sought by evcry species OF petty annoyance
70 as 10 tSs hs q last demanded It in the insult