The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-04-13
STEALING FROM THE GOVERNMENT.
Indictments Against Herbert F. Beecher
William Harmed and Quincy A. Brooks.

PORTLAND, Ore, April 12.-This mornings
Oregonian prints the following special dis
patch from Port Townsend, w. T.:
The United States grand jury have found
twenty-five indictments against William
Harmed, special deputy collector; eleven
against Herbert +. Beecher, ex-treasury
agent, and twelve against Quincy A.
Brooks, for stealing from the government.
~ overhauled and presented to the grand
jury for the first time In many years, by gov
ernment officials especially sent out from
Washington by the department. to make
preferred by the press and the public. Last
January, Leslie CullOm, acting collector.
and l.. l.. Lupton, first auditor of
the department, commenced the in
yestigation. Special Treasury Agent Crow
the customs accounts and dismissed Harmed.
The records were examined, going as far
back as April. The first thing found was
that vessels had been oyercharged in en-
trance and clearance and private receipts
of what was called the Blue Book many
of the pages being destroyed and white re-
ceipts issued instead. BY this method YES
sells were swindled ont of small sums
amounting to few dollars each. which ag-
gregated many thousand dollars year. In
another part of the record was found where
q payer was charged in some instances
many hundred dollars more than credited.
An incident was cited when the British
steamer ha on;v ssasdOny was was charged sso
ment. Another vessel paid sss5 and was
credited with $165. Wa Chong, of Sc
attic, paid 81 ,S16 and was credited with
81, ,641. Two thousand blue or government
receipts Were found in a mutilated cOndi-
ton, concealed in various parts of the of
tice. The largest steal discovered was
for duties paid on the cargo of the British
bark Madeira, from Liverpool, last June.
Duty to the amount of s, ,OSS was paid, and
the government received. $5,044. The rec
paid during the month. One of the con-
signees, James Griffiths, claimed TO have
paid Harmed the amount. Harmed acknowl-
edged appropriating the money, and took a
bag containing $2, 900 to make up the de-
ficiency to the acting collector, Cullum. to
make good his accounts. The clerk of the
district at Seattle, holds receipts for 81 ,660
and only S373 is credited to the government
for the entire month. Harmed admits get
ting the money, but could not account for
ARicR ARsA tRere Is Nothing ai Sl to S show Ion on
the records. After Harmed was dismissed
over $12, 600 was found in various parts of
the offices, secreted under the carpets, in
fower-pots, pigeon holes, and other places.
Records of the daily. receipts during the
latter part of Beecher's time are also MISS
ing from the Office In addition, the other
records up to the time of Harned's dis
missal, last November, are also gone, max
ing it impossible accurately to determine
the deficits. Brooks is short 5000, in ad-
dltion to illegal fees collected, amounting
TO another $4,000. All are specifically
charged with extortion, removing public
records and falsifying accounts There are
63S opium stamps missing, valued at So
each, besides large number of Chinese re-
turn certificates, which have become miss
ing since the passage of the Chinese re-
striction act. Harmed and Beecher will be
arrested tomorrow and placed under S., 600
bail. They refuse to make any statements.
Brooks is in Washington. Harmed is worth
$4,000. and has many warm personal friends
on Puget sound"
Beecher and Harmed filed $1,000 bonds to.
day. The trials are set for next October.
Harned's bondsmen are James Jones,
Frank and Albert Bartlett; Beecher's
are +. w. Pettygrove, C.. White. James
Jones and r. X. Abner. The latter three
were on the grand jury which indicted
them. Harmed has received a number of
sympathizing messages to-day from all
over the coast. asserting confidence in him.
Beecher has purchased the steamer Libby
and will commence steambOating again
next week. The best legal talent in the
Territory has been procured for defense.