New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-02-27
CUSTOMS FRAUDS CHARGED
ALLEGED DISHONESTY IN EXAMINING nH'
PORTED TOBACCO AT NEW-YORK!
ErcaErARY FAIRcHrLD SUGGESTS TO THE DA'
rRIcr ATTORNEY IN THIS CITY THE rvs
sIn1y PROSECUTION OF CERTAIN GUS
TOMS OFFICIALS AND TOBACCO
IMPORTERS.


IMPORTERS.
w,.nineton Fab. 2s.-secretary Fairchild has writ
Tan long letter to The United states DisrctAt'orney
- yor, CITY IN regard to alleged fraudulent I'M
v...,ons NJ sumatrs tobacco. He describes In full
n. transactions connected with the examination ana
accumulation of 275 bales of sumaira TOBACCO I'M
portsd last October and November ny ANuehours
mailman bankers, and belonging 70 w. r-' Saionioh
rbs duties assessed under the orlgiuai examination
were s21 1896 49, the duties which snouia nave peen
assessed. according TO the re-eHamina'oh' were
sos,84e 81. The reexaminauon vas o"nuu0"u "
er.c,sI A,.rt Holohan and Assistant Appraiser D. O.
60. hs latter officer was chief CT the division
a. -, ,he tobacco was originally examined.
NJ pa,rchud "details the result OF the Teexamina-
49,, n.cfv,pr vbsrcIn It differed from the result of
~. original examination and showing many instances
IN which the bales undervalued in the interests
!, n. importers He says bale No SD exhibits the
most remarkable results OF all; for, on the original
classification made by sturges, he found 40 per cent
of the low grade, and only 30 per cent OF me high
grade upon tho reclsssihcaton 100 per cent OF the
high grade was found Secretary Fairchid closes MS
lotter as follows:
There were number OF circumstances which served 70
convince me that intentional wrong In this ma
Ter bsfore had made the minute examination hersii
before set forth When Holohan first presented ms pro
lininary report he showed letters uaea ID WASH
ipgton. d. c.. from well-know men, asking him 10 DO
easy with their friend Hsmnill Iamnll was the exam
insr under Sturges who is said to have made e oga
examine ton Of this tobacco some OF whose WORK tney
were informed that he Hoohan) had been directed 70 re-
exans: or In other words there plain ntnasien
AZ desire that Hoohan SHOULD falsely report 10 the COL
iebor and to the result Of the reexaminaon Anotnef
man heretofore prominent In Democratic politics. wrote 70
mo 10 the eject that he hoped that would leave mas
matter alone and that would omit to make any iurther
changes in the Appraisers department at NewYOrk dur.
ing ths remainder Of my term in ONCE other persons OF
greater or less egree ntepossd their advice and requests
with oeers Of this Department all to the emo thst no OK
animation should be made In the New'fofk appraiser
department particularly in the tobacco division thereof
MI Holohan also stated 70 suspicious circumstance
connected with the examination by himself ana Sses
Accidentally / learned that heretofore NJ. & L.
Solomon hsd been detected in Q conspiracy " 40
fraud the Government Of duties upon tobacco The GU
eumsancss were these 1879 certain Havana TOBACCO
was in warehouse Detroit Certain cons2irstors Cd
tanned entrance to ths warehouse AZ night ana suesE
trted Tor Of Havana tobacco bales OF ooneso 70
hsoco packed to initiate Havana tobacco Nhss
brbed the who had the key Of the warehouse 70 es
them into IL They ssd in this country the Havana 70
baeco thus fraudusntly withdrawn frOm The warehouse
and then wtshdrew the substituted domestic ooSceo lot
sxporeson 1t estimated 1T the time that me Gov
eminent was defrauded Of sbeut $4,000 oy this uens
action Ths parties all indicted The man VINO hao
given admission 10 warehouse was eonvieea pheo
s2ooo and sent jail Upon the frat trial OF ths prh
eipais. Solomon and his ce-eenspiratofS tne
disagreed,
and one for acouittal. A document file In
the Departments that there was evidence that
the twelfth Juror had been Improperly innueneea oh
the second trial, the document Gays that The con-
spirators pleaded contendee and wero fined $1,000
Own suits against these parties to have been SUB
sequeny compromised By the payment Of some thousands
Of dollars more.
The tobacco examined and reexaminsd with the results
which have herstofors stated also belongs 70 NJ T.
Solomon
/ submit the foregoing facts that you may determine
therein there be evidence convict the guilty
parties Of violation Of the statutes. This leave TO
yeur better Judgment but consider that Assistant APP
prsiser sturges and Examiner Hammi knowingly aided
In admitting this tobacco entry false classification
upon payment less the OF dudes legally
have therefore caused their dismissal
from service Appraiser McMullen's attitude toward
the whole matter OF such Indifference and 1nen
tiency and IN accord With ueh u hs endect
hsrssofors procured biz dfsmissi pss am not
tsposed 10 believe that wifuly aided in this attempted
fraud and do not ask to prosecute him
Upon consultation with the Collector may determine
that You can make against some Of the owners
IL the tobacco.