Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1889-01-13
WHAT'S Up?
A HURRIED INVESTIGATION.
Special Treasury Agents Called to New
York.
OFFICE OF APPRAISER MCMULLEK
The United States Treasury Wants to HelE
Investigate It.

NEw YORK, January 12.- Secretary
Fairchild has ordered that all the special
treasury aseuts in the country, who can
be spared fsom their posts of duty, shall
hasten at once to this city, to assist in a
thorough hetO--bOttom investigation of the
Office of the Apprisero Of the Port.
The Chief Supervising Special Agent,
Colonel Jewell, arrived here from Wash
iDg'oa to-day, and Colonel Montgomery,
the Chief Treasury agent at Boston got
here at nearly the same time. Mr.. A. K.
Tingle, the special agent, one of the three
who investigated the Custom House tSo
years sgo, was in tha city to meet them.
As fast as the other special agents ar
rive they will be assigned to the respect
i've lines of detective work for which the
chief supervising sgent thinks them TO be
best fitted.
This important slep is the result Of q
conference at the Custom House yester-
day afternoon, in the Collectors Office,
between Collector Magons and Appraiser
A B. Stearns, of Boston, who has tempo
rarily taken charge of the office made va
can't by Mr.. McMullen's removal. Evil
dence OF q startling nature as to the cor
ruption and rotteDness of the Appraisers 8
Office under Mr.. McMullen's management
was presented.
There is not the slightest hint rejecting
upOn the personal integrity Of MIR. McMul-
len. whose unfortunate position, after q
long and faithful service OF tbirty-six years
in tha appraisers Office, arouseS general
sympathy among the Custom House ofi-
cials. but there seems to be no doubt what
ever that the most gigantic frauds have
besn perpetrated during the past three
wears in which he las been the head OF
that most important Office. Certain mer-
chants have been favored at the expense OF
the Government and Of honest importers,
underyaluations on an enormous scale
have teen permitted. and the treasury de-
partment has been defrauded Of millions
of dollars. That msy seem like . strong
statement. bat it comes from no less per
sonage than Appraiser Stearns.
The preliminary work of the inves.iga-
tion began to-day. 1t is predicted that
within forty.eigbt hours the removal OF
Assistant Appraiser Sterges, of the division
having charge of the spp'aisement oi TO-
bgcco, whisky and groceries, VIII folloW.
Examiner Moore, of the Tobacco Division,
wilt also 90 at the same time. They are
supposed TO have permitted the Irregular
Ties in the importation of Suma!ra tobacco,
"a previously described in these dispatches.
One of the let officials to be oveIhauled
will be Assistant Appraiser Moore, OF the
Damage Allowance Division, who is not to
be confused with Examiner Moore, OF the
Tobacco Division, above referred to. Ex-
aminer Bard we'll, of the Wool Division,
will also be called on to explain. The
charge against him is that he has permitted
the importation Of what are known as wool
noile-a cheap grade of foreign wools-at
five cents a pound duty, when at all other
ports the entry of the same grade Of goods
was not permitted at less than ten cents
duty.
Appraiser Stelrus, when asked in what
division the frauds we're chiefly prachced'
said: so far they appear to be In the su-
par department; but we have not lnytsh'
gated the others thoroughly ye'. l have
discovered that an immense amount OF new
suear has been passed without the pay
meat of proper duties. When I say that
millions of dollars was saved by the I'M
porters, you will understand how great a
quantity of raw sugar has been landed
here within the past three years without
the payment of proper duties. This could
not hsve been done without cOllusion on
the part Of Government employees
"How was the scheme worked"
''By false tests of the sugar, l tuppose'
and fraudulent samples. The coming IN
vestigltion will probably throw more hgh4
upon the method of thesTindle." "
Meantime it is ssid that Mr.. McMullen
intends to contest the legality of the mau-
ner of his removal, which, he cleims, was
not in accordance with section l, 767 OF the
revised statutes.