The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-07-20
SMUGGLER LAWRENCE DEAD.
MS EIPLoI1S COST THE GOVERN
MENT 4 MILLION AND 4 HALF.

Tho story OF His Part In the Biggest
Frauds Ever Perpotrated on Uaeis SANS
Revenue-His Flight. Extradition, and
Final Release Because OF Threatened
Complications with Great Britain.
LAWRENCE On July Is Charles L. Lawrence, aged
Funeral from hi, late residence ea9 west End ave.
nue. Thursday at 1850 A NJ
Buried among scoro or more OF similar
notices in last Thursdays papers. the above
! announcement Was doubtless passed by I'M
noticed and unread by many who scanned the
newspapers on that day. To those who
did see 1t and who did not know the subject OF
the announcement. 1t simply meant decrease
OF ono in New York's population. To those
who saw 1t and recalled the career OF Charles
L. Lawrence. 1t brought news OF the death OF
tho leading spirit IN the most systematic.
far-reRchng, and successful conspiracy ever
organized to defraud Uncle Sans Custom
House. To them 1t brought .recollections Of
n conspiracy which cost the United States
Government nearly million and half Of dol
lars which involved scores OF people on both
sides OF the Atlantic. and which. for time,
threatened to involve this country and Eng
land in serious complications
Charles L. Lawrence was Jew. and was
born In London. His surname was Lazarus
then. and it remained 30 for several years after
he came TO this country. He dropped 1t finally.
however. took tho more American name Of
Lawrence by permission Of either the courts
or the Legislature, and married daughter OF
Mordecai NJ. Noah. the founder OF NoaRs Sum
day Times, the Courier and Enquirer, and other
! less known New York newspapers. Some time
after his marriage Lawrence got con-
| troll OF the Sunday Times and for
time edited it. Later on he established
himself as a Custom House broker. made
money. and began to dabble in politics. ebe-
came acquainted with William NJ. Tweed.
Joined tho famous Americus Club. dominated
by that individual, and became its secretary.
In fact. 30 we'll was he thought OF by Tweed
that rumor always named him as the man to
| whom Tweed was said to have given 100000
! for the purchase OF one or more members Of
| the Jury which tried the author OF the What
e;you Going-to-do about-t remark; Wheth-
Tweed in this capacity was, OF course.
never definitely established 1t Is. how
ever known that about this TINE asTaenSe
ways had il that Tweed 100000 went for the
purchase OF real estate for Charles l. Law
! William Nj Tweed. However that may have
been. Lawrence continued to make money as g
| Custom House broker dressed well, lived
high. and altogether was regarded as pros
| In February. 1875. there came an explosion;
| The real explosion must have been preceded
6ya prematHpS though n0seless eaplo,i0n;
! went with a warrant to look for Mr. Lawrence
he wasn't there, He had disappeared. having
quently ascertained. For six months or year
preceding this wiHter launt over the border the
by a mysterious. competition whereby they |
| were undersold. They found out hat some
WR Who b been bsiore them to their customers
| offered goods OF unguestionrd value az re-
SGS Gt aa 9d to cut se then at GH s p TRss
tSed by their mysterious competitors M who
| fha nrav
OF Secret Service agents, and in October, 1873.
acareful investigation vas set on foot in tn? h,
the Port took an active interest IN the Work,
and. naturally enough, consulted with the
unearthing the fraud on the revenue which /
they felt sure was Icing carried on. II SO hap,
| Anges, was Just the man to appeal 70. he could
have given them Just the advice they wanted.
| volved his retirement from Office and other I'M
pleasant copseIuencesi he didn't give II; ne
which his suTeriors were trying 10 nnearth. |
30 he s91f hem 9 o on WG GoEs9 sS
himself foolehly determined to await develop
mentS
three months investigation, hit upon the tact |
| that the consgnees named In certain INVOICES |
dd not exist Ihey Ir se1Ga eGns OF
| consigned to mythical persons, and found that |
though al we're passed as l., hosiery, seven OF |
them really con Aimed valuable silks These |
particular cases had gone through Deputy Col |
eeioF Pcs Angess hands sE , 6Ht s9 one ot ne
$ $otsfissry.' 4' Tho fegpIS,ions 81 The tSsto@
have IN examination made OF ono in every ten
cases imported under common invoice. II
properly .invoiced. and the whole lot was
dencos Deputy Collector Des Anges had dosig-
mated for examination the one case OF the
s snao VIII WHEN tho niaeo ho Iicy Secret % ee Se
vice men investigated further. and found
9 IN ease ao 20 Hs eOs
and invoiced as hosiery buttons; corscts bur
Ice the Sey hnd rea T' one
tansd silks anacSas : m9halrs' iaces and ana other
sGo9%t to- h Is des All WIN f bS cases aee
resented the fictitious consiQnecS by virtue OF
alleged powers OF attorney which he had pro-
A, little probing. in this new direction re-
yeacd the fact that one Lafayette ,urail, who
rence's agent and had sold the struggled goods
at nice comfortable discounts Of rom 10 10 20
houses. A Mr.. II, j. LoYoy had also assisted
IA these operations it ,apgearoI and any nun ~:
other siIo OF the Atlantic were implicated.
The fra9dulently lmnorted goods were rough
ho t as any GsNGs q ami
the like had deprived Inc!e Sans treasury
OF considerably more than million dollars.
which would have been turned iuto il had tho
goods been lawfully imported
mncE S4sni ns' and @d 1sf
0us than any be!orc known IN tho United
States WAS in operation, Tho matter WAS laid
before United states District Attorney Bliss,
and INDICTMENTS for smHGgllnG were PROFANITY
found Lawrence Deg AugOs. Gran. and Leyey
were named In the indictments. Lawrence
was IN HnaIa and l.evey had gone out OF the
country. couple OF secret service men
found l.awroncs in Montreal. They shndowed
him day and night. ono cold night in
February. when tho Canadian thermometers
registered 40. below zero, i.awrence conclud-
ed TO 30 ont for sl"lgh ride The detectives
got a sleigh, too, und Tor several miles kert
Just behind Lawrence. Then the drlvyr, wto
was handling the, spanking pair attached 10
tho smuggIers sloigh, whipped NJ his horses
and lot. them out. Inc detectives drlyer
whipped w. toe lhoIe Was u lively race hr
IL hall hour or so; but IL WAS no use Law
Ience's horses were fast, and no distanced tile
detectives. lie drove sixty miles 10 an out-ol-
te-way railroad station, crossed tho Vermont
line. reached liRIiiaX and sailed Tor Queon--
lie would, doubtless hnyo made good his
escape to the C@ntiPent had not itobett
Counsel. informed the HnthOrItie- that