Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-07
SOME SMUGGLING.
Causes of Charges Against
Collector Berry.
Special Agent Evans and His
Alleged Discovery.
The Collectors Energy Said to Have
Made Him Enemies.
A Statement That Most of the Promi-
nent San Diegans Are Smuggling.
Details of the Agents
Report.

| About four weeks ago J. +. Evans,
special agent of the treasury, received
instructions from the treasury depart
ment to proceed to San Diego and inves-
tigate certain charges of malfeasance
in Office preferred against the collector
of the port, John R. Berry, says the San
Francisco Chronicle of Tuesday. The
utmost silence was observed by the
officers and the special agent, however,
and it was only yesterday that it was
learned of the resultof the investigation.
cit is true," said Colonel Evans,
"that received instructions to investi-
gate the condnct OF the San Diego col
lector of customs. In the performance
of this duty l was astonished to find
| that wholesale system OF smuggling
had been carried on in San Diego, and
it appeared that the collector, in thwart-
ing the smugglers, had caused con-
siderable prejudice against himself. |
do not feel justified in entering into de-
tails just now, because my official report
has gone on to Washington, and have
not yet heard from the treasury depart
ment in reply"
From another source, however, the
| following story, which is substantially
incorporated in the special agents re-
port, was obtained.
The report covers over thirty closely
written pages, and is calculated to cause
a lively sensation in Southern California.
A score OF prominent San Diego poll
ticians, several municipal officers, a
rich rancher, Lower California cattle
raiser and Collector Berry are the
principal persons who figure in the af-
fair.
Previous to his appointment to the
collectorship, Berry was the owner OF
the San Diego Union, and in this ca
pacity he made several sharp attacks on
local office-holders and office-seekers.
When he was appointed collector these
old enemies, who had never forgiven
his newspaper utterances against them,
set about to find some means to have
him removed from Office, while, un-
der pseudonym, Berry continued to
publish scathing articles in the local
papers.
Meanwhile Berry learned that
wealthy ranchman was suspected OF
being engaged in smuggling horses and
cattle from Lower California into the
United States, and it was also suspected
that Mexican cattle raiser just over
the line was concerned in the illegal
traffic.
Special Agent Evans states in his re-
port that the boundary line between
Lower California and California proper
is poorly defined. The imaginary line
OF demarcation follows a zigzag course
over mountains, down valleys and
through dense chapparal. At intervals
of every five miles or 80 a small line
stone is set, but the whole frontier is
practically unprotected. Smugglers have
all along taken advantage OF the fact
that the customs patrol along the border
| line is exceedingly small and insufficient,
and until Collector Berry commenced
crusade against them they carried on
their operations in comparative safety.
Berry followed up his anonymous news
paper articles by attempting to appre-
hend the rancher for smuggling horses
and cattle into the United States. A
watch was kept on his corral, and it was
| found that at night Several head of
horses from a Lower California ranch
were driven across the line into the cor
raj under the charge OF one OF the ranch
er's boys, assisted by several vaqueros.
This discovery was made in November
last. The next day Collector Berry
ordered deputy marshal to proceed to
the ranch and seize the horses
that had been smugged across the
previous night. The deputy on his ar
rival at the place found that the horses
in question had been driven across the
line and into Mexico for water. After
waiting several hours for their return,
he determined to get them at all haz-
ards. He crossed the line with two
vauueros, drove the horses back into the
United States, and then seized them.
Here breach of international law was
committed, at least the Mexican consul
so thought, for he and collector Berry
commenced lively correspondence,
with the result that the whole matter
was reported by the Mexican consul to
his minister at Washington. The con-
sul's report was accompanied by pro-
test signed by number of San Diegans
asking that Berry should be deposed
from office for his highhandedness.
Berry renewed the fight by seizing two
horses belonging to man named Beck
ley. Beckley swore that he had pur-
chased the horses from the rich rancher
/ who had got them from across the line.
| DCChlCy aicO cWOlC Ohab AiC iihd bOOiA tOAA
by the rancher that the duties on the
two horses would be 500. This sum was
included in the purchase, and Beckley
swore that he gave it to the rancher,
who failed to turn it over to the customs
authorities. The result was that the
horses were held and the rancher was
arrested. He was released recently on
bonds and swore out warrant for the
arrest of Beckley on a charge of perjury.
The investigation OF the special agent
occupied two weeks. A macs of secret
evidence was taken which exposes one
of the biggest smuggling rings ever
formed in this state. 1t is backed by a
number OF San Diego politicians who are
anxious to get Berry out Of office so as
to allow the horse smugglers to carry on
their work unmolested.
Faced yesterday with the facts which