The morning call., 1892-04-12
STILL UNDER FIRE.
Yesterdays Disclosures in the
Customs Investigation.
The Grand Jury Not Yet Ready to Report.
Solicitor Hepburn Departs Cashin's
Curious Revelations

the Uraho Jury nave mao an opportunity to
act on tie evidence now being submitted to
them.
COLONEL HEPBURN DEPARTS
Colonel Hepburn. Solicitor of the Treas
ury, left for Washington on the overland
train last evening. During his official So
journ in San Francisco he and District At
torney Garter were with each other great
deal. The Solicitor passed most of his
time In the District Attorneys Inner office.
Both gentlemen at times forgot themselves
and denounced in loud voice the methods
pursued In the Collectors and the Apprais-
er's Office. Their words Of reprobation ex-
pressed under the impulse of passion and
excited by intense fealty to duty would
break through oak panels and ill the outer
reception-room with the roar OF denuacia-
ton. 1t was on such occasions that the
urbane relic Of antiquity who acts as Mr..
Carriers clerk would excuse himself and
start for his superior'S room.
Upon opening the door leading thereto
he would put the forefnger of his right hand
to his lips. Mr.. Garter, still excited. would
mass his eyebrows, and east an inaui ring
look at his venerable attache.
For heaven sake, gentlemen, talk lower.
Everybody outside can hear you, and the
room is flled with reportersw
And then the door was closed and all was
quiet again. The old gentleman had acted
on the two officials very much as a bird of
prey acts on grove OF songbirds, They
were awed into silence.
MIR. GARTER HAPPY.
District Attorney Garter felt very happy
last night when he shook hands with and
said good night" to his friend Hepburn
that his own office had not been investi-
gated. He considered this omission of the
Government proof positive that there was at
least one Federal DEPARTMENT in San Fran
cisco that bore striking resemblance to
C@sar's wife.
Collector Phelps WAS in unusully good
humor yesterday. The Sunday rest had
relieved the strain of an exceptional week
OF annoying and eXaSperating espionage.
His new policy of sending every case OF dry
goods to the Appraisers warehouse. instead
of, as hitherto, 10 out of every hundred, he
felt confident would result in the certain
detection Of any further attempts of silk to
masquerade as toweing in San Francisco.
RESIGNATION OR REMOVAL.
whats this hear about rumors Of the
President demanding my resignation ?"
said the Collector. after affably greeting
The CALL reporter.
"Resignation" exclaimed the reporter.
u haven't heard anything about your resg-
nation. The talk on the streets is not about
your resignation. On Saturday there was
some talk about your resignation. but to-day
they use another word-Temoval"
Tut, TUT uttered the veteran Collector
That's ali nonsense Why, let NE show
you dispatch l received this morning from
Washington"
And then Mr.. Phelps went down into his
pockets, drew out a bunch Of keys, and was
unlocking one OF the drawers in his desk
when thought arrested the movement.
No" he said, you may say that there is
nothing In that report. Mr.. Hepburn left
me this afternoon expressing the utmost
confidence in my administration"
AT SWORDS POINTS.
Major Swords, one OF the latest accessions
to the army oil visiting special treasury
agents, was walking up and down on Bat
terry street yesterday morning surveying the
cracks ia the walls of the old Custom-house
CALL reporter asked him for information.
Young man." said he. very solemuly, as
he knocked of core of white ash from the
end of his fragrant cigar, do you suppose
am ninth edition OF the Encyclopedia
Britannica"
The reporter assured the gentleman he
labored under no such hallucination.
well" added Agent Swords, then Won
understand me. We are sent cut here TO
work and not to talk. L fully appreciate
the enterprise of the San Francisco news
papers, but IL they really want information
they must not come TO men who are under an
obligation TO preserve silence so far as their
official duties ara concerned"
Il understand. however. that you are no:
mere on the business of detecting frauds on
the revenue. but to look up the condition of
the Federal furniture" meekly suggested
the reporter.
DISGUISED WITH THE FURNITURE.
That's true, OF nearly So" replied Agent
Swords. And / don't mind telling you
that Intend to recommend that some de-
cent desks De put in the San Francisco Gus
tom-house. Why old Noah. the father of
Davigators, would have kicked out of his ark
such furniture as you will fnd upstairs. l
don't think they will believe me when re-
port 10 my superiors in Washington that
the desks now in use in the San Francisco
Custom-house are not even hosptable bug
traps. The cheapest beer saloons In your
city provide better quarters for their Swiss
cheese and blood sausage than the Govern
ment does for important official papers. Ii
you want to realize the contrast between
ancient and modern official furniture go and
lock at the new quarters fitted up for the
Clerks Office of the Circuit Court of APP
peais and then take n promenade through
the Custom-house. Do not hesitate TO say
that my visit to this city will result in
cleaning out the CusIom-house in one sense
at least. Well clean out the old desks"
WHAT LEAvY's LAWYER SAYS.
Otto tum SUDDEN has been retained by
Charles Nj. Leavy. the deposed Appraiser,
with the Government. Mr.. SUDDEN says
that Mr. Leavy has made no confession no
admission of guilt and will simply remain
passive until he is confronted with charges.
Until then he can do nothing. In the alb
seDce of charges it Is not possible to make
any defense. Mr. tum SUDDEN contends that
II there is any crookedness In the Custom
house 1t Is among the deputy collectors and
not among the appraisers.
Tomorrow morning 4. Nj. Shurtleff, one
OF the members Of the National Board of
Appraisers. will begin taking testimony in
the tobacco case OF Lebes Brothers The
Government having appealed from the doci-
sioa Of the Board of Appraisers grading GER
tain packages oil the Sumatra tobacco as
filters. the taking OF dtional testimony
sents liebes Brothers. With him Is asso-
ciated Mr. Ii. w. Coombs of New York.
who represented that firm when their appeai
from the San Francisco Collectors decision
raising the grade was heard before the Ma
tional Board Of Appraisers.
The United States Grand Jury was In
session about two hours yesterday after.
noon, but made no report 1t will meet
again at o'clock to-day.
INTEREST IN MR. CAsHIN.
A great deal Of interest centers for the
Deputy Collector, B. N. cashin ns Iaf Is p.s
lleved that by this time he is safe back 10
Victoria, Il. c., and serious doubts are
entertained as to whether lie can be extra
dited. Yesterday his wife, who is in the
trim trunks preparatory to joining him in his
Some curious stories are ascribed to
Cashln. While 1t Is insisted that he has re-
fused to disclose TO the Government agents
tho facts regarding the great smugeling
conspiracy In this city, he has. IL is re-
ported, spoken very freely to friends. In
these conversations he has not hesitated to
implicate in his misfortunes c. n. Hill. G.
NJ. Leayy and the firms Of Nenburger, Reiss
q Co. and Steinburger & Kaiisher. He de-
cltres that many other firms we're involved
in shady operations.