The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-04-09
Did He CONFESS?
Ex.Appraiser C. NJ. Leavy Makes
Some Revelations.
Closeted With the District Attorney and So
lieitor Of the Treasury-He Transfers
His Property to His Wife.


of Merchandise at this port. was closeed
for two hours yesterday morning with Col
lectOr Phelps, United States District Attor-
ney Garter and Solicitor of the Treasury
Hepburn. The nature of the revelations
made by the dismissed Appraiser at this in
teryieW was kept very closely guarded
secret Nobody would talk for public en-
lightenment. All that Collector Phelps was
willing TO contribute to the stock OF general
information was that Mir. Leavy had been
closely questioned and that a statement mad
been secured from him. Neither Mr.. Garter
nor Mr.. Hepburn had anything to say. The
man under cloud. the suaye Leayy. with
pale face and troubled look, was equally
silent HIS appearance of physical anguish
he attributed to this earache. which. he
said. had almost constantly tortured MIN
since the 4th day of last July.
HE HAS NOTHING TO SAY.
THE CALL reporter asked him about the
conference in the Collectors Office. II have
nothing TO say" he answered, with a
deprecatory shrug of his shoulders.
But what about the common TumOr that
you have made a confesson?" was then
asked him.
To this question Nj. Leavy again shrugged
his shoulders. Then he said: Il am III a
peculiar position. have been removed and
have against me, / must wait now until /
get the letter of dismissal from Secretary
Foster before ] can say word. Then |
will kno =, perhaps, what it all means.
Meanwhile, as / tell yOn, l have nothing TO
say TO the reporters or to anybody else. /
do not think have been treated with COM
mon fairness in this matter. Why, do you
know, sir. that they never came to me or TO
my office for information. They never even
once consulted me. And / AN in the Osition
IF a lrr,n hot laop NJ
are against him. l must wait, and l must
keep my own counsel"
UNDER SURVEILLANCE.
This was about all that could be obtained
from the officer who has been so summarily
dismissed by the President from his reSpon-
sibe position of trust. After leaving the
Custom house he went at once 10 his ele-
CANT new residence on Pacific Heights and
did not depart from il the remainder of the
afternoon CT evening. 1t was deserved that
two Deputy United States Marshals also
stationed themselves in this aristOcratic
neghbOrhOOd and seemed TO be keeping
close watch on the LeaVy mansion.
Another significant fact which was yes
terday brought to light was that on Tues
day last there went on record 4 transfer OF
Leavy's real estate to his wife The lot,
81 ,127. is on he south side of Pacific ave-
nue. east Of DeYisadero street. Its value is
estimated al SO CO., The residence erected
upon il is estimated 10 have cost not less
than $4,000, and the deed recorded on
Tuesday consequently represents a yalua-
tiOn Of not less than $4,000. 1t is surmlsed
that Leayy. having some suspicion or init
nation Of danger ahead Tor him, took the
pTecaution Of conveying the property in
question to his vile, SO as to prevent the
Government from attaching il in any pro-
ceedngS that might be Instituted against
him.
SUDDEN RICHES.
Before his appointment as Appraiser in
August, 1885, Mr.. Leavy was worrying along
as a solicitor for fire Insurance companies
This IS not known 10 be a very lucrative
business, and gentlemen who have to en-
gage IN 1t are not known on account Of their
opulence. The most active and successful
men of this class when they have accumu-
lated sufficient TO buy dwelling house have
generally 10 content themselves with cot
tage somewhere out in the Mission or, per-
haps. an unpTetentious twO-stOry house 10
the Western Addition district. But Ap-
pralser Leavy, upOn salary OF $500 year,
in less tEan three years seems to have per-
formed the miracle of erecting a costly resi-
deDce 1t for the habitatiOn OF a millionaire
or Of man enjoying pTincely revenue.
This achievement. though one of which
that gentleman may have been proud at the
time, has tendency to deepen the shadow
which has fallen upon him at this time.
a LoTTERY-PRIZE WINNER.
a friend of his asked him yesterday to
explain why be had made the transfer of
his property 10 his wife at this particular
time when he should have known that the
transaction would only draw down more
suspicion upon his head. Mr.. Leavy told
his friend that tie transfer had been made
On January last, but that it was only
placed on record on Tuesday last He also
told his friend that the value Of the lot and
the improvements had been grossly ex-
aggerated, and that they were not worth
anything near SIS, 900. He also told his
friend that he had been lucky In playing
lottery, and that he had drawn one prize as
high as $1,000. In this way he explained for
a portion OF his suddenly acquired wealth
THE GRAND JURY IN SESSION.
The United States Grand Jury was in
session nearly all day yesterday and ad-
journed until O'clock this afternoon.
Though they were investigating n charge
against counterfeiters during portion Of
the afternoon 1t is not believed that they
are by any means done with the business of
investigating frauds against the revenue
service. There Is widespread feeling Of
apprehension in Custom-Eouse circles and
among importers generally and no one can
tell where the lightning OF justice will next
strike. The United States District Court
adjourned till 10 o'clock this morning and 10
indictments were presented in court yester-
day. Thus the day passed without any sur
face developments.
THE SPECIAL AGENTS STILL BUSY.
1t is well known, however, that the
special agents are all very busy men and
that they are engaged in following I'D i'm
portant ciews which lead into the counting
rooms OF some of our most reputable mer-
chants. There is q strong impression that
Mr.. Leavy, Notwithstanding his own reti-
cenee to reporters, was giving information
to the Government yesterday Of q sensa-
tlonal character under some pledges of i'm
munity for himself. Deputy Collector
Cashin has already told a great deal and is
pretty certain to return Voluntarily to San
Francisco from his exile in British Column
bis. it is surmised that IL the officers who
have betrayed their trusts will tell all they
know or enough to enable the Government
to recover the half million or more of dollars
out of which 1t has been defrauded the
recreant officials will be relieved from
prosecution and the merchants who have
profited by the knayery made to pay to the
uttermost dollar.