The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-04-02
FRAUD ON A LARGE SCALE.
Customs Service Sleeping Over
an Active Volcano.
Investigation by Special Agents and De.
tectives Into Gigantic Frauds in
Importations.

OF the customs service now in the city.
This means that 10 Of the shrewdest de-
tectiyeS the Government has at command
are here for cause. And if the multitude
nous messages carried 10 room of the APP
praiser's building. where few of them have
rendezvous, if the whispering rumors float
ing about among the fly detective force COM
manded by these same special agents mean
anything, they mean that within few days,
perhaps before week. the public will be
treated to sensation of proportions never
seen here before and seldom in the whole
country.
For week past the city has been swarm
ing With detectives, drawn from every avail
able source throughout the Union. Most
of them arc from New York. They came
here whole carload at once, slipped into
the city, reported to their special agents,
and were directed to go to work. each in his
own peculiar place. All this working in the
haunts OF crime is caused, 1t is said, by the
information Bernard Reiss gave the Treas
ury Department, which it thought of suffi-
Gent importance to ask the court in investi-
CATION to let him off with fine. This was
done and Reiss was sentenced to pay $1,000
and costs which he did gladly, thanking
his stars that he had had at his command
the Information the divulging of which
saved him from the States prison.
AS soon as Reiss had pleaded guilty and
had been fined the officers OF the Treasury
Department began to arrive. First came
Supervising Special Agent Jingle.
A HIGH OFFICIAL.
He ranks highest in the Secret Service OF
the Treasury Department.. and he and his
az ents are considered by the Government
as OF more importance in ferreting cut
crimes peculiar to the customs service than
the Plnkerton and Scotland Yard detective
an1n l.atl
Such implicit faith is put in Mr.. Tingle's
abilities by the Government that he was
personally detailed to look into the sealing
frauds. That he should next take up the
local frauds against the customs service and
stay here for weeks is criterion of the im-
portance of his mission.
The next to arrive was Special Agent Nc
Coy. 1t was he who worked up the I.iebes
Bros. Importation OF Sumatra leaf-fller
frauds. He is from New York City, where
ne Is counted one OF the best detectives in
the United States. About the same time
Special Agent Mulkey was sent for
from Seattle. The force of special agents
known to be here are: Supervising Special
Agent Jingle of Washington, ID. c., who Is
in command of the forces, Special Agent
Mccoy OF New York, Williams of Ohio,
and Evans OF this city. Special Agent Null
key should be counted also. had he not left
yesterday on some mysterious mission.
Besides these are others, not counting
Special Agents Gibson and Brooks. who
have IN charge the Postofce site matter.
Under these agents are now working a
score Of detectives and the records of the
CuStom-house and Appraisers building
are receiving the most thorough, though
quiet, overhauling they ever had. While
there is an enormous amount OF work being
done sub rosa there is some not kept so
secret 1t is not denied that Supervising
Agent Jingle is prosecuting an investiga-
ton into the question Of importation of
sealskins into this port, nor that Agent
Williams Is looking about with an eve to-
ward the reduction or adjustment of
salaries. Mccoy Is ostensbly here to in
qulre into tobacco frauds, but they are all
doing other work.
SEALING FRAUDS.
There is no question every department of
the customs service is being probed, and
more light may be thrown on sealing frauds,
salaries may be reduced in some cases and
raised in Others tobacco importation may
be found gigantic fraud, bat that does not
explain the presence simultaneously of so
many agents. Nothing will explain it but
the fact that the Government has in hand
Information that will bring to light some
gigantic system of defraudIng the Govern
ment of its revenues.
IL is not known who the victims of Ress'
information will be; that is il is not known
who all of them will be. But most of them
are importers of silks and woolens. Ress
vas an importer OF such goods, aud that lie
got case aftsr case through the Custom
house invoiced as crash and toweling"
goes TO show strong combination had been
effected with at least one employe of the
customs In collision. He. too. is being
made the subject of investigation, but what
has been thought improbable before now
seems almost certain, that IS, that others
than Deputy Collector Cashin were impli-
Gated. 1t Is now half admitted some one in
the Appraisers store was in the deal.
Ex-Deputy Collector CashiD, who is being
investigated. had charge of the desk over
which Neuberger, Reiss Il Co.'s fraudulent
invoices were irregularly passed. IL was he
who made mistake" forty-nine times out
OF hfty, the one single time that he did not
went over Deputy Dare desk. Cashin was
allowed to resign by Collector Phelps, who
wanted TO get him out of the service as soon
as possible; and to await his discharge
meant 70 retain him twelve DAYS longer.