The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-05-03
SILK And GINGER.
Collector Phelps Discharges Three
More Men.
They Refused to Tell What They Knew Of
Petty Pilferings From the Appraisers
Storerooms.

The big black cloud which for several
Gays hung over the Custom-house burst
yesterday, and the deluge foretold exclu-
sFely by IHE CALL on Sunday morning
came.
When the storm subsidized 1t was found
mat three calamites had to be recorded.
Ahree formerly trusted and popular officials
were discovered to be no longer in the Gov
eminent service, and they will no longer be
IN the pround position to present Uncle
oam's crisp little pay-warrants at the end
OF every month at the pay-windOw of the
suJ-treasury
L.. EiSenfelder, W. D. Ayers and II. w.
McLane are the THO who have fallen We
inns to the official wrath of Timothy Guy
Phelps Of the Custom-hous
1hese men were as far as the official pay
list Is concerned classified only as labOrers
In the Appraisers department, but in real
Ity they occupied positions Of trust, being
specially detailed 10 do duty as entry clerks
ana StoreKeepers. AS early as Saturday 1t
became Known that bolt of silk and can
Gf ginger had by some unknown individual
peen stolen from the Appraisers stores.
Inc den0uement came yesterday, when
the three men named received brief little
notes informing them that the Government
Would try IN the future tO worry along with
out their assistance
WOULD NOT TELL"
Collector Phelps, when seen about the
mater, SAID that ne dismissed the men not
because he had any proof of their being
guilty but because he was sure they are IN
position TO tell who stole tie silk and the
ginger. but are unwilling to tell about the
wrongdOers. The Collector also said that
petty thieving had been going on for some
n ha a Di.,4 aS+C nd hat
IL had become absolutely necessary for him
to make an example of people whom he
suspected of shielding the criminals
Appraiser RalSton only smiled when he
was asked for his permission to have access
10 the room i'll which the three men just dis
charged were at work. Come little
later" said Mr.. Ralston, and | will let you
interview anybody you wish to see"
when second call was made, "a little
iateT, the trio had received their notices,
ana had left the building One Of them, L..
Elsenieider, however. was found on Wash
lngton street glo0mily gazing at the cracked
red brick walls of the building from which
he had just been expelled.
i think 1t Is shame" said he, ''and |
can only account for my being discharged
by saying that have been jobbed."
" hen asked for definition Of the partic-
uiar Kind OF JObbery that he suspected had
been practlced I'D his case EisenfeiqPr said /:
You see, am nephew of Charles Nj.
Leavy, the eX-Appraiser who has recently
been dismissed, and /, as we'll as McLaue
and Ayers. owe the app ointment to The
Custom-hOnse positions we held to Mr..
Leavy's recommendation. 1t seems now
that we had to 60 because he is no longer in
power"
When Informed of the charges made
against him and his friends In misfortune,
That they were supposed 10 know something
about the identity Of tie silk and ginger
thieves, The young man became quite eX-
cited.
THE FIRST HE KNEW.
This is the first intimation | have re-
ceived that these theits are being connected
with my discharge he said angrilv, land
think IL IS shame to blame me in the
matter, for in the first place nobody ever
asked me what | knew about it, and Sec
0ndly, If they had questioned me ii would
not have been right for NE to give other
people away, even If had any knowledge
as to WHO is guilty. But mind you," added
Mr.. Eisenfelder, remembering that his
statement might be miScOnStTued, II have
not said that l know anything about these
things"
In concluding the interview the dismissed
official, who had held the position Of receiy-
Ing clerk on the upper floor of the Ap-
pTalser's st0rerOom, promised a more
definite statement later on, and as lie
walked away from the scenes Of his former
glOrieS lie was heard TO mutter something
about throwing bOmbshells into the camp
Of the Custom-house officers who so I'M
gratefully caused his dismissal.
The officers in the Appraisers department
say that Elsenielier has for a long time
been the most unpunctual and careless man
In the department, and that he had many
times had narrow escapes from being dis
charged on account of his continued neglect
of duty. but that his being inflicted with a
nervous disease and having an aged mother
to support have caused his superiors to be
lenient with him.
McLane aud Ayers left the neighborhood
OF the Custom-house before they could be
interviewed