The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-04-10
A VOLCANO CRUST.
PerilOus Footing for the Local
Customs Officials.
The Situation on Battery Street Special
Agents supping With 0ffeials-A Curl
GUS State of Affairs

Nobody knows where the ice is thin,"
sums up the situation in the Custom-house
scandal now under investigation in this city.
Whose head will next drop into the basket
Of infamy is solely within the domain Of con-
lecture. That Charles N. Leavy's head is
there is not questioned. His friends claim
that his decapitation Is only vicarlous sac
riire. As one prominent Federal official, IN
vulgar metaphor, describes his punishment
he has been made eatspaw. However this
may be there is no denying the fact that
everybody in the customs service in San
Francisco at the presentmoment is treadng
the crust OF volcano. Collector Timothy
Guy Phelps is not at ease On this crust. Not
that anybody charges the San Mateo states
man with being Implicated in the frauds
upon the Federal revenues. He Is regarded
as a paragon of honesty, incapable OF con-
niving at any scheme to promote his per-
sonal fortunes at the expense OF the Govern
menL
THE sPoILs SYSTEM.
The doubt which makes his tenure at the
moment uncertain arises from the fact that
he is a reature OF the SPOTS system-a
strictly party man, and therefore response
bic only to those who are the engineers of
party machinery. Charles n. Leavy made
his fight when he was candidate for Con-
gress and was defeated, and this service
ing care of Leavy. Here We have the con-
Meeting link which joins the two patriots fer
revenue Now that Leavy is in disgrace
the sympathetic altitude of the Collector of
the Port with his personal and political
friend can be better understood. So far as
the newspaper press is concerned Timothy
Guy Phelps has shown disposition to pro-
teet Leayy. His clean-shaven and ponder
Gus jaw is sealed book when Leayy'S name
is mentioned to him.
A GOOD-NATURED ENTITY.
The Collector of the Port is regarded by
the average man of affairs on the street as
great big good-natured entity. 1t is
believed that the present investigation can
not terminate otherwise than with request
from President Harrison Tor the resignation
of Timothy Guy Phelps.
The end is not yet so far as the pursuit of
bribed officers and mercantile smugglers is
concerned. Something like still hunt has
been instituted by the treasury officers,
who have come all the way from Washing
ton TO inquire into the methods of Custom
house administration in San Francisco.
Half dozen deputies, deriving their au-
thority from tile Secret Service Division OF
the Treasury Department, are still engaged
oyfrhauling the invoices Of prominent dry
goods aid tobacco merchants and investi-
eating their foreign eonsignmenis for q
year past.
INSPECTOR MOVES.
The busiest man associated with them is
a local inspector OF customs, Mr.. Moves,
whose shrewd methods and Hawkshaw in
stincts have commended him 10 the Collec-
tor of the Port as the one man among the
Pacific Coast fidP.waiteTs most likely 10 be
of service in aiding the visiting special
treasury agent in unearthing frauds. Like
his superiors, Inspector Noyes had nothing
TO Say yesterday when approached by re.
pOrteTs He did not like the penny-dread-
full style of newspaper literature which
was now being served to the public through
newspaper columns on the subject which
was nearest his beart-the detection OF
frauds on the revenue. Inspector Noyes
was busy ali of yesterday. He was the last
man to knock at Collector Phelps side
door. which is private entrance and exit
He had something on bis mind when he
knocked. and was admitted, but what thai
Something was must for the present remain
a secret between them.
PHENOMENAL DILIGENCE.
An unusual circumstance yesterday was
fbe late hour at which Collector Phelps re.
manned at his desk. Ordinarily on Satur
DAYS everybody in the Custom house i;
resdy TO leave his desk at O'Clock In the
afternoon. and among the first TO depart
Generally is the Collector. The others lose
no time i'm following suit. Yesterday the
last man but one to leave the Custom-lou sc
was the Collector. The excepted one was
tie man who sweeps the stairways ano