New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-04
NAY BE FORGERY ~ THE CUSTOM HOtS

A CHECK AND A CASHIERS PERMIT CAUSE
GOOD DEAL OF TALK THERE.
There was n wild wave Of excitement yesterday
in tho Custom House over what appeared to be AT
first blush forgery of either a check or cashier
permit In connection with payments for the WIN
drawal OF certain goods consigned 10 Charles r. Schu'
A. Peters importers Of champagne, No. "a BeaverSt
There IS a form observed for the payment OF du'">
Checks only received when certified ana USUAL!
cash is required for the payments. About month
AGO. II Is said the importing firm made ont cheek
for S426. When checks are made ont tiey are re-
0uired TO read: To the order OF the collector I"r
PAYMENT OF duties.n This check was regularly maze
out BY Charles F. schmidt a Peters; 1t bore the stamp
OF the Custom House cashiers Office 1t passed through
the sub Treas ury, and In due process of time came
nom the bank on which It was drawn back TO the
imnortny firm There was not the slightest sign
upon II Of irregularity.
On Thursday the firm was Informed that IL was
short In Its duty account with the Custom House ana
IN Investigation followed. schmidt Peters presented
bs, check TO the Custom House officials bearing all
the marks of csnuineness upon 1t. Then the work OF
tracing the transaction was begun in the custom
House. The cashiers permit. which allowed the WITH
drawal OF the shipments from bond, ssnifying that
the duty had been paid. found apparently IN
proper form. But when the Custom House officials
wore confronted with the check Of the importers, II
was discovered that the entry papers, which are signed
BY the cashier. deputy naval officer ana d'P"S
collector were missing. The account OF the importers
had not been credited with the am0unt of the cheek
and the permit pronounced forgery though
II seemed to bear the official stamp.
There seems 10 be thus far no intelligent exphna-
tiop Of the transaction II Is said that the custom
House officials been looking into the subject ana
are impressed with the idea that there mas been
series Of forgees the extent, as alleged OF from
$4,000 TO 10000; but further Inquiry does not bear
out this suspicion. The check In question, hi'lhs
cone through the regular official channels OF Tn"
Custom House. the Sub-Tieasury, the bank ana the
Clearing House. and been returned TO the makers, Inc
only possible explanation is that there must nave De
COLLISION between than one Official III the CUSTOM
Horse and the Young man who attended 70 tue custom
House work for the importing firm, or that the cheN
had been lost and being found was used for the
payment OF duty by some one to whom had been
approximate amount
One feature Of the affair is interesting. young
man. who had been in the employ OF the Importing
firm for the last eight years. was discharged W.
weeks ago on three days notice for insoehce 10 MS
would naturally have been lnrustcd to ana conducted
by him. TIE discovery being made on lhursday; d
letter was written to him by the iiiTl. requesting
him 10 come TO their ONCE Yesterday morning at nan
he would I've there: but late half past O'Clock
last evening he had not APPEARED ,
Meanwhile the Custom House OfnclalS are pursuing
their Investigation II looks more Ike a loss Of cIty
papers In the Custom House than crpnhh o'en'c,
but II there Is criminality connected with H. moe
than one Custom House official must necessarily De IN
VOWED and indeed guilt would seem to extend to the
subTreasury Itself.