New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-01
NJ. j. CORBETT ON THE RACK
POINDFXTER DUNN QUESTIONS THE AS
SISTANT APPRAISER.
MUCH INTEREST IN MIR. WI>w\LL MANIFESTED
By THE CUSToM-uOCsE INvEsTIGA
TIoN COMMISSION.

regrets that he did not adhere his deiermina-
| lion not to allow himself to br used n cats paw
for the purpose Of pulling ont OF the fire political
chc'nnts for the Democratic National Adminisi ration.
lie remained with the Custom IlOnsc Investigation
Commission during half Of es'crcays meeting. ana
III" expression of his face Indicated TINT h" did not
| Ike II at all PolndeNt.r Dunn. the member of the
| commission who anxious 10 earn the pay he
| will GET from tn" Ioy"rnmrnt for his services. earned
| only - 30. IL" sat with the commission inst three
quarters OF day. He completely tired
ont account OF the the Investigation took.
| Nearly all OF yesterdays session WAS taken mp IN
| trying 10 find who made public The correspondence"
| between Appraiser Cooper aud the secretary II ~"
| Treasury regarding the case which caused The sus
pension iy III" Appraiser Of j. e. wISwnll. the "x-
| amIncr The rest OF the time taken up In
| defence ~ Mr.. WiswDl and an effort to show that
he had been treated uniu,ily when he suspended.
| This sudden regard for Mr. Wswal who T. Re
publican Is remarkable. coming II does from Demo
'rt Ike cxSec:c IT rs Il the Treasury Fa hid excl
iector OF the Port Mneone exCongrcssman Pond"XI"r
| Dunn and the Anti snapper lawyer Wallace MacFar-
lane This however bcIs 10 bear ont the story that has
ieen In circulation stree the oommiss APP On'ed
In effect this story i that the whole lmrios" oi the
| commission Is TO make for III" removal Of
the Republican officials at the Appraiser, stores and
| In the Custom House 10 make for true aud tried
Democrats Of the AntiSnappcr faction OF the party.
In taking up the lin" OF Inquiry followed Yesterday.
| the lawyer for the commission took pain, To explain
that we instructed to find out how these letters
| were made public" The letters from Appraiser
| Cooper 10 the secretary Of the Treasury. aud iii"
| secretary's replies In regard the wSwa case
| For the first Tim" since the commission has been
sitting the members Of II allowed Mr.. MacFaranc to
| conduct most Of the examination by himself Ills
questions however. rule. were 80 Ing that before
he got through both he aud III" wline>>"> had great
| difficulty In rcc0rcng what Ia" first part Of them
| was.
| MARSHALL J. COEBETT An wEES QUESTIONS.
| The frs, witness called Yesterday Marshall
| j. Corbeu, The Assistant Appraiser. Mr.. Macfar-
lane started In to question him regarding the Si'-
! pension Of wi,wai lie said that he first suspected
! that all wa not right with Wi,wall either In May
| or June 1891. when WiSwall told him that the
| reason why he passed the invoice Of J. H. simon a
CO. less velu itlon than h" passed similar GOODS
| for other firms oceans" they were damaged
| goods and h. found aferward that the goods We're
| not I'll damaged.
Mr. Corb.ti then ordered IN" goods into the Public
stores for examination. lie was taken III at
that time and consequently did not speak to Wl'w"l'
! about II. Later he found that In hi' OPINION
| tho goods had been undcrvalued. He reported the
fact 10 Appraiser Cooper. who Immediately >u>Icnh'n
wIswall and wrote TO the Secretary OF the Treasury
| asking for his removal. Nfter Mr.. Corhct said
this III. attorney suidealy dropped IN" question OF
! the appraisal Of this bill 81 gov-. and began 10
question the witness on the publication III the u'"'
|
| tn. reporter who wrot" The article managed I"
| ,rcu,. copies Of the letter, which passed between
| IN. secretary az tho Treasury and the Appraiser
and 20 lind ont no did It ha, disturbed the new
>rciciary exceedingly. and this commission has bc'n
inirucied 10 learn n possible just how II WAS done
| n + for this the Govcrnmrnt l. paying $40 a DAY
efeh 10 four Commis >loner-. beside their expenses.
| and will eventually pay the weltrounded bill mat
| will be put In 10y the Anti snapper lawyer
| In answer some OF the lawyers long questions
4r Corbeit said that he first saw the letter lmm"di-
| :icly after II had been written. and aft"rward. when
the reuoricr wanted TO secure II copy of IT, lie said
| ,b,i he wanted to make copy Of II, 30 nS to be
prepared answer any questions mat might DE- ~"
| TO him. The Appraiser did not ask him Tor what
purpose he wanted the letters. The only letter that
| he showed TO the reporter was the one from the
secretary OF the Treasury rensaiiug wIswnl. Under
directions from the secretary Of the Treasury the
| ,nnraIser made an Investigation Of the matter
| The Appraiser drew up set OF questions wm'h he
| wanted the Assistant Appraiser I" answer under
oath bnt he would not answer som" Of the questions
| one OF these questions was II he had any hnowied'e
Of how the letters got ont.
poINDExrER DUNN BEGINS BUSINESS
Here Congressman Dunn asked In relation 10 the
affidavit that he finally made:
You denied In this AFFIDAVIT that YOU had given
out this correspondence, didn't you''
yes"
And Won did it intending to deceive the sccre
tary ="
NO. SIR
How could II have been othcrwi,e''
81 couldn't tell what would deceive him. ana |
villa, wouldn't"
Mr. Corbett said he could not remember whether |
Assistant Appraiser stevens took part In Appraiser
Cooper's investigation.
Isn't II fact" demanded Mr.. Dunn. I" that |
Their. was conference between Appraiser Cooper. |
Mr. stevens and yourself IN the Appraisers private |
onIcr Just before the inquiry b"gan''
YES believe We had conference there
But Mr.. Corbet declined (" admit that his testimony
was the Joint Erolu, ion 0f the conf'rrrcs.
Mr. Corlcit further asserted that when he gave
me- ~, randa the representative OF the paper he did
not know that It WAS for publication.
Did you suppose that the reporter wanted ia"
Information for his private satisfaction?
Il did not know hut tina; he might
Did yom the articles IN The Dry Goods
Chronicle" In proof before they We're published: -
81 don't remember
:" Did yon, o. not Nv
"wcI didn't know that any thing going To be
published
THE COMMISSION WILL NOT COMrIlCATE MAT
TIERS.
II Is not known how l,ng this line of inquiry
would IL. followed II there had not been an Interrupt
ton This came from Edgar l.. Johnson. Of the law
firm Of iIoadIey Lautcrbaci a Johnson, who wanted
the privilege OF crosseAnmning witnesses Ia tn"
Interest OF the importing firm ri j. II. simon Co. |
The Commissioners denied The request Mr.. Fair |
child said IN a lofty tone
Tile Commission does not intend 10 complicatc
matters by permitting people 10 b" represented by
counsel. The Commission l. Of one mind on that
point. but II you have questions that you would
like to ask Just hand item TO the Commission ana
we will ask iLem.7
Mr.. johnson then sal down. aud for an boar or two
busted himself writing que lions which he sent To
the attOrn.y for the Commission. The lawyer 'h'h
oti., n wi
I.ct OF Wiswalls suspension and the causes which lea
mp TO II.
Mr. Corlrti bore OuI the testimony given on Monday
BY the Appraiser that the goods had been examined
by various men In iii. silk trade and that they came
from Tia. sane port aud were bought NJ the same