The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-02
BASSETT ACCUSES COOPER.
4 SAMPLE or 7HE STATE OF THINGS
Al TUE APPRAISERS STORES.

Thr Appraisers s:enogrnprs- Snya the Ap.
| paiser Threatened to Have Him Remove ed
| Tor Keiusing {" SVEN Falsely Before tho
| Commits ion-Mr. Cooper says It- L'c.
After three days inqusition the Farchlld
| Commission. at it, session in the Barge Office.
| obtained yesterday petty clenr evidence OF
the friction among tho employees which has
| characterized the latter part OF Appraiser
Coopers administration. The Jingle combine
OF Treasury agents were ont in full force. and
sienallcd to each other their approval Of tho
Developments. Mr.. lngonc. Mr.. Damn. and
Mr. MacFnrlnnc sit Mt n Ion. table. and Just in
front Is tho witness chnir Echlna the Com
missioners SAT Ir Tingle Mr. Tichcno.. Mr..
SpauldiDR and General APPRAISER lam.
Ihe Commission was not satisfied with tho
testimony on Wednesday as to how Secretary
FOSTERS letters about the Wiswel case got
into the newspapers. Appraiser Cooper and
Assistant Appraiser to-neit denied that thoY
had had anything to do with lottinE them out
me Commission :hcraUr1n Summoned Ste
phen W. Basaett. Appraiser Cooper's stenoe-
rhpher. Enssctt has been in the Appraisers
stores nearly twenty-five years In recent
years he has held confidential Flaces, Flo has
leen close to Assistant Appraiser stevens
Bhssett said TINT no was glHd to appear and
testify. lie rend an affidavit. in which he do
clar"d that ADJ rn!ser CooIer had triod to get
him to make nm n affidavit that he wac entirely
ignorant Of how the letters got out The facts
Assistant Ippr"s%s s' Stevens and G0e SorSats
were responsible for the publication OF the
told Mr c"orer thni eo ao not .av that
did not know how he letters got out: thnt
could not comm perjury. He replied that
did not know how tn" letters hrcame public.
and that 1t would clear the ONCE of the impu
9ctets. | said that II did ANYTHING OF the kind
itwould he perjury, Once or twice after that
he wished suspicion would attach to him. he
r,lT 60 get me to nerjnre myself but SIN
nsa given taa
81 Q! your damn Iasine.s. ~ Corbett take cars
vestigation will ue Smoked to hell"
.Bassett went on to FAY that after that Cooper.
and that Cooper wnntel him TO smooth the
matter over and get the letters back. Bassett
se on .fas ssos .
hhppra1ser again tried to get him to perjure
On the sa mHer but he refused Whsfe
for removal Basaett says that he didn't care.
Bassett in his voluminous affidavit says that
Tetary HamIin was his friend. md he warned |
Bassett to O. DO az he told him. Instead. Bassett
lot lot swear he did not know how the letters got |
Later in the day Appraiser Cooper told the
Was untrue In every essential particular.
The Comm mission then heard testim ony from
MT. 1ichennr. Mr. 1ingle. Assistant Secretary
spauding. and General Appraiser Ham. Their |
testimony referred to the disagreemeuts be-
tween Mr. Cooper. Mr.. Corbstt and Mr.. Wis |
well over the invoicea OF Japanese silks Of j. r.
Simon Il Co. II was observed by all in tho
roor: that while Mr.. -Tichenor was on the
stand MIR. Tingle and Mr.. Spauldina sign all ed
to him. and that signals passed also when Mr..
Ilngle and Mr. SpauldiEg were on the stand.
Another point WAS verS marked. and that
was that to the questions OF Com ssioner
Niactarlanc Mr. Tingle. Mr.. Spaulding. and
Mr. IIchenor made ex parte statements,
1here was no cross eXamtning. and Commits
sioner MacFarlane's method OF asking Ques-
tons was not Of penetrating character
They were after this sort:
Mr.. Tingle there lie no truth in that state
=. Mr. Tichenor. this allegation is not So 10
Mr.. snsulding. this statement is not cor
The only int .est,ng point Of Mr.. Tinple's
testimony was his admission that he had
ask ed Secretary Carlisle to make the invests
CATION.
Toward the close of yesterdays session IL
was evident that the Com mission have figures
to disprove j., X: Simon & Co. 8 claim that they
We're compelled to. pay $4,000 In additional
duties and penalties through the action of
Appraiser Cooper and Assistant Appraiser
Corbett in advancing their invoices. The |
commission believe that they have a table Of |
the firms invoices which will show that they
lid no. pay over $1,000 in additional duties
and penalties.