The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-12-29
SERIOUS CHARGES
Made Against Inspector
Moves Yesterday.
THE CASE TO BE HEARD.
Special Agent Phoenix Makes
His Report.
THE CASE TO BE HEARD.
FINDINGS SENT TO WASHINGTON.
The Collector Gives Noyes Time to
Produce Witnesses in His
Own Defense.

There was lively time at the office of
Collector Wise shortly before noon yester-
day. For some time past Special Agent
Phoenix, a comparatively newcomer to
this coast in the customs service, who took
the position vacated by the resignation of
George PattisOn, has been investigating
Inspector Noyes. and yesterday he pre-
sented his report to the Collector. The
charges on which NOyes has been investi-
gated principally are those of landing
Chinese women by means OF false certif-
Gates. 1t IS alleged against Noyes that he
was given certificates purpOrting to be
signed by white men in this city for in
vestigatiOn; that he went out and pre-
tended to investigate the same. then re-
turned and reported that he had found the
white men whose names were signed to
the certificate and they had stated that
the Chinese who wanted to land had been
born here or had been a previous resident.
or wbateve else the certificate on which
they were attempting to land asked for
Naturally the inference was that Noyes. if
doing any crooked work in the landing of
Chinese, was not doing it for fun.
Phoenix claims TO have discovered that
Noyes has reported satisfactory interviews
with white people who never existed ex-
were said to live in certain mum bered
houses On certain streets where no such
houses nor numbers existed. In other
words, Phoenix claims TO have ascertain ed
that Moves has been aiding in Illegally
landing Chinese at this port while drawing
a salary from the Government as an officer
sworn TO prevent, If he knew of it, the
landing of such persons. Around the
main charge clusters number of other
charges, equally grave, growing out of it,
such as receiving brides, perjury in swear
ing to returns to the Collector Of the Port,
and general ali-round crookedness.
Phoenix has already sent his report on
Noyes' case TO Washington. and yesterd sy
be laid before Collector Wise the findings.
Noyes was sent for by the Collector and
entered not onlv general denial of the
charges made, but demanded time in which
to prove the truth of his denial by wit
nesSes. The interview between Moves and
Phoenix was stormy. but it result ted in the
Collector pOstponing the investigation until
such time as the attendance of the people
Noyes wanted as witnesses could be Sc
cured In the meantime Phoenix will pre-
sumably continue TO hunt for further evil
dences of guilt.
Inspector Noyes made quite a record for
himself recently in Portland, where he
aided IL bringing to justice lot only num-
Der OF crooked customs officials engaged in
smuggling Opium and Illegally landing
Chinese. but helped to break up one of the
most extensive, powerful and wealthy
opium smuggling rings in the world. He
has always stood well with his superiors
here, and no charges of serious nature
have ever been preferred against him be-
fore this. He demanded ar Investigation
some weeks ago, when the charges were
first rumored, but said at that time that he
wanted it to be full. free and open trial
of the charges against him. His request
has evidently been disregarded, as Phenix
has been working secretly.
1t is probable that NOyes will in turn
demand TO know how certain official docn-
ments that the law says must OF be seen bv
outsiders without written permission from
the Collector were permitted to reach the
rublic press as we'll as other information.
damaging in its nature to his cause. but
which should have been reserved for the
official investigation. Moves claims to be
abundantly able to prove his innocence