The morning call., 1894-05-11
HAMLlN COMING.
Reports of a Custom
House Investigation.
The Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury Will Be Here in June.
What Agent Phenix Says.

There is feeling of uneasiness among
the employees in the Custom-house, owing
to the information which has been received
by Collector Wise from the Treasury De-
partment in Washington to the effect that
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury Ham
lin had been ordered to proceed to San
Francisco and make investigations of some
sort. Ii is the secrecy and vagueness of
the investigation proposed which is caus-
ing the uneasiness. Even Collector Wise
himself processes to be ignorant OF the
exact nature Of the mission upon which
Mr.. Hamlin is coming. and Special Agent
PheniX is non-committal and says he has no
official notice that Mr. Hamlin will come.
Ii was reported around the Custom
house vest erday that Mr.. Hamlin's visit
had something to do with alleged frauds
in connection with the landing of Chinese,
and also that he would make thorough
inquiry into rumors which have reached
Washington regarding opium smuggling
and the suspected existence OF a ring of
smugglers more powerful than that which
was broken up several years ago. 1t is
claimed that the recent developments in
the Emerald smuggling case have also in
duced Secretary Carlisle to send out Mr..
Hamlin.
Regarding the reports of frauds in con-
nection with the landing of Chinese rumor
has it that several persons here had formed
a ring. and, acting in collusion with the
Mongollan crews on the Mail steamers,
were engaged in getting the Chinese landed
temporarily at the rate of So head.
As result of these rum0rs, which have
been atioat for some weeks, Collector Wise
recently made an order that all permits to
Chinese crew hands desiring to land tenn
pOrarily were TO be obtained only from
the Collector in person.
In speaking of the proposed investiga-
tion, Collector Wise does not admit that it
is because of any big Custom-house scan
dal that requires special attention, but
says that he sent word TO Washington ask
ing MI Hamlln to come with a view of
taking general survey of what work had
been done in the Custom-house, and of sug-
geSting any Improvement in the service.
As for any doubts regarding j. j. Tobin's
action in landing Chinese, Mr.. Wise said
he would not entertain them for moment.
As TO young Tobin and Joe Marks, he had
heard rumoTS connecting them with the
matter, but did not know anything posi-
tive.
Special Agent Phenix was seen by a
CALL reporter last evening. He said he
did not feel inclined to talk about the
Custom-house matter nor of MIR. Ham,
Inns coming.
81 do not think he is coming to carry out
any formal investigation, but that it is
more in the nature of little vacation and
to get respite from the arduous duties of
his Office. l understand that Collector
Wise invited him 10 come ont"
What about the rumors concerning
young Tobin and Joe Marks?" was asked.
"Oh, that is an old matter" replied Mr..
Phenix.
''Have you been Investigating them?"
'Oh, Pm always Investigating" Mr..
PheniX said evasively. "As | said, do
not think MIR. Hamlin is coming to carry
out any plan of Investigation, but of course
he Will look into certain matters to which
the Collector will call his attention, and
also others which be may know or hear of.
/. myself, have made no official report Of
the Tobin or Marks cases. There
have been rumors about them for
the ast three or four manths. As to the
truth about them | have nothing to say"
1t is claimed that a falling off in the
revenue from opium has caused the Gov
ernment officials to suspect that smuggling
was being carried on upon large scale,
but on this subject also Mr.. Phenix was
disinclined TO talk. Altogether it was
evident from Mr.. Phenix's manner that
there is really something sin the wind"
and that Mr.. Hamlin's trip across the
continent is more than vacation. 1t is
expected that Mr.. Hamlin will arrive here
early in June.