Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-22
.EXAMI NGACCOUNTS
officials Reticent About Condition
of Georgetown Custom House.
Mr.. MAECGUE'S STRONG DENIAL
Saws His Accounts Are All Straight
and Correct.
THE COLLECTORS SALARY

Officials Of the Treasury Department ex-
bibit decided objection to giving any in
formation in regard to the true condition
of affairs at the &c town custom house.
Special Agents Jel. and McEnery con-
tinued their examination of the books and
accounts of Collector Manogue today, and
established one admitted fact, that the
collector was extremely lax and careless
in his methods of doing business. 1t is
conceded that nothing Of a criminal ma
ture has been developed, and that the sit
uation does not even call for the suspen-
SIGN Of Mr.. Manogue, much less his ar
rest. Whatever discrepancy there may
have been in his accounts has been cor
rected, and 1t is hardly correct to say
that there is a shortage. 1t is admitted
that there are apparent Irregularities in
his business methods, but so far as known
there is no deficiency in his accounts.
The exact status Of the case will not be
made known until the examination Is con-
cluded and the report of the special agents
is submitted. Treasury officials say that
the government is amply secured in this
matter by Mr.. Manogue's bond OF $4,000
This instrument was executed May S. 1884,
and names Mr.. Luke j: kearney and Mr..
James Manogue dhe collectors father) as
sureties. The bond is on file in the office
Of the contre Her of the treasury.
This Is not the first time Mr.. Manosue
has had trouble with the department in re-
gard to his business methods. His ac-
counts were examined few months ago
and an apparent shortage was reported,
but was satisfactorily explained by the
collector. He had held the money in ques-
uon too late fer its deposit in the treasury
and had left it overnight with the United
States marshal. 1t is understood that the
present trouble grows out of a similar de-
lay In making his returns, and that he has
been delinquent in this respect several
times
Last Monday Assistant Secretary Hamlin
desired to consult with Mr. Manogue in re-
sard tarrt.to to certain importations made by In
terstate Commerce Commissioner Glenn
ents. The goods were imported at San
francisco, and Mr.. Clements regarded the
appraisement as excessive. A telephone
message was sent to the Georgetown Gus
tom house for Mr.. Manogue to come to
the department. He did not come nor did
he present himself the following day, de-
spite spite the fact fact that more messages were
Hamlin became impatient at the delay, and
sent perelnptory order for Mr.. Manogue
70 calI upon nizn:sA3hls had its effect. and
soon after Mr.. ManogUe appeared at the
department. and deposited with the treas
urer collections to the amount of $l,SOO.
The certificate of deposit in this transac-
tfon was dated the'Saturday previous, and
Is said to bear 4 fictitious number.
These circumstances aroused suspicion,
and Secretary Carlisle ordert an examna-
ton of the affairs Of the Office
Mr.. Manogue visited the Treasury Depart
ment today and transacted the business
which Mr.. Hamlin had for his considera-
ton Monday week. Mr.. Manogue and Mr..
Tucker of the New York office examined
the goods imported by Mr.. Clements and
found that his complaint was well founded.
They had been appraised as manufactures
of gold, whereas in fact, they We're made
of silver with thin gold coating. The dis
covery will result in a saving for Mr..
Clements of about $50 in the matter of
customs duty.
Mr.. Manogue did not have much to say
about his office affairs beyond the simple
statement that he had covered every cent
he had collected into the treasury and
that he had the papers to prove it. He had
no fear whatever as to the result of the
examination on that score.
The Georgetown collector has a salary
CT $500 and fee allowance, but his maxi
mum compensation is fixed at S3,0GO per
year. Last year the collector received for
his services the sum of $2,624.57.