The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-12
OLD CHARGE REVIVED
Mormon Attack on Customs
Deputy House Up Again.
AN OLD ENEMY RECOGNIZES HIM
Saunders Investigating Statement
That House Was Indicted For
Horse Stealing.

Stephen House. statistical deputy In the
office of the collector of customs at Port
Townsend, and the sole remaining Re-
publican in that Office, has been accused
of lodging an indictment for horse steal
ing in Idaho and the charge Is even now
being investigated by Collector Saunders.
The story OF the charges Is peculiar one
and Mr.. Houses friends intimate that
they are unearthed at the instance OF his
political enemies.
The story goes that five years ago Mr..
House was In business In Southern Idaho
and becoming involved with the Nor
mons i'm 4 dispute about some horses.
came west and located at Port Townsend.
A short time ago Special Treasury Agent
Bean recognized him and stated that he
was the foreman of an Idaho grand jury
that had indicted MIR. House for stealing
horses and that the accused had never
been tried on the charge. Through MI.
Beams influence Mr.. Saunders ordered an
investigation. House admits having had
trouble In Idaho over horses with the
Mormons, but denies Knowing anything
concerning an indictment. He says he
was selling out expecting to leave the
country. He ran In bunch of horses.
and finding they were not all his, turned
them loose again.
About this time. II Is related, Bean and
House were not on friendly terms
Houses brother-in-law was register OF
land office and Bean and the register had
some misunderstanding ana House came
in for his share of the quarrel.
II the story Is true. House secured his
appointment in the service In the follow
ing way: When Bradshaw was collector
House applied for position and Brad
shaw told him he would give him work
IL the president would confirm the APP
pointment, that he could do nothing
ana of he
senators with the result that one day he
received reply saying he had been APP
pointed statistical deputy. He took the
letter TO WATSON and that official Is re-
ported on having said:
well, this Is the first I have heard
about IL But it's all right. Go to work. p"
Later his credentials arrived and he
went to work.
House attributes his troubles In Idaho.
as do all his friends. TO the Mormons
who at that time were making every ef-
fort in their power TO establish the prac-
tice of poygamy I'm that state as they
had done In Utah. The government. on
the other hand. was exerting every eff
fort TO bring the unlawful practice TO
an end. and as a result feud existed.
with the Federal officials and their sup
porters or the one side and the Mormons
on the other Houses brother-in-iaw
was United States marshal. another was
register of the United States land Office
and Houses most intimate friend was the
present Senator Dubois, who at that time
was the United States district attorney.
House and Duboise were always together
and Dubois was hated by every Mormon,
because of the religious prosecutions he
had conducted against them. House, IL
is said. silently assisted Dubois In his cru
SADIE and as a result carried the enmity
of every Mormon. Then. too, House
owned a valuable water right which ran
through valuable grazing ground and
the Mormons were angry with him be-
cause they could not get possession OF IT,.