The San Francisco call., 1896-09-25
They Accuse WaIdteufel & Com
pany of Violating the
Revenue Laws.
CoNsIGNMENTs FOR CHURCHES.
The Matter in the Hands of the
Federal Government
Officers

What may prove food for thought and
action by the United States Grand Jury is
being carefully Investigated by Collector
Wise under the guidance of District At
to=ney Foote.
Two hours after AchilIe Waldteufel was
found dead in his own parlor. few days
ago, District Attorney Foote and Collector
Wise received two anonymous letters.
The letters were written by the same
person and called attention to the impor-
tation August 29 of five cases of statuary
from Cologne. The unknown writer fur.
ther said that fraud had been committed
by the importer swearing that the articles
contained in the five cases were for a
church in Southern California. As is well
known, the law provides that any mer-
chandise or work of art imported for some
particular church is not subject to uuty.
None of the officers directly interested
were inclined to give credence to the
charges contained in the anonymous let
ter until the records disclosed the fact that
five cases had actually arrived at this port
from Cologne on the date mentioned. 1t
was further learned that on September l
Achllle Waldteufel appeared before the
Collector. and after prod ucing an order
from the priest at Banning for certain
statuary was given permission to take the
goods away.
More as a matter of form than anything
else letter was addressed to the priest at
Banning asking If certain statuary had
been ordered, and If so how many cases.
The reply came back that only two cases
had been ordered from WaldteufeI & Co, q,
and that the same had been received.
Further inquiry developed very peculiar
state OF affairs.
When, two days ago, a Government
officer called at 732 Market street and
asked about the statuary he was told that
it had been shipped to the parties for
whom it was ordered. They were then
request to produce the freight receipts,
but they were unable to do this except in
the two cases sent to Banning. In the
meantime the officer observed three
statues answering the description of those
imported. He asked Assistant Appraiser
Doolan ifhe identified the articles as those
examined August %, and he replied that
be did.
These inve legations were conducted in
dependent of Collector Wise, but when
the facts recorded above were ascertained
they wer turned over to him, with the
recommendation that he take immediate
action in the matter.
As yet he has done nothing, for the
reason, as Deputy Collector Jerome says,
the ninety days allowed by law for Wald-
teufel & Co. to return the receipt of the
consignee for the statuary has not yet ex-
pired. In the meantime, however, Dis
trict Attorney Foote is gathering all the
evidence in sight. If a fraud has been
committed he proposes to see to it that the
guilty parties are prosecuted.
The Government has secured a sample
Of Achille Wsldteufel's handwriting and
compared it with that of the anonymous
letters. To the non-expert they appear
identical, and there is little doubt among
those who have charge of the case that
Waldteufel wrote the warning letters to
Collector Wise and District Attorney
Foote. There are some who affect to be-
heve that his own connection with the
affair preyed heavily on him and that the
verdict of the Coroner's jury of "acci-
dental death" was hasty.