The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-03-29
Charges of Habitual
Drunkenness.
RHODES, SHARKEY AND QUINT
ABSENT FROM DUTY THROUGH
DISSIPATION.
Special Agents Linck and Smith In
quiring Into a Strong Alec
holic odor in Weighers'
Department.

Special Agents Linck and Smith are
making a thorough investigation OF Gus
tom-house affairs and are sending reports
to Washington giving their opinion with
out fear or favor. Among the tine-hOn-
ored laxities which they have unearthed
is the manner in which the weigher' :
department Of the Custom-hoUse has been
conducted. From what they have ascer-
tanned thus far il appears that that
branch OF Uncle Sans workshop is i'm
pregnated with the strong OdOr OF alcohol
and reCtideTs' favors-in other words,
whisky.
Complaint was made 10 them a short
time ago that Arthur P. Rhodes, chief
weigher, and his assistant, Thomas J.
Sharkey, had been absent from duty on
several occasions when their services
were most urgently required, and that
their absence was due 10 Temorse OF con-
science following inordinate Indulgence in
waterfront whisky. The agents took UP
the matter at once and called upon the
accused men for an explanation Botn
sent IN answers nicely typewriter deny
ing that they ever INDUCED 10 excess IN
the DOWI that D61UQQIeS, ana aNeIFlLS
with due SOlemuiry and VirtuOuS lndlgua-
ton that when they were absent they
were Sick-nOr because OF dissipation, Dut
because OF oYerWOTk.
Sharkey's answer was really pugilistic
in tone, and the don't care ngIuNeneSs
OF his denial took away the breath OF Col
lector Jackson for a few seconds after he
had experienced the felicity OF reading II.
Both Rhodes and Sharkey introduced doc
tors certificates assuring the agents that
those gentlemen were really sick When
they were absent from Work. WnIcn the
agents. from other evidence in their pos
session, readily believed. These cerun-
Gates were backed up by afhdayits 10 the
effect that Rhodes and Sharkey never
drank anything stronger than water when
on duty. These were strengthened py
affidaviIs from labOreFs and others N the
same department, Sharkey VOuchlng Tor
Rhodes, Rhodes vouching for Sharkey-,
and Assistant Weigher Douglas q QuInt
vouching for both. Then q similar charge
OF drunkenness was lodged against Qulnt,
and Rhodes and Sharkey youched for the
immaculate sObriety OF QUint.
These mutually friendly afidavtts are
corrobOraued, as il were, by several from
the laborers in the department, and in
duced the agents 10 inquire more closely
into the matter. They found that the
weighers and the labOrers used TO knock
of work for five OF ten minutes az time
10 20 across the street and Indulge IN q
sociable bowl over d hOspiUable bar. thus
was the mutually Of the affldaEIts eX-
planned, and therefore there IS much ap-
prehensiOn in the camp OF the WSlSherS-
The agents learned a day or two ago
that Rhodes had been attempting 10 IN
tinidate certain persons VINO were 10 De
called as witnesses against MIN, ana lney
therefore requested Collector Jackson
Yesterday TO suspend Rhodes from duty
pending the investigation, and 10 forbid
him 10 come near the CuStOm-hOuSe until
sent for. The Collector made the order
of suspension as requested by the agents,
and the investigation viii proceed with
out further interruption
1t is claimed by the friends OF Rhodes
that he has been the victim OF misfortune
rather than OF indiscreuon- 1t IS said
that when he entered upon the duties Of
his office he was in debt 10 small trades
men and others 10 the extent OF 1880, and
that these creditors bounded him so per-
sistently that he was obliged 10 set apart
$50 per month Of MS salary out OF which
T7snt had been carried out TO the sausfaC-
ton Of his creditors for about three
months his family were Frustrated by
sickness and he himself was quarantined
in his house and finally taken down sick
himself He had contracted doctors bills
and bills for other necessary expenses,
and he was unable TO continue the pay
ments 10 the prior creditors as promptly
as they demanded. and the complaints
were lodged against him, his friends say,
for SDife