The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1900-04-06
ON A PRETTY HOT TRAIL.
INVESTIGATING TIE CUSTOM HOUSE
AFFAIR.
Mr Macateo Being Assisted by tho United
States District Attorncy-The Collector
and bis Deputy Deny Everything. and
all the other OmciRls Follow
Suit--SOmcb bOdy's Onlclai Head
Is In Great Deal OF
Danger.
News aud Courior, 3rd.)

The special agent, Mr.. Macatee, will
by aided in the investigation by the
United States district attorney and
his assistant, and it is in his Office
that the witnesses will be examined.
This, Of coarse, is the only meaus Of
placing the blame, which IS no easy
matter. The first witness naturally
called up was tho collector Of the
port, Mr.. Tolbert, who was followed
by Mr.. OstendorT, They are called
witnesses when in reality they are, at
the present at least, regarded rs de-
PENDANTS. Their testimony developed
nothing except that they both were
ignorant Of tho existing conditions.
They were given the privilege Of
max ing statements, but what they
SAID amounted to nothing further
than a flat denial Of any knowledge
Of or concern in the affair. Mr..
Ostendorff has not completed his
statement, however, and will be
allowed to continue this morning.
He will be followed by tho State
constables and they in turn by the
jauitor, night watchman and cleaners.
1t is said that one Of tho constables
is in possession of knowledge that
will aid greatly IN placing the re-
sponsibility,
There were only three courses ,en
to the collector and his deputy
make flat denial, as they did, an
open confession or implicate some
one else.
Merchant, the colored janitcr, de-
MES knowing anything about the af
fair. The same is the case with the
cleaners, Fostberry and Beckett. The
night watchman, James O'Brien, q
white man, makes q similar statment.
1t may be we'll to consider his state
ment especially,beca he made it to
MrMacatee. Tho watchman is on duty
at night and is supposed to know Of
any improper proceedings going on
in the building at night The con-
stables are determined in their stand.
They say that they heard certain
noises going on within the bnllding
on Thursday night. Beckett knows
nothing Of the noises, nor of the
moving of the kegs, SO he says. AS
watchman it was his duty to know
and in view if this fact he will be
held responsible for neglect of duty
Now in order to get out Of this accu-
sation, as it is understood from the
proper source that he will be held
responsible for his negligence, he
will be stared in the face by conflict
ing circumstances, for he has already
sworn that he knew nothing of the
removal of the barrels, the strange
noises, the lights and the men in the
building that night.
Suppose that either the collector
or his deputy, or both, are guilty and
intend to unload on some of these
men9 All have sworn innocence and
it will look rather peculiar if they or
some of them swing round. If they
do. then it is the duty of the collector
to have known Of their transactions.
In event that the proper party can
not be singled out, then the collector
will be held responsible. But his
punishmenc will not be as great as
though he had been found guilty.
What turn the evidence will take
today, of course, Is not known.
Yesterday morning another inspec-
tion was made Of tho building Mr..
Macatee was accompanied by MIR Ha-
good, the assistant district attorney
Chief Howie, the cleaner, Beckett, and
reporter for the News aud Courier.
Nothing further was found. The
kegs, thirty-nine in number, were
carefully examined. Most of them
bore the dates March 3 and 6, and
from their appearah-, and condition
it would seem that the contents had
been removed within the past ten
days. They were removed yesterday
afternoon by the constables. Two
of the kegs contained nearly quart
Of liquor. The thirty. one gallon bar
rel, half full of rum, is believed by
the constables to be of the same lot