New-York tribune., 1900-11-15
BARGE OFFICE MYSTERY.
TREASURY OFFICIALS DENY CONCEAL
MENT OF CRIME.
SOME REMARKABLE FACTS IN CoNSEc-
TIoN WITH THE DISAPPEARANCE AND
DEATH OF IsADoRo TERMINI
BROUGHT To LIGHT
LRr IELEeKArH TO rHE rRrnrxr-1


GBY TELEGRAPH TO The rRrBrxEI
Washington Nov 14-The suppression Of All
details Of the Barge Office mystery for the last
five months by the officers cognizant Of the mat
ter in New-York as we'll as Treasury officials
in Washington. and the denials that any murder
has been concealed OF that any mystery exists
develop remarkable condition Of affairs in the
immigration Bureau at the chief port Of this
country. The Treasury officials in Washington
who are in possession Of the reports coverina,
the remarkable disappearance OF Isadoro Ter
mini and the considerable sum Of money he was
known to have in his pockets decline to make
them public. and for to-day at least have con-
tented themselves with angry deniaIs of any dis
position TO conceal a crime laying particular
stress upon The declaration that no murdered
mans body has recently been discovered by in
spectors in the New-York Barge Office Under
these circumstances there are Indications that
the Termini will prove more damaging TO
the reputation Of the Immigration Bureau than
was at first suspected.
The following facts regarding the Termini
mystery have been established to-day in spite
of the dust raised by certain officials 10 hide
them
TERMINTS BODY FOUND IN THE. HARBOR
Isadoro TermIni. an aged Italian Immigrant
arrived NewYOrk about May ~ last and
was last seen alive May - OF rs in the
United States Immigration station al the Barge
! Office. and his dead body was picked up in the
harbor three days later CaIegro Terunini the
immigrants son, living in ButIaig. was awaiting
his father in that city within day or TWO after
his arrival in this country. but when nearly
Week passed by he Interested Immigration In
spectOr De Barry, Buffalo. IT, TIE matter.
De Barry ascerJdined that by the decision of an
examining committee at New-Yurk th. old man
was under detention ciaSs=d immigrant
likely 70 become Il public charge This detention
IL itself suspicious. as the elder Termini
when ne landed At the Barge Office possessed a
money order. or express order. for SCI ticket
on the Erie Railroad u Buffalo and about $50
! in cash. With This amount Of money imni-
grants going Immediately TO the homes OF their
! relatives seldom regarded as likely 10 be-
| come public charges. The law certainly does not
| contemplate their detention, and when such
| immigrants are detained it is laid 10 excessive
| solicitude for their welfare
Several days later. the father falling ap-
! pear the son again appealed % Inspector De
/ Barry. who he naturally thought the proper
/ official for citizens of Buffalo 70 apply 10 re-
garding immigrants. De Barry wrote several
! letters 10 the immigration Commissioner at
! New-York without result but finally Commis
/ sioner Fitchia apparently replied to De Barry
that the immigrant Termini had illegally escaped
| from the Barge Office, with an expression of his
| opinion that the sons inquiries were simply
! made : bluff shield the father. as he prob
! ably feared that officials might search for the
old man. and have MIN seut back IN Italy IL
| bond. This gratuitous pleasantly did not calm
| young CaIegro's anxiety hut caused him 70 en-
! pIoy as an attorney Ferdinand J. BONNER. OF
| Buffalo. who soon found that old TerTnlnt did
| not return 10 his relatives in Italy
| LAID BEFORE TREASURY OFFICIALS
The unsatisfactory and trifns replies oi
| Barge Office officials 10 Inspector De Barry's
| communications caused that official himself 70
bring the matter the attention of the Treas
ury authorities in Washington This was the
| first knowledge officials here had that any i'm
! migrant was missing although some weeks had
] passed since the remarkable disappearance oc-
| CURED while il should have been reported Al
| once For some mysterious reason, the matter
| had been vigorously concealed by the Barge
| Office officials perhaps because such occur
| rences were so common. as stated by Assistant
! Commissioner McSweeney to-day
| II has been developed by the investigation
| that tie body or an aged Italian. evidently
| Isadoro Ternin. was washed up on the New
| Jersey shore near the coal docks OF the Jersey
! Central Railroad. where it was discovered II
| was first seen by two boys fishing on the coat
| docks They hailed negro who was passing
| by and with aid the body was taken 10 an
| undertaker's establishment in Jersey City. and
thence 10 the Morgue There was money on
| this body when found. but from its description
/ and It's clothing the time II tailed precisely
/ with Isadoro Teru1ini when last seen
| CLOTHING OF THE BODY CHANGED
| When the body was discovered at the Jersey
| CITY Morgue a complete change OF clothing had
| taken place The coat and shirt which were on
| the body when il was hrsr taken from the water
| had been replaced by a sweater. and there were
other changes made with apparent deltoeraron.
| to change its appearance and battle tdentinca-
ton bv disguise. II claimed that the clothes
first found on the body were given 10 the negro
TO sell to repay him for his trouble In any
event there is conclusive evidence that this BODY
| was buried IN garments totally unlike those on
| il when first discovered and whether OF not the
clothes were given the negro 10 sell they have
| not been preserved and in that respect the law
| has been violated 10 the advantage OF some IN
| nuential person.
So Far as can be learned the old immigrants
ticket over the Erie Railroad has not been taken
uD and the m 1rey or express order has not been
| cashed. In view u these facts II IS regarded
as altogether extraordinary that Barge once
officials have made no coherent statement as 10
! the yyberea bouts Of IsidorO Ternlini 10 the old
mans SON. 10 BONNER. or 10 the treasury oIn-
cials.
| Mr Frtchie is accurate in his remark to The
| Tribune last night that he recalled the case OF
| an Italian who disappeared from the Barge
| Office some months ago His case IS net an un-
usual one" But Assistant Commissioner Nc
| Sveeney's emphatic reiteratiOu in the same
| column that Termini had no ticket and
money to buy a ticket is c0ntradicted by the
| evidence given above
| STATEMENTS OF TREASURY OFFICIALS
II3y The Associated Press
Washington Nov. 1.-THE Treasury officials
here have no information concerning the alleged
discovery of a dead body al the Barge Office In
New-York. Both Assistant Secretary Taylor and