The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-23
A BIG REWARD
For Seizure of Lace, Given to
Nephew Of Secretary Gage.
Though He Made Bad BOtch
of the Case.
A STRANGE STORY.
Another Sleuth Engaged by Big
Importing Firms
Who Claims Reward But Is
flushed With a JOB.
Some of the ssInner Workings
of the Department Shown.

patch to the Herald is as follows:
Since the persistent delving into the af-
fairs of Secretary Gage and the treasury
department began there has been some
criticism of a recent award of $2,S13.O5 to
Emil Phillipsen, a nephew of Secretary
Gage by marriage, and an employee of the
customs department The award grew
out of what is known as the Emerson
lace smuggling case.
Phillipsen and B. H. Kinds both claimed
the credit in the case, as such credit as
there could be in a case wherein the al
legged smuggler was permitted to escape,
and the government finally had to com
promise for a money consideration. phil
pared to contest it, but withdrew his
case and was given q place IN the e spe-
Secretary Gage says it is true Phillip
sen married his niece, and that ne was
awarded compensation in the Em berso9
case, strictly in accordance with law and
regulations.
A DEBATED QUESTION.
One in the department with whom |
years told me he did not know whether
Emberson's escape could have been pre-
of Philiipsen but he was certain that
Phillipsen was entitled to the credlt Tor
working up the case and making the
Certain big lace importaing. houses in
New York, in the spring OF 1871, were at
their wits end. They had large busl-
ness, and had been building it up for
years. They imported Brussels laeeS and
paid the duty by dealers. But they were
Regularly undersold by dealers, who cut
prices in such an astonishing manner as
to leave only one conclusion tenable-
namely. that these high-class goods must
be Smuggled. Suspicion centered upon a
quiet gentleman who was a devout at
tendant at the Fifth Avenue Presbyter-
ian church, and professed to sit with
much edifcation under the eloquent Isli
was Thomas Emerson, who conducted
his lace business on the fifth floor of No.
923 Broadway.
For nine Years the treasury department
ping and has failed.
SENT FOR KINDS.
John Glib, of the firm of Mills & GLIB,
wholesale jobbers of Broadway and
Grand street. finally decided that unless
other men might as well go out Of the
lace business. Having reached this deci-
sion he consulted an attorney who makes
a speciality of custom house business. On
. the recommendation of his attorney, Mr..
ago Kinds had been the private secretary
of James G. Blaine, Later he had been
of the New York custom house and still
later he had acted as special agent for
the New York Textile Manufacturers as
In these capacities Kinds had done good
work in ferreting out cases involving the
evasion Of the customs duties. Kinds be-
gan operations by opening a patent office
rnents occupied by Emerson He cuIti-
waited his neighbors acquaintance and
kept a watchful eye upon his every move
It did not take him long to discover
that Emberson usually recruited his stock
of imported laces shortly after the ar
rival OF certain OF the American Line
steamships.
Meantime the customs house authori-
ties were informed of what was going
on, and they began to show renewed in
tereSt in the case that had baffled them
sen, special agent for the treasury de
partment, took charge of operations. The
local customs authorities did not know
much about Phillipsen, but she said he
had married the niece Of Secretary Gage.
and. Of couse, he was treated with due
BECAME A NEIGHBoR~
Philipsen also became a neighbor of
the devout E; En- He opened a de-
situation when the steamship Paris ar
rived here on February q, 1888 The usual
the next day, and then Phillipsen de-
cided the time had come for action. He
ing across the hall to EmbersOn's rooms,
he said:
Good morning, Mr.. Emerson. You
have seen my art badges and medals be-
fore Permit me to show you another
Then throwing back the lapel of his
coat, he displayed his authority, announc-
himself q United States special agent and
But he did not arrest Mr. Enberson.
Emerson waited all that day to be ar
rested. He threatened and clustered and
protested and put on a bold front. It
was explained afterward at the custom
house that the case AGAINST Emberson
was not sufficiently complete to warrant
his arrest and it was more than limited
that Phillipsen's action had been prema-
Because of his precipitate course. which
was repudiatC by the local customs
expressed grave doubts whether it would
be possible to hold Emerson and con-
Enberson finally became tired waiting
70 pc arrested, and went to Toronto for
his health. He remained there.
ONE ARREST MADE
One arrest was made, however. Robert
Little an assistant engineer in charge
of the refrigerating plant of the Paris.
at night and lodged in the Charles Street
Station. He was afterward quietly re-
leased OF the understanding that he
might be wanted at some later time
RMS action was also repudiated by the
premature climax.
Embersons laces were collected in the
seizure room at the barge office and APP
praiSer Wanamaker estimated their value
at about $780, goo. The duty on this class
OF goods Is about so per cent so that I'm
Gle Sans representatives figured that he
had been flched out of about 900 of
Later when Little came back on one of
the return trips of the Paris, he was re-
arrested. He was held in Ludlow Street
Jail for a time as a prisoner. afterwards
as a witness against En- berSOn, for whose
arrest a warrant had finally been pre-
pared by United States District Attorney
/ Henry L. Burnett Little fingered in his
Ludlow street hotel for about u months.
While there the government had to pay
! for his entertainment 81 a day as a Wit
| ness and 70 cents a day for board BY
| special arrangement, during much of this
! time, the treasury department paid him
an extra allowance of S3.50 a day also. So
Little had a pleasant vacation at the gov
| ernment's expenses. 1t lasted 34s days
| and cost the United State $1.924.75.
HE WAS RELEASED.
Then on May 9, 1889, he was released.
! Elm person had not been arrested. and
/ there were grave doubts of his convic-
/ ton If he should be- so the treasury de-
| partment was glad to compromise the
| case finally on the payment by Emerson
of S12, 500.
/ Then came a bitter contest for the
! Spoils- Both Kinds and, PhillipSen claim
4 a. Of