Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-06-16
PLUM FOR CLAYTON
osKALoosA MAN MAY GET HIGH
TREASURY APPOINTMENT.
II is Rumored in Washington That
Secretary Shaw Has His Eye On Mr..
Clayton For This Position-What
His Work Will Be.
EBY FRANK j. syILt4MAN.l

rs
tBY FRANK j. S'G'ILtMAN.l
| Washington, d. c., June 13,-Prior
to sailing for Europe, OIL the Fourth of
July, Secretary Shaw, will, it is stated,
appoint a new supervising agent of the
special agents in the treasury depart
ment, to succeed w. S. Chance, who
retires because of the delicate health
OF his wife, to take UP less exciting
work in another climate,.
| 1t is believed the gentleman to sue
coed Mr.. Chance will be Ralph w. Clay
ton of Oskaloosa, state committeeman
for the sixth district of iowa.
Appointment Not Announced.
Secretary Shaw has garen no intima-
ton of his intention to appoint Mr..
Clayton, but from hints and lunches
circulating about in the; treasury de-
partment, the deduction lis drawn that
Mr.. Clayton is to be the fortunate man.
1t is understood that Me. Chance be-
lieves the Iowa man will succeed him,
and tips have come over from New
| York tending to confirm this view Of
| the case.
1t is known to a certainty that a
number of influential senators have
eXerted their influence in; favor of the
appointment of Mr.. Claytedl, and others
have indicated a Willingness to make
| the matter personal one lin case their
/ influence should be needeA1
So far as Mr.. Clayton i'll concerned.
he is saying nothing. Whatever in
| formation leaks out emaalates from
other sources. Mr.. Clayton simply says
| he knows nothing about the matter.
He admits having heard some things
that were not unpleasant ito hear and
pleads guilty toNthe CHARGE that the ap-
poinm ent would not be declined; fur.
| Their than this he has nothing to say.
4 The matter will be finallyl determined
in two or three weeks
A Good Position.
/ The position of supervising agent OF
the special agents servicss is one of
the very best positions inside the cloak
4 of the civil, service. The, compensa-
ton is $40 per day, including Sundays,
and there is no lost time. The super-
yising agent has his headquarters in
the treasury building in washington,
and his duties involve tn 3 supervision
of the twenty-eight SPECIAL agents of
the treasury. He is cons bantly in COM
munication with the special agents and
directs their movements
Ii the supervising agent gets a tip
that diamonds are being struggled into
the country to escape duty and that
there is reason to believe that a GER
tain individual who departed from Liv-
erpool on a certain steamer which will
arrive here on a certain date is loaded
with gems, the super EisIng agent in
structs a special agent to take means
to get aboard the steamer before she
! roc nj, nd i,ko
with the aforementioned individual.
Catching ;smuggIer.
j This occurs not infrequently. The
smuggler thinks he has everything nail.
ed down; that the dea. is closed and all
he has to do is to deliver the goods,
} when, just as he is getting ready to
collect his personal effects prepara-
tory to landing, he is introduced to
a suave gentleman who enters into
general conversation, which in the
J course of time becomes specific and
! then peculiar questions are asked.
Then the smuggler realizes he is up
/ against a federal officer.
Z The cable is swift and very conven-
lent and many smuggler who sailed
from England or France congratulate
!, ing himself upon his artistic -maneuy-
Il
revenue officer, with blood in his eye
and facts in his inside vest pocket, ev-
en- before land is sighted on this side.
That is what revenue cutters are built
for.
Assistant Secretary Armstrong says
good deal of difficulty has been ex-
perienced lately with diamond Snug
glers. On account of the exceedingly
small compass into which thousandr
: of dollars worth of diamonds may be
packed, it is difficult matter to al
ways apprehend the smuggler. yet act
ing in conjunction with the willy
agents of the government in Europe,
the special agents as a general thing
get the people who seek to evade pay
ment of duty.
The Evil Doer.
OF course the duty on diamonds is
very high, especially the cut stones,
and this acts as an incentive to the
crooked work, but the penalty is also
j severe. A man with $4,000 worth of
diamonds, set. is called upon to plank
down $4,000 duty. He ponders the
proposition and decides to take the
/ chances of smuggling them through
He makes effort and fails Can he
!, then put up the $4,000 and lug away
his game? Well, hardly. He loses thu
diamonds and there is no way undei
Eheaven by which he can get them back
either. They are sold at auction. and
). if he gets them he must bid mord
than somebody else is willing to
pay.
/ Mr.. Clayton has been working most
u of the time In Canada since his ap
pointment three months ago, and has
4 made SO good a record that it is con-
Il coded by officials that he would make
good as supervising special agent.