Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-07-15
WHY STOREkEEPER FULKERSON RESIGNED
Clever Work Of the Official in Unearhng the irregularities Of
the Pass City Smelter People
The muddle at the federal building

The muddle at the federal building /
has at last reached an exceedingly
interesting stage and has assumed .
phase that renders it possible to give
the facts to the public without inter-
fering with any of the Investigations
and counter investigations that are
being made.
Charges and counter charges have
been filed thick and fast until in GER
tain quarters when one attache meets
another it has become customary for
him to say, Good mrning. Have
charges been preferred against you
today?"
The latest incident of this kind oc-
Cured Saturday evening when special
treasury agents received instructions
from the department to prefer charges
against John Fulkerson The nature
of these charges was not made known,
but it is understood that Fulkerson's
refusal to testify further in the smell
ter investigation and his declaration
that he would not act further with
Special Agents johnson and Evans
in making the investigations, brought
down the wrath of the department up
on him, and although he is now no
longer an employe of the government
he will be investigated" for point
blank refusal To obey the instructions
Of his superiors.
So far as can be learned state of
great activity exists in the north wing
Of the custom house where the once
OF the special agnts is locatd. Two
agents, Col. E. Polk Johnson. of New
Orleans, and Col. J. F.. Evans of this
city have been in consultation there
for weeks over the great alleged ore
swindling case, but after Fulkerson
brought matters to a sudden climax
by resigning, Special Agent Hudnall
Of San Antonio was hastily sent here
by the department to reinforce those
already in the city. He arrived last
night and the investigation work was
resumed this morning with increased
energy.
As a matter of fact the investiga-
ton in which Storekeeper John Ful
kerson was directly interested and
which was instituted by him is consid-
cred the most important case that
has ever come to light in the customs
house service along the southern bor-
der.
1t has been charged that for a per
iod Of at least five years the smelling
trust has been engaged in practicin9
Irregularities in the handling OF i'm
ported ore that has cost the United
States government. perhaps. hundreds
of thousands Of dollars in unpaid du
ties.
These Irregularities, It is claimed
were discovered by John Fulkerson
who for ten years past has been store
keeper at the bonded warehouse a.
the smelter and in charge Of force o.
five government asayers and ORE
samplers employed there.
Fulkerson, so he claims, has know
irregularities for several years ant
once or twice in the past endeavoret
to bring about an investigation wher
the former collector was in Office. Th'
power Of the smelter trust was 81
great. however, and its influence wal
so dreaded that Fulkerson found tina
little or no attention was paid 10 hi
allegations.
About six weeks ago the crisis wa
reached when he told his suspicion
to Collector Pat Garrett and offered Il
head a committee of investigation AM
furnish substantial evidence Of irreg
ularities or fraud practiced upon tn
government.
Fulkerson asked that he be place.
on the commission SO that he nigh
be entitled under the law governinl
seizures to a percentage on the dutie
recovered and as he explained in hi
letter that he might be enabled afte
the completion Of the investigation I