Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-11
NATIVE PRESS IS SORE
Because Indictment Against
Cruzen Was Quashed.
COURT ISL CRITICISED
PORTO RICANs sToUTLY OBJECT
TO DISCRIMINATION.
Declare They Will Continue to Bring
Cases Before the Grand
Jury.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
SAN JUAN, p. r., November 5, 1903.
Collector of Customs Alonzo r. Cruzen,
who was two weeks ago indicted by the
federal grand jury here on charge Of re-
ceiving smuggled goods, has been the object
! of concerted and fierce attack by the ma
| tive press and the immediate effect Of the
quashing of his indictment by United
States District Attorney Pettngill was that
in eight smuggling cases against Porto
Ricans only one conviction has been Sc
cured.
The natives declare that the federal court
should not make distinctions between
Americans and Porto Ricans, especially
when the accused Americans are high in
authority No further action against Cap
| tain Andrew Dunlap commandant of San
Juan naval station, or Robert Giles, is ex
pected on the indictments found recently,
| but some persistent natives declare that
| they will continue to bring cases before the
grand jury until convictions or acquittals
enSue.
The particular grievance of the Porto
R:cans against Collector Cruzen, however.
| is that he declared to Special Treasury
| Agent Leslie NJ. Cullom. who was sent here
| from Washington tos, investigate custom
| full and dishonest. and that it is imposs: BILE
! to do business with them in a satisfactory
manner.
| Inspector Cullom made this statement and
many others derogatory to Collector Cru
| zen in his report, but Secretary Shaw let
| Mr. Cruzen off with a repr.mand and not
| until last week did Porto Ricans learn how
severely Inspector Cullom's report censured
MIR. CruZen.
When they did learn the facts there was
| howl which has not yet died down. Many
! of the leading merchants of San Juan are
| incensed and language which is any
thing but choice.
Another Investigation.
| In the meantime another and thorough in
vestigatcn has been proceeding, two treas
| ury inspectors conducting it. After working
in San Juan they went to Ponce and May
aguez and today they sailed for the states
| to report to Secretary Shaw.
1t is generally believed here that the pres
ence Of former Collector George w. White
head, now appraiser at New York. has been
| caused by this new Investigation. but Mr..
Whitehead smilingly denies it, and says he
| came to Porto Rico for a vacation and to
greet old friends. -,
Collector Cruzen frankly says that he
| does not expect to remain long in Porto
| Rico, and that for personal and business
| reasons he would have resigned before had
| he not been under fire. He vehemently de-
MES any wrongdoing, and says that all the
! charges against him are the result of spite.
Elliott May Succeed Cruzen.
1t is persistently rumored here that when
| Mr.. Cruzen does resign he will be succeeded
| by General William H. Elliott, now commits
sioner of the interior for Porto Rico. and
! that Regis H. Post of New York, now audi
tor for Porto Rico, will fill General Elliott's
| present position. The collectorship Is worth
| &c. 500 a year, and both Mr.. Post and Cen
| eral Elliott now draw $4,000.
The eleven witnesses who testified against
| Collector Cruzen before the grand jury are
| still threatening action for damages against
| United States District Attorney Pettingill
| for calling them perjurers and declaring
| that malice prompted their action against
| the collector.
Another Complication.
Another complication of the case is that
| Conrad Danielson, discharged custom
| house employe, who has led the fight
| against Mr.. Cruzen, is now said to be in
| danger of Indictment for abstracting public
| documents from the custom house files, the
papers being the ones Danielson sent to
| Secretary Shaw to prove Danielson' s
| charges against Cruzen.
Taken altogether, 1t is pretty kettle of
| fish, and the entire affair is said to be eX-
| tremely annoying to Secretary Shaw.
| Nov;oo, uo%e Qor E~ror%