The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-01-26
ONE HIGH
IN POWER
INVOLVED
CUSTOMS PLOT LAID TO
THREE FEDERAL
OFFICIALS
HAVE AIDED VAST STEALS
MADE IN NEW ORLEANS
Washington Leader Is Accused
Of Sitting Frauds Against
Government

New York, Jan. 49, Three Federal
officials, one OF them In a highly i'm.
portant position In Washington, are
involved In the most sensational
charges that have been made In con-
nection with customs frauds since
Richard Parr started nationwide
inquiry by his discovery of "a little
steel spring In the sugar trust scales,
These men will be hit when a Fed
eral grand jury which Is now In ses-
sion al New Orleans reports It's find.
ings regarding new series OF frauds
that Is under investigation there. The
list OF defendants will include, Il Is
declared, besides the Washington Of
fetal at least two Federal officials
in New York, two officials AT New
Orleans, the two members Of firm
OF Importers md the chief clerk Of
the firm involved
Fraud Plot Is Charged.
Conspiracy TO defraud the govern
mcnt and conspiracy to obstruct JUS
tice are the charges under consider.
alton by the New Orleans grand jury.
The frauds which are laid at the
doors Of the men against whom testi-
inony has been given have caused the
loss of hundreds OF thousands OF dol.
lars by the government.
One OF the charges made against
the Washington official Is that he or
dered subordinate to ignore the
regulations OF the department and
pass goods under classification to
which they did not belong The say
Ing to the importers In case OF this
kind would have amounted 10 many
thousands Of dollars n year
According to reports from New Or
leans charges have been made before
the grand jury that customs employees
have been ordered by their superiors
to violate The law, that special agents
have been summarily dismissed or
transferred when their Investigations
led them too close 10 discoveries OF
frauds. and that cases against per-
sons suspected Of undervaluatlons
have been smothered through the IN.
fiuence OF responsible Federal Off
eials,
Frauds Covered Five Years.
A fight TO uncover the frauds has
been waged for FIVE years by differ
ent men In the employ OF the gov
ernmeni, but in nearly every instance
the investigator has been dismissed
or so hampered that he has been
poweress 10 get al the facts. nj ls
only because one Of the investigators
continued his work in defiance OF or.
ders from superior that The alleged
frauds have been laid bare. This
man was not called of In time, and
a chronological history Of manlpnla.
lions for the iaM five years was OBJ
tanned by him before he was forced
from his position.
Scarcely less amazing than the
charges that have been made before
the grand jury are the allegations
made by man formerly employed
In responsible po-.tlon In the Gus.
toms department in New Orleans.
When efforts on the part OF his suDe.
riors 10 force him TO ignore irfegu.
larities In the service proved unayall-
ing This employe was dismissed and
efforts 10 learn the charges against
him proved fruitless
Trail Blocked in Gotham.
In following the trail 10 New York
City. Investigators charge that they
have encountered opposition on The
part OF men high In the customs sery'
Ice here. Documentary evidence
which was wanted for presentation
TO The grand jury at New Orleans
was withheld until the men In whose
charge It was kept were forced 10
produce &C.
Even when they were obtained by
the agents the documents were found
TO form only an incomplete record Of
hearing OF which they were sup
posed to be a report and testimony
regarding that part Of The, hearing
which was not included ihthe recort
had TO be giyeii TO TIE gfahd jury b.
2 person whoIn,was, present al th'
4 jnfds tng.o .yffieih Jgashis3y
La,tApother charge which will be mad
| the aesnlljeft ,4of anSdnqpirg whicl
.Hhreafens 10. reveal corruption in tn
I 6u SONS service IN New Orleans wa
suppressed BY order Of high Wash
ington official. u Is charged tina
when this investigation threatened 4
involve prominent New Orleans
resident the Washington officeholde
sent word directly to he Investigate
ordering him TO discontinue hi
I work In that direction.
-----------~
j A man may not have done anythln
wrong. but that makes no difference
I His wife. 10 show that she IL kind an
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