Confederate taxes
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Charge of Swindling the Government — The Accused Arrested. --In Saturday's issue we noticed the fact that the
Confederate Assessors and Tax Collector for the 10th district of this city, had obtained information of a heavy swindle on the
Government, and that they were making efforts to bring the accused party to justice.
Since then the accused has been arrested, and we now proceed to give such facts as the officers possess in relation to the charge.
About the 1st of October, the time at which merchants are required to make their quarterly statements of gross sales for the three preceding months,
Mr. Gentry, one of the
Assessors, called on
M. Krakar, the proprietor of two stores on Main street--one between 15th and 16th sts., and the other on the corner of 18th--for the amount of sales at each of his stores.
Krakar very promptly stated the amount at one to be $600 only, and at the other $375.
Mr. Staples, another of the
Assessors, on hearing the amounts named, and feeling assured that they were incorrect, questioned Krakar so closely that he increased the first amount to $1,560, and the last to $1,375. Refusing to give in any more, Assessor
Gentry swore him as to the truth of his last statement, and filling up the certificates returned them to
Mr. Chas. J. Sinton, the
Collector.
About the first of last week the
Collector, while in conversation with a friend, alluded to the small returns made by the accused, when he was told that they were false, and that the firm of Shater,
Harris & Co. had purchased vastly more goods from Krakar than his entire returns.
To ascertain the truth of what he had heard, and to protect the
Government from fraud,
Mr. Sinton got
Mr. Staples to call on Shater & Co., and informing them of his business, was at once shown a bill which they had paid
M. Kraker, on the 30th of September, amounting to $12,300.
On Thursday last
Mr. Sinton informed the
District Attorney of what he had learned, and was sent by him to
Commissioner Watson, who issued a warrant of arrest for the accused.
That afternoon
Marshal Bass learned that Krakar had gone to
Wilmington, N. C., to attend the cargo sales, and telegraphed the
Chief of Police to arrest him. This was not done, however, and on
Saturday Krakar returned to this city, when he was arrested by
Marshal Myers.
At 1 o'clock on Saturday the accused was arraigned before
Commissioner Sands, who, after hearing the opening of the cause, adjourned the examination until to-day, and admitted the accused to bail in the sum of $24,000 for his appearance.
If convicted of the offence, the punishment is imprisonment in the penitentiary for a term not exceeding five years, and fine not exceeding $5,000.
