Helena Weekly Herald

The continuation of the custom house investigation is as follows:

John P. Lindsay testified to having heard of frequent assessments for electioneering purposes; they were always two per cent. of the annual salaries, and extended to every officer; knows that Collector Grinnell paid $700 from his own pocket to save the poorer subordinates; part of the control of the general order business was given by Grinnell to Leet: when Grant became President. Leet came here from Pennsylvania and told Grinnell that he was to be appointed Collector, and asked for the general order business; a letter came from the President and Secretary of State recommending Leet for anything good, and on witness's advice Grinnell gave Leet the general order business; Leet was not a citizen of this Commonwealth; ex-Mayor Wood, of Brooklyn, and Mr. Squires got other portions, and Leet arranged to do Bixby's portion of the general order business for a certain sum, and by direction of Grinnell a portion of the business was directed to Bixby's store; Leet was guaranteed about $10,000 annually for controlling the business in favor of Bixby: Leet was then in the War Department at Washington: Bixby is a merchant: Grinnell was known to be opposed to political assessments of custom house employees; he was threatened with removal by Leet if he could not get what he wanted: there is no restriction on the charges for general order goods : I understood from Bixby that the profits of that business amounted to $100,000 a year.