INVESTIGATION OF THE FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY OF ALASKA. 28 3" 



1896. He appears as a "true American" before the claims award commission, 

 ■which sits at Victoria, in settlement of damage suits against the United States Gov- 

 ernment for seized sealers and vessels in 1866-1889; he testifies, "at the peril of his 

 life," for the American commissioners as to the value of the British boats seized. 

 (See Kept. 2128, Senate bill 3410, 58th Cong., 2d sess.) He is in truth working for 

 the highest figures obtainable from the United States Treasury, instead of the lowest. 



1903. He can not be placed with certainty this year. 



1904. He raids Copper Island August 2, in the "Mexican" schooner Cervencita* 

 one of bis men seriously shot. 



1905. He attempts a raid on St. Paul Island, Northeast Point, but is driven off ,*: 

 he is sailing in the Acapulco, and defies arrest by United States agents, for he is a 

 British subject; at Victoria, British Columbia, in October, 1905. 



1906. He raids St. Paul Island July 16-17, with a Japanese outfit; five Japs killed,, 

 and 12 prisoners taken; there is a fleet engaged in this raid, which attacked five' 

 rookeries at once and on the same days; they got away from all of them, except North- 

 east Point, with seals and no casualties. 



The Alexander was owned by Herman Liebes up to December 30, 

 1891 ; then transferred to "H. Liebes & Co.," and owned until Decem- 

 ber 27, 1893 ; then transferred to Pacific Trading Co., in which Liebes 

 was a director. 



The E. E. Webster, owned by Herman Liebes up to October 21, 

 1893; then transferred as "owned" by dummy "Max Waizman" to 

 the Pacific Trading Co. 



The Acapulco was outfitted in San Francisco, March 5, 1904, and 

 her captain, McLean, was indicted for conspiracy there, August 19, 

 1905; he was charged with "equipping and furnishing supplies" for 

 the Acapulco in San Francisco Bay, in May, 1905. 



During the trial of McLean's associates in the southern district Cali- 

 fornia court, Capt. Alexander Woodside, president of the "Pacific 

 Trading Co.," was unable to give to the court the names of the directors 

 of his company. "Ten barrels of beef" had been supplied to the 

 Acapulco by the " Pacific Trading Co.," and the court wanted to find 

 out who were the responsible men in its organization. 



In re Herman and Isaac Liebes, as lessees, buying pelagic sealskins : 

 1890-1911. 



Who was the Victorian agent of the Liebes, after Moss "died" in 

 1893 ? 



In 1892, Morris Moss, of Victoria, B. C, made oath that he was the 

 resident agent of H. Liebes & Co. (of San Francisco) and that he 

 "bought from ten to twenty thousand pelagic fur sealskins annually'* 

 for Liebes. 



On June 20, 1912, Isaac Liebes, under oath, made the following eva- 

 sive and shifty, if not wholly false, answers to the questions as stated 

 below (Hearing Xo. 13, p. 881, June 20, 1912, House Committee. 

 on Expenditures in the Department of Commerce and Labor) : 



The Chairman. Do you know Morris Moss? 



Mr. Liebes. I did know him; yes. 



The Chairman. Was he connected with your firm at any time? 



Mr. Liebes. He used to be a buyer in Victoria at one time for H. Liebes & Co. — I 

 think about 25 years ago. I think he has been dead twenty-odd years. 



The Chairman. Who succeeded him for you? 



Mr. Liebes. He never had a successor there. 



The Chairman. Where was he from? 



Mr. Liebes. He was a resident of Victoria; I do not know where from. 



The Chairman. Then he bought skins for you at Victoria? 



Mr. Liebes. He bought all kinds of skins for H. Liebes & Co., mostly land furs, 

 beaver, mink, otter, and those things. 



The Chairman. And sealskins, too? 



Mr. Liebes. He might have done so; I do not remember any sealskins, but possibly 

 in those early days he might have bought some. 



