Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-04-07
Communicated.
Internal Revenue Fizzle.
Losr GROVE, March 2e. 1859.

be kind enough to insert these few lines
in your paper you would oblige the un-
dersigned.
On the morning Of the 18th of Februa-
~, 1869, at twenty minutes past one
o'clock, l was lying in bed reading
heard some person come to the door and
rap. | got mp and asked who was there.
They answered by asking if this was
where Mr. Brown lived. l said yes"
and then opened the door. Then a gem
tlenan stepped in and asked me ques-
ton, to which | gave him the proper an
swer He said he was very sorry to in
form me he had warrant for me, that
he was United States Deputy Marshal
and that | must get ready and go to Nils
waukee with him | asked hira if / might
put on my pants He said yes and
He said his name was Bull He had two
men along with him, one driving span
of horses hitched to wo-seated buggy
the other, | suppose, was an assistant
| asked him what was the charge against
me- He said illicit distillation of whisky
| told him they would not be able to
no more abont than hog did about as
tronomy | asked him who swore out
this warrant against me but he would
not tell me.
We then started to hunt up some oth-
er folks. They took me about three
miles west, and searched around mans
house, but could not find him They
searched and cursed there for about half
an hour, and then started for Mineral
Point, where we arrived at about five
o. clock in the morning. He left me in
on Monday, while he rode around to
hunt up testimony He succeeded in
finding Mr.. Walker, who he summoned
to appear at the United States Court
Commissioners Office, at Milwaukee, on
the following Wednesday. Mr.. Bull
took me by the way Of Mazomanie and
the train there, and arrived in Milwau-
kee on Wednesday morning He then
delivered me into the hands Of the Mar
shall.
| have no complaint to make against
MIR. Bull He treated me with the kind
est consideration while in his custody
The United States Marshal took me to
the Commissioner Office. He said that
their witnesses had not yet arrived, and
that he would continue my case until
half-past two o'clock on Thursday, and
that he would take my bond for my ap-
pearance at that time. So | got leave to
travel around in the great city. | saw
the law firm of Palmer, Hooker IL Pits
KIN One Of that firm came with me to
the Commissioner office AS did not
know who they were going to have to
swear against me | thought it was better
to have lawyer to question them. So
Mr. Pitkin came along with me on Thurs
day, at the appointed time, and the case
was called up, or what they tried to make
a case out of
William Walker, being duly sworn,
was asked by Mr.. Bloodgood, the Court
Commissioner, if he had ever known Mr.
Brown to be engaged in distilling whis-
ky. Answer: No, sir. Did you ever
buy any whisky from him? Yes, sir
How long since you bought this whisky
from him? Well, | believe, in "a and
55. when he kept saloon in Mineral
Point | used to go into his place and
treat my friends. The Commissioner
then said "That is all, Mr. Walker"
No more witnesses being present the
examination was continued until the 4th
of March to hunt up more testimony
They let me go home then, by my giving
a bond for my appearance there when
they would want me.
Now, what I complain of, is their drag
ging me to Milwaukee when they could
just as well have had the examination in
Mineral Point, as Mr. Cyrus Lanyon is
United States Court Commissioner, and
Mr.. George w Bliss is Deputy Marshal
But suppose that would not put cost
enough on Uncle Sam. Old Fellew, there
is great many mean things done in
your name, and this is one of them. /
think Uncle Sam has got some things in
his employ that are disgrace to the hui
man race U. s. Detective Policeman
Burpee swore out the warrant that | was
arrested under; yet he never saw me
nor l him to know him, till l saw him in
the Commissioner Office in MiIw aukee
He made the remark there that he wants
ed me to see the city How a person
can swear out a warrant, without the
least syllable of proof is more than
have ever understood.
Now Messrs. editors, perhaps you will
find this article to long, but | could not
make it much shorter, in Justice to my
self, as | wished 10 let my friends know
all the particulars. They will, at the
same time, see what slim hold they have
of liberty when they are Ii able to be
seized and dragged off to prison at the
pleasure of every hound that has got
little authority They had no more right
to take me from home than any other
man in the State Below you will find