The New York herald., 1870-01-22
COLLECTOR BAIIEY'S WHISKEY RAIDS
The Other Side OF the St0ry-The Hard
ships Of the Case-Twenty Business
Firms Frustrated and No Charges
Preferred Against Thcm-A
Remarkable Proceeding.


Remarkable Proceeding.
The HERALD announced some days since the
seizure, by Collector j. Y. Bailey, Of the premises,
books papers and stock OF more than swenty Of the
most important and responsible wholesale dealers
ami rsctiers OF spirits In the Thirty second district
IL was asserted that theso sezurss Involving many
hundred thousand dollars wortn OF property. were
for fraud, and that tho Cosctor nad discovered the
grandest conspiracy On The part OF whlsksy dealers
yet known to swlnde tie government out OF I'M
mense sums OF money. Although more than ten
days have elapsed since these announcements moth
inQ more has been heard Inv Colsctor concern
ing the astonishing developments that the pubhe
had reason 10 believe were 70 90 made. In the
absence or this interesting Information from tho
government officials q HERALD reporter obtained .
OF the situation, fakea from lne standpoint oc-
cupied by the Victims OF Collector Baileys Jealous
vigilance ana extraordinary activity In behalf Of The
revenue OF the United states
on the 10th instant twenty or mora warrants were
issued by Commissioners Belts and Osborn ap-
pllcanon Of Collector gaIley, OF the Tnrtysecond
district, TO seize the preniscs papers &C., Of as
many firms dealing In wais3ey and spirits In his
district. The warran . auIa,r.zea tue removal OF
books 70 the Collectors 0nics, bat, application,
this changed TO giving the ofcsrs The right OF
search The warrants were served, and twenty OF
the Oldest and most responsible law adding houses
u the country were taken possession OF by tho
agents OF Mr.. Bailey. small brgadss or officers
mace descents these premises the 10Th instant
seized the stock the books and papers and iorclbiy
removed the latter to the nee OF tbs Collector In no
did the law JUSTLY TINS higa handed act but the
Collectors officers carried lnsir instructions and
ut once Suspended oil seized.
Ipr afnay ~ rN- ~ nnI mo
| honorable firm IN tss country decunea, on probes
| sional legal adtioe TO surrender their pri
! vae papers, nut expressed IN entire will
| hngnetS 10 show all tao government books
| IN their possession. or 70 exhibit thciI
| private books covering any specific transaction
| or embracing this business AHairs for period OF
| three months or more. ThsaO onors were decilnod
and the officers procesdss GAdsr the protest OF tina
members OF Ihe nrm 70 dria iat0 and break open
SAFE from which tnsy to0k AL the books, papers and
private accounts OF tAs Arm aed conveyed them 70
| tne Collectors 0t1oe. Iormai demand WAS day
alIcrwarda maze upon lus Lohsetor 1or these
bo0ks and papers, ~ AsJ wSss ceafiy IN ms posses.
against prov6doAs ol Inc Hsyen9c Jaw, ana
NO pruMptly surrendered tssAa. In stAer ea5es tno
caimans were nss - suscsssiul, ior tas Colioc.or
| determined W kOi0 on W Ais sp0!A
In nst single case In yas Csnsctor nis onlcers
condsscend 10 give the sAgalsst iatinatioa Of the
h,z arbitrary act hs Giap.y aii ais haaos upon the
private properly OF IusRsI AIMS ana iorsiDy seALed
and carried sway AL tn-t No couiu easily uAus-
| port 1he DAAnco nc ao,ds IN Charge VI his
deputies, without making thc snaasu vi cnarge,
| or giving y why or wIereioie iof ms conduct VI
Tue Uukneas VI Iless nflAs hAs beca entirely
suLpeadsd their AIocks OF kooda ara iocSeu up AMI
taelr Dooks are bsiag eopea W an ARMY of cierks
who are iolterng alolg tneir dug Already having
Consumed eievea usys n saslr i-Dols, VITA proAu
ls,ns prospect ot ceAunuia9 &onK intsfinIilaoy In
their work several place. are Ae.l la close SEIZURE
| aad are occupied nAxnI AID aaJ ~ Uatch4ne4 and
assistants.
not one OF the firms proceeded against by Colec-
fng lkNl. ifs lA ne Ifts All
OF the govern aisnt books xsIca tpeJ arc compelled
10 keep, giving account oil the istsps and delivery
VI All gosus thAt come iuse tasr places; aiu ona
decline 10 larnsh Inc govsrna.enl wiln ANY desired
inioraation en- any specified suoyect ii Inquiry ON
made and ~ oItoA dse.iaea. 1ns oaicers oelanted
and forclpy took all Inc oooks anu papers oi every
nature, whether Uu..ae.s Or pf,ate, ioI
oalce. Iaey refused 10 ac9eas 70 Say de-
mand for recclpu for Tao same. ana nc
opportunity was allowed 10 - q OF the cooks
papers Ac., tuus removed. No msans are, therefore
leiI 20 the mcrcaanH 10 i0enlfy tas properly Laseu
or TO ascertain wnas CO lscler mas ned On 10 IN
case nc should DO csnpsed to sutre.der ni5 spoIls
Not one Oi Llcos nj wA are ola.illers. They III
dealers III spirits or rectnels Vi Toe s2ne. There II
NOT a disuery Ia toe InirtJ- -socona dlstiic There
ls no tax oi any great aInount On Inc dealings ol
tnese nrms. Ihsy paJ q tax oa sa,ss or recllred
spirits not on tas Inanuiacturs VI me gooaa. TEe
wnos business rOco.as .or years pAsl OF these
nrns are therefore undtr eraminAtoa, not FOR sny
specified act OF omission o. issioa, Dut Tor any
tning that Inc GoAcctor NAY discover or pretend 10
clscover stocks oi Koc1s ~ tae yAua vi many nun
| QrcQ thouBuud 0UlArs sctLcJ UlQ cannot D0
| dealt in without Cause BeiaG givsn.
1hs law prescrlDes tna. OF spirits they
must DO proceeded aE.laat Ia lorty-sf1nt hours
through the proper chanAsA OF tns court. This
not been done. The gOois nave psen IN possession
OF the Collector ior more thaa YEA days and not =
SINGLE legal step lAAen 10 pro iced against
ana connscaIo tasu. rae Collector aas promised
day alter asy 10 surrsndsr osJks ANA 10 maze
Charges, but up 70 last nisnt he mad mol fulfilled o
single promise. meanwhile lnany or the Arms
locked out OF business ina tnor credit Destroyed
anu their business prospscts rllned, ana are yet
nj no a mi AIN annttn
trary proceedings taKsn against them. They CON-
PLAIN that they nave Desn adJudged guilty, and de
prived 0f every means ei maintaining tneir inno-
eenco by the removal 81 their papsrS Dy an olllcsr
VINO has, IN violation u the laws ~ u alleged, ap-
pointed himself acoussr Judge, Jury snl execuuonor
~ one and the sano time. here seems 10 be no
way at prssont to mako enc Revenue conform to
tine ordinary rules OF equity criminal Jurspru-
| dsnce, whcn always considers accused partcs u-
nocsnt until they are provoa guilty.
In Lhe thirty district tnsJ say that parties
are Always suitT anIii tney arc proven innocent.
| moved TO the ONCE oil tho accuser. There Ii tho
greatest excitement ana lndgnalion not only among
tnoss partics nuectsd by Conectvr Bateys acts bus
| by other business Insn, VINO know what DAY
they and thsir properly nay be IN the nands Of the
The sufferers Ia thus rAsS nave determined 10 nave
this question settled once for ali, and ths courts viii
Be applied 70 TO dslne, Il possibie. whether mer
cnanN have AMI rights which revenu, iectors are
| bonnd 10 respect IL II cvnadcnuy asserted that Mr.
Bailey Will discover that he has made one RAID too
| many, and tnat hareaitor It VIII 10 necessary az
least to make charges OIL sogt baiore the pro-
p0rty OF taxpayers " selxed Aad cArtsd away 1t IL
| well known That ths drum now in lroaDs nave been
heavy 4nl regular honest pafers OF all taxes aid
aUen tasm by the law. ana 1t rs considered strange
tina. they should bs Ssbisasd TO the word -
It's well 10 add that IL s understood that CoIlec-
tor Bailey has not rsssvsa tns aavics concur.
renee OF Assessor CieYeiaAd IL hssc r2nsactiOns.
| The courts viii at an cary day settle tae contest
and tue rights ana dsties oi ofaciAs aud business
men wili do9otLess bs ciesrly deansd. Meanwhile
| revenue laws