The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-01

that officer Relying with confidence your earnest CO.
about prompt ana encelt execution OF the laws OF
United states am very respectfully u. RR,srow
Solicitor eneral Acting Attorney General
Under this order proceedings were instituted at
Baltimore. October 7, 1871, ana
EIGHT INDICTMENTS FOUND
against dealers IN and producers OF Illicit whlskey,
and more are IN prospect.
In this city The work OF prosecution has COM
menced IN earnest. The Unied States District
Attorney, General DAVIS mas been instructed BY the
Secretary OF the Treasury and the Solicitor OF tine
Treasury to commence proceedings forthwith, and
up 10 this lime upwards OF
SEVEN HUNDRED CASES WERE FILED,
and are beng investigated by the Grand Jury. In
dictments against some or the most prominent gov
ernment officials and dealers nave already been
iounI, which. OF course, could not yet be made
public for reasons too OBVIOUS TO mention. When
all The facts, however, become known,
THERE WILL BE CONSIDERABLE FLUTrERING
among those mostly Interested, anu some OF the
Implicated delinquents would gladly take
pleasure tour abroad join the oelectable Collector
Joshua +. Bailey IN his rural retreat IN South
America, where no extraditlon treaty exists
with the United States.
BEFORE GOING INTO DETAILS,
and naming cases and persons about TO be summary
0tt with, 1t will not he an!ss give little secret
history low matters were managed ny revenue
officials IN this city Under the law Of June 80, 1864.
eattec AN act 20 provide internal revenue to sup
por. fae governmonL 70 pay interest on the pubic
the Treasury was empowered TO appoin
REVENUE AGENTS
FOR ne United States One OF these officials was
located In thus ny, to wnom numDer OF revenue
mspec org haa - report The duties OF these reve-
@ were to q, ara 70 tine ,na detection
nue ana iu .he enforcement oil the collection
aereo, S. The first agent IN this city was Mr..
AexanQef = Lewis, who was succeeded early In
so7, 10y General William :. Hlyer, VINO held office
min the she was abolished by act Of Congress In
1863. Durlng the reign OF the revenue agents
THE wHIsKEY RING
wss by no means extensive, although great many
lroud3 we're perpeuated upon The government.
Rollins Commissioner OF Internal Revenue, finding
now mG tiers stood In New YORK. when was certainly
and TOBACCO, resolved to send one OF the deputy
eymnissioners here to look alter the interests of
selected Tor this special service, anu ne located in
TIE FRAUDS AND POPULATIONS
became more apparent anu glazing every day, and
secretary McCuilucn was compelled by pubic
oplnlOn TO adopt 0tner course. On the Zlst OF
June, 1867. an order was issued from the Treasury
THE METROPOLITAN REVENUE BOARD.
with powers over territory COMPRISING the first
nine and Thirty sec0nd Collection districts OIL New
York, the Third, Four. n aud Fifth districts OF
New Jersey. the Revenue Board consisted Of
II. Ii. Van Dyke, Assistant United states
Treasurer, New YORK, Cnairmaa Isaac E. Ness
more, Deputy Commissioner, Secretary; samuel
Southern ps;r,c 81 Few 9os Nnaan ' Trae
United States District Attorney OF Brooklyn, N. Y. !;
q A. Keasoey. United states District Attorney. New
Jersey. me composition OF TINS Commission ex-
listed until OCTOBER 4, 1851 and this period was the
heyday Uf the Wniskcy Ring.
IEsSMO2E WAS REMOVED
on this date. anu George farncii, another Deputy
Commissioner, sent rom Washington 10 replace
Inn. parneli was Wish The iIoard ION OCTOBER To-
1857 DeCemDer IL. 1867. His w "A
not noted for any briancy either, and ne was
Withdrawn 10 make room Tor Thomas Harland the
deputy commissioner VINO TOOK Ills scat In the
Board December % 1867 February o3, 1863 was
The last session held Dy the metropolitan Revenue
Board, when the records were all transmitted to
Washington ana shortly af:er
THE COMMISSION CEASED TO EXIST.
With the establishment OF tue Metropotan revenue
Board came horde OF newly appointed revenue
inspectors, who. on salary Of "a q day and about
nnely-nve cents daily Tor expenses, could afford 10
i've In first class notels. drive their fast horses
sport the finest diamonds anu lewelry.
THE DiSTILLEas WERE MADE VICTIMS
as q matter Ol course. and whoever could not
'.beedn heavily was closed up and deparrea from
working. II any person nad influence sufficient
with some member OF Congress to ootalD a COM
mission AZ revenue inspector Tor thirty days
he would at once come New York.
make round OF the dlstierles enectually
scare them lnto paying nim n weekly allowance
SO that al the expiration OF his commission could
retire with q lew thousand dollars obtained without
the Ilyotten gains OF THESE ex.revenue orclals
melted away like dew before morning sun, and
the great majority or fhein are
POOR AND PESNILEsS.
Or the Metropolitan Revenue Board nearly AL the
members thereon are enjoying competency. Mr.
II. Ii. Van Dyke the first President, paid very little
attention to the duties apLerIaInlng that once.
and was content TO leave everything TO Colonel
Me5smore. The iast named gentleman ls somewhere
out III Michigan engaged as president OF raliroau
company.
MI 5. O. Courtney Is practising attorney in this
city, has large influence with the Apollo Hail
Democratic General Committee, aud lives In line
style IN West Tnlriy-onrtn street..
Mr. BENJAMIN +. Tracey IL still United States Dis
tricr Attorney Tor the Eastern District OF New YORK.
and Is said 70 be very wealthy. HIS residence on
IN that city. lie likewise enjoys large legal
pracnce.
MIR. {. A. Keasbcy Sun holds the Office OF United
States District Attorney .or New jersey; resides at
Newark.
Ex-Deputy commissioner George Parnell, another
MEMBER OF the Metropolitan Revenue Boaru. is
VITA secretary OF the Interior Columbus Dclno In
Thomas Harland, ex-Deputy Commissioner. and
with the BOARD at lis collapse remains III this
CITY, practising law IN partnership with DANIEL
Rollins, late Assistant District Attorney with Mr.
Courtney.
THE MAGNITUDE or The FRAUDS
committed by distiliers, recfliers ana dealers in
spirits against the government mas been followed
up with the utmost perseverance, ana assidulty by
an ex-Oficer OF the Internal Revenue, ana the re-
suit OF his Investigations shows the most complete
and ingenously devised plans OF operation ever de-
vlsed Tor the commission OF fraud. The invesIiga-
tor IS highly educated gentleman, a Soutnerner,
anu seems TO have been mnuea with the instincts OF
the bloodhound OF MS native country Tor he has
demonstrated the utmost persistcncy In his re-
search. Not only has this detective paid his re-
spects to the dlslllng interest, but ne likewise
hounds the ex-oficers, WAC are Id measure more
TO blame for the frauds at which they wInked and
connlved tnan the accused producers and dealers.
In order TO give
MORE ACCURATE IDEA
we reproduce his own story. He says:-Tne DOCKS
OF the Dlstillers ana Rectners Association OF the
city OF New York NOW In possession OF the govern
ment agent in this city, who Is prosecuting the
malelactor3I snow the names OF ali the members
comprising SAID association, winch appear In an
other column. The resolutions and orders made
ana approved at their meetings snow further the
OBJECT Of the organization 10 have been primarily
TO STOP ILLICIT DIsTILLISG
IN New York ana BROOKLYN AS well as prevent
WnlsKey being shipped from tae West TO New YORK
Guy, ana thus evade payment OF the government
TAX. IN ORDER TO do this detectives were empoyed
as l. also SHOWN by said books: and tnls system or
working would have been enLirely successful but for
the
UNLAWFUL INTERFERENCE OF GOVERNMENT OFF,
GALS
In New YORK city. Inc atnrekeeners inanenf Org