The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1875-05-22
WASHINGTON.
The "COntraband Fund" Swindic 10 be
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Of u Rev
c,,ue Onicer-Rumors In Regard 10
WhIskcy Seizures, Etc, Etc.

cnue Oflicer-RunOrs in Regard 10
wbIskcy Seizures, Etc., Etc.
WASHINGTON, May 2O.-The fact that
In 1862 Secretary Stanton issued an or
der assessing five dollars month on
government serving with the army,
such as Transfers, cooks, laUOrers, etc,
had been almost entirely forgotten till
recent occurrences revived IL. There
were probably one hundred thousand
such employees, and they were paid
from twenty to twenty-five dollars per
month. The money arising from this
assessment was denominated the "cOu-
traband fund.-" and was to be used for
the maintenance of the freedmen's
camps in various sections of the coun-
try. AS no record Is in existence,
showing the sums collected in this
way, the tai amount cannot be pre-
cisely arrived at, but from the
data available 1t is estimated
that it could not have been less than
fifteen millions of dollars. The order
close of the war, April, 1865. There
was no authority in law for the order.
IL was issued and enforced us a militia.
"
by the quartermaster, who paid OIL the
employees, and upon final settlement
they were not required to account for
the moneys so received by them, mas
much rs there was no law authorizing
them either to receive or to expend the
same. The order OF the secretary was
all they had to act upon. An effort
will be made ut the coming session of
In nm M
made to refund to wards of the nation
the amounts thus unlawfully withheld
from them.
The secretary of war has been APP
pealed to, but las replied that he will
not consider such claims, and has no
money to nay them il he should con-
clude to pass upon them til - ..--
The commissioner of internal reve-
nue. to-day appointed MIR. ii. II. Var
yam, of Indiana, To be chief of II divi-
sion of the internal revenue bureau,
which will have specially in charge
the detection of frauds. This work is
of the highest Importance. Mr.. Var
yam was quite prominent In the recent
exposure of the frauds of the whiskey
ring, and in long service rs special
agent, has won Il most enviable repu-
litlOl 'oI huclitS anu oiiitWuieo',i nav
ing had extraordinary success in the
difficult duties he had to perform. lie
will not have entire charge of the
force of special agents attached to the
bureau.
Supervisor Mum, of Illinois, arrived
here to-day to find if there were any
treasury. He was informed that thers
al. h,tt tnti
nations received from the secretary
Rumors have been afioat all day con-
corning another raid on the whiskey
ring, but internal revenue undtreasury
officers are very reticent concerning
their plans. 1t is not thought, howev-
er, that there will be any decided blow
struck, for distillers everywhere are on
the lookout, and have probably de-
streyed all the documentary evidence
against them they could reach, after
the warning of last week. The matter
has been turned over to Commissioner
Pratt, who will hereafter manage the
crusades himself, and arrange for all
future seizures. The secret service bu-
reau has also been relieved from fur
ther duty in this direction, which two
lactS SIGNIFY tnat tneTe VIII pe no iur-
ther general action, but simply the
usual process of investigation carried
on by the supervisors and revenue
agents. The late seizures have provid-
ell the department with all the work
of that sort they can well carry
on for some months, and have
developed evidences of fraud in
other establishments than those seized
which must be attendedto in due time.
A large number of houses in New
York, Philadelphia, Pittsburg, Balti-
more, Charleston and other Atlantic
cities are involved, and the new COM
missioner announces it as his iDten-
ton to make them an example. Sollc-
itor Wilson will turn over to the attor-
ney general all the business connected
with the ring prosecution. A new as
sistant attorney general will be APP
pointed i'm place of Mr.. Hill, resigned,
who will conduct the legal proceedings
In these cases Judge Pierrepont will
enter heartily and vigorously into the
work, and will see that the district at
in the west have ample assist
ince, so as to cope with the legal abii-
ty the ring will secure.