The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-05-19
/ GIGANTIC WHISKY Ring.
DISTILLERS, RECTIFIERS,
DEALERS, AND REVENUE
OFFICERS IN IT.
A DESCENT MADE AND THIRTY DIS
TILEuIEs AND RECTTFYING ErsAB-
IlsnNENTs SEIZED IN IVES
TERN CITIES.

4AlE4sALE AM
IIsnNENrs SEIZED IN IVES
TERN CITIES.
WASHINGTON, May l0.-0ficers Of
the Government to-day made 0e-
scents upon the dishonest and cheat
ing distillers and whisky dealers in
ST. Louis, Milwaukee. Chicago,
Evansville, and in several other cities
in the West and South. No very
specific reports Of the success of the
operations, except in ST. Louis, have
been received tonight, but in that
city alone seizures Of property TO
the value of 500, 900 have been
made. The distilleries which 1t IS
believed have been seized are six
teen in number; FIVE st st. Louis, n
at Evansville, lad, four at Chicago,
and six at Milwaukee. The prinel-
pal rectifying houses in these cities
have also been visited, and the seiz-
ures Of distilleries and rectifying es-
Establishments have been at least thir-
ty. The Investigations have been
proceeding quietly but vigorously,
through the Office Of the Solicitor Of
the Treasury, till within the last ten
DAYS, since when the officers Of the
Internal Revenue Bureau have been
cooperating in the work. 1t was
rot till a few days since that the
alarm was given to the Whisky King,
and the information from St. Louis
shows that, after all, they were not
expecting the method Of proceeding
adopted, though they were antici-
patin2 trouble. The ring has had
efficient spies, and those who have
been in confidential relations with
high officers, as the following incl
dent. which also illustrates the mag
nitude of the fraudulent combina-
lions. will show. 1t was decided
last Friday, very secretly, by Secre-
tary Bristow, in connection with on
" a few of the officers necessary for
the duty, and with the knowledge Of
the Cabinet, that the seizures should
be made to-day. Saturday the ST
Louis distillers were informed from
Washington that the lightning would
strike on Monday. They were not,
however, able to avert the force Of
the stroke. Supervisor Howley was
sent from New York to St Louis to
attend the seizures there, Supervisor
Tuition went from Philadelphia to
Chicago, and Hedrick, Of Iowa, to
Milwaukee. 1t may be said that the
evidence thus far obtained does not
show that these Supervisors or Col
~leetors of the districts were in col
fusion with the Ring, but they can-
not escape readily the charge Of at
least gross ineiiciency. The seiz-
ures have, as will be seen, been the
most extensive and important Of the
kind ever made in this country.
Complaints Of respectable firms en-
gagged in the liquor traffic, that con-
traband spirits were upon the markets
in such quantities as to interfere with
legitimate trade, were brought to the
attention of Secretary Bristow early
in the Winter. He gave the sub
ject careful consideration, and con-
ferred with Commissioner Douglas,
who was confident that only very
small lots of distilled spirits could es-
cape the payment of taxes and such
alone as was manufactured in out of
the way places, aud struggled into
trade in an unusual manner. He re-
lied upon the perfection of the system
of collection which be had arranged,
and the integrity of the officers in
the service. He claimed, rightly,
that extensive evasions of he whisky
tax could not succeed without collu-
sion and corruption among internal
revenue officers, particularly among
gaugers aud storekeepers. He did
not believe his officers were corrupted
to such an extent as the complaints
would imply.
Secretary Brlstow did rot dismiss
the subject from his mind, and facts
continued to reach him which con-
frmed his belief that the whisky tax
was by nc means thoroughly collee-
ted. About the 22d of Feb uary, be
received information that movements
of special agents Of the Internal Rev
enue Bureau, and business transae-
tions of that Office were promptly
communicated to members of the sus-
pected Whisky Ring who were. con-
stantly informed of every Official ac-
ton which it was for their interest to
know. This condition Of affairs
seemed to the Secretary to demand
action on his part, and he determined
to employ new and unsupported
agencies to operate independently ofl
the Revenue Bureau, especially as it
had become well established that
agents of the bureau could make no
movement whatever without the
knowledge of parties in the Ring
The secret Service force of Solicitor
Wilson's Office was therefore brought
into the work.
On the 18th or goth of April TIE
Department received a telegram
stating that certain suspicious ship
ments had been made by Beyis 81
Frasers, from st. Louis to Savannah,
Charleston, and Wilmington. TheI
Chief Clerk Of the Solicitors Office
was thereupOn sen to those places
and was instructed to cause careful
examination TO be made Of the ship
ments in question, and particularly
to take records Of the serial num-
bers Of the warehouse and tax-paid
stamps. There were discovered by
this examination packages in Charles
ton and Savannah bearing the same
numbers, and the fact was establish
ed that Bevis & Frasers were dupli-
their goods. In the system Of
the whisky tax, it is impossible that
two packages of liquor upon which
the tax has been honestly paid should (
bear the same number, and the du- !
plication Of numbers was conclusive {
o..I.-oo - f-o,I IL