Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-05-13
THE C4NPAIGN AGAINST THE WIS
KEY RING.

fully executed campaign against the whiskey ring
at st. Louis is as follows: Early last winter the
Secretary of the Treasury became thoroughly con.
WINGED that the illicit whiskey traffic was rapidly
increasing, that the revenues of the government
were far less from this article than they should be,
and that the honest manufacturers and dealers
we're suffering from this condition Of affairs to an
extent that seriously threatened their business
Vigorous attempts were made through the regular
machinery of the internal revenue office to correct
these abuses, and both the commissioners, the
Secretary and the President came to the conclu-
sion that the supervisors and other subaltern ofi-
GERS in several sections Of the country must be in
collision with the dealers in "crookcd" whiskey,
as the illicit article is called. This conviction led
to the order transferring all supervisors and spec
ial agents to new posts But those thus ordered
unex pectcdly from the field of their labors were
able to concentrate influence enough upon the
President to induce him to suspend his own or
der. The Secretary then began to examine the
whole field through some of the most trusted
agents of his own office, and while all investiga-
tons seemed to deepen the conviction that sever
al extensive and powerful rings were working in
collision with revenue officers and officials OF
other branches of the government, they seemed
securely entrenched, and the means Of successful
ly graphing with them appeared to be lacking, so
perfect and powerful were their combinations.
So matters continued until near the middle Of
February last, when Mr.. George w. Fishback,
proprietor of the St. Louis Democrat, sent letter
to q friend in Washington containing his views in
regard to the whiskey ring in that city, and ask
ing the gentleman to whom he sent it to say to
General Brste that if he would appoint man
who could be named a secret agent, and give
him such assistance as he required. he, Fishback,
would answer for the breaking up OF the ring in
ST. Louis. The Secretary authorized an immedi-
ate reply by telegraph, promising to appoint the
man whom Fishback would indicate, upon the re-
ceipt of his name by return despatch. So thor
ough was the espionage of the ring in st. Louis
believed to be, that it was not deemed safe to
kxvt D1A
in fact directly with the Treasury department at
all, and so the name was forwarded by mail. Even
these precautions were not sufficient to prevent
some inkling of what was intended from reaching
the ring, and man was despatched to Washing
ton to ascertain, if possible, what was going on;
and he actually reached this city, and had had in
terviews both with the commissioner and the Sec
rotary before the name OF the man finally selec-
ted for the work was communicated to the Secreta-
ry The man who came pretended to be desir0us
Of working against the ring, and to be in the con-
fidence of the very men who were promising the
Secretary help; and so plausible was he that he
was ON the point OF discovering the plan by which
it was proposed to move on the ring, when he was
exposed, thrown off the track and shrewdly dis
posed of, Just at the moment when he imagined
himself in possession of the very secrets which the
ring desired to obtain.
Mr. Fishback was then requested by the Secre-
tary to come here in person. The whole matter
was talked over and commission issued to MIR.
and commercial editor of the Democrat. as special
agent of the Treasury, and he was authorized to
employ such clerical and detective force as was
necessary to perform the work agreed upon The
utmost secrecy was observed in issuing Mr. Colo
ny 8 commission and instructions. The whole case
in the department was placed in the hands of Ma
jor Buford Wilson, solicitor of the Treasury. 1t
had been ascertained beyond doubt that all the
ders and movements of the internal revenue bu
reau and Of the Treasury department were in
md ly fala pha1t tn nf
the whiskcy ring, and that even the contents of
cypher dispatches in regard to important opera
tons, and in short, everything which it could in
terest the whiskey ring to know, was at once COM
municated, and of course by those holding the
most confidential relations in the department. A
new cypher, unknown in Washington, was there
fore agreed upon, and it was arranged for certain
security that all these should be addressed to
gentleman in Washington having no connection
with the departments. The official correspon-
dence upon the subject and the dispatches were
not entered upon the files of the office. In the
department, only the Secretary, the solicitor and
one confidential writer knew anything of the az
fair. Outside but two special revenue agents
knew the full extent and meaning Of the move
ment Mr. Colonys commission and instructions
reached him in st. Louis on the 9TH Of March, and
on the following day, after full consultation with
Mr.. Fishback, their preliminary plans were per-
fected and work was begun.
There are in St. Louis six disilleries and TWEEN
ty rectifying establishments. The distilleries
known by the following names and firms The
Aurora, Tcucher's, Brady's Bingham Brothers,
Ulrici and Bevis & Frazer The first step was to
procure watchmen to note every movement of
grain and whskey at those di.tlleries, and Yes
pecially to keep close eye upon them at night
1t was a difficult thing to find men who could be
trusted, the ring and even all its workmen being
exceedingly wstchful, and accustomed either to
buy up or drive off all set to note their proceed
ings. But as fast as two suitable men could be
for al n of ha sIy istil
ries. To lessen the chances of their being discov
cred as watchers they were kept but one day at
the same post and the all were changed to
other disteries. Full reports of all transactions
were rendered daily. 1t was at once discovered
that all of the dislleries, except one which was
being enlarged so as to give it greater capacity
for fraud, were running ut their full capacity,
though maLy tubs in each were locked up; that
they all continued through the night; that they
worked late Saturday night and began early Sun
day night, thus cutting of both ends Of the Sab
BATH and that all both received grain and hipped
whiskey after dark, in fragrant violation Of law
and as is readily seen, requiring collision at ev-
cry step on the part of the revenue officers and
employees of the various establishments. The
watchers were to note the number of loads Of
grain brought in, and to obtain in each case the
number of the bulk grain wagons bringing it,
This number must by law be either upon the box
Of the wagon Or the harness. This taking the
numbers of wagons by strange parties first led to
the discovery Of the distillers that they were
watched The drivers of the grain wagons being
one day at one distillery and the next at another
finally met in their rounds the men who had been
changed from other posts, and began to report
that the men watching were those they had seen
at other distilleries the day before. At first the
attempt was made to throw them OFF the track by
removing the numbers from the wagons and put
ting them on the traces, and scattering them over
with mud. But the watchmen persisted, and while
load was being removed hunted the box and har-
ness over till the number was found. Finally to
ascertain to what extent these wagons were
watched, the owner of most of them, one VIOLIN
ger, sent the same driver to drive one load to each
distilery and note the men watching. In this way
the whole force of watchmen were recognzcdland
identified. Then began series Of assaults upon
them, and several were beaten severely in open
day, and many more at night. Some were so bad
" Injured as to be laid up Then strong men with
a capacity for fighting were put in their places,
and some of these finally commanded immunity
from attack. The city police gave them no pro-
lection, and at first acted as if they had orders
from the chief Of police to allow them to be
beaten, and to make them "move on at night as
Migrants OF this completely of the officers Of po-
lice there is considerable evidence. Through the
watchmen, the great frequency of shipment after
night and under various suspicious circumstances,