The New York herald., 1875-12-30
The WHISKEY WRONGS.
A Thunderbolt Fails Among the
Chicago Distillers.
SEVEN LARGE EMBELLISHMENTS SEIZED.
The Government Shows Keen Watch
lulnesS and Activity.
yuper,iSOr Mathews and Collector Webster
Drfct the Onslaught.
THE CuLPRlTS COMPLETELY SURPRISED.


sity These houses far larger than those
previously seized ana the made this afternoon
marks 4 new epoch IN this great whskey conspiracy
IA was made purposely late in the day in order TO pre-
Tent the afternoon papers from getting hold Of it,
Colonel Mathews afraid the seizure might not be
completed before the disers would have opportunity
10 act upon the information and the whiskey
from their premises The houses seized the
following William Coopers On the North Side with
capacity 81 20 Bushels per day; Dickinson Abel 4
Co rectfying and distng establishment, on the
North Sidc, 800 bushels per day; Chicago Alcohol
Works on tie side disting and rcciifyng estab-
snment $50 bushels per day; South Branch Distlling
Company the South Side, 500 bushels per day. and
Keey K.rwins rectiiying house on the South Side.
sTE2uRE.
These houses have been suspected Of being IN the
"Rngn for The last six months and Colonel Mathews
has had them under the closest observation for two
months 4 thorough dipomatist Colonel Mathews kept
The matter profound secret, and the seizure as
surprs ng as 4 thunderbolt from clear sky. Colonel
Mathews left Milwaukee about three weeks ago pre-
pare this brilliant raid mapped with great
practical SKIN 50 that all the houses should be seized
at lie same tine and 50 that body should be able to
warn the crooked distlers ~ the fate impending
them So spendidly arranged that al the houses
we're 81 within Of each other at about
hali-past four O'clock.
TIE ORDERS.
Each revenue agent and deputy collector who
assigned make tie seizure previously provided
with the following ORDER
"SiR-ln accordance with instructions from the Su-
peryisor q ths district you VII please 70 proceed 70
violation d the revenue laws the dstiery OF
William Cooper (or other name) and appurtenances.
You are authorized call upon the storekeepers
duty the dttcry for any assistance you may need,
and Will eave them IN charge as custodians giving
them written orders By order o the collector 20 hat
effect, all the books and papers and safes ~
once The custodans Will be instructed 70 permit
nothing 70 be removed rom the premises The beer
In the NAV be on, being taken that the
product gees INTO The cstern VERY Te,spectglly
-. y. WEBSTER, Collector
General Webster himself had previously been forti-
fed With the following order from Colonel Mathews
"The developments or the last days prove 10 my
mind beyond question that the following houses-to
Wit Dickinson Leach Il Co. now Dickinson Abel &
Co the Chicago Alcohol Works. the South Branch Dis
iiiiery Company and the dislery Of William Cooper,
together with the reetiiyng houses connected With
rach Of SAID dlstlleries engaged in perpe-
irating frauds against the internal revenue laws during
the latter part Of 1874 and up to the 10th of
May 1875. by removing distilled spirits without the
payment Of and by the OF warehouse and tax
paid stamps Yeu therefore respectfully requested
all such houses and the arrest OF the
guilty parties connected Herewith, provided by the
statute such cases and report your action In the
premises the Commissioner Of Internal Revenue and
TO this Office Revenue Agents Brooks and Somer-
vile are IN this city and will assist IN the seizures IN
"A. G. MATHEWS, Supervisor"
CONFEDERATION or THE wHIsKEY MEN
-Four distlling and three rectfying houses were
seized The revenue agents who were assisted by the
local deputy collectors, instructed 70 descend
upon the Illicit stills at the hour, and this was
done The disters could scarcely believe their senses
when quietly informed BY them that their establishments
we're now seized, and that they must surrender all
heir papers &c. Or. Rush aud George Pahlman are
he owners or the Alcohol Work. and Harrison
Powell is the proprietor Of the South Branch,
being already mentioned in naming the firms
Revenue Agent Somervile seized Cooper's
Mr. Brooks took possession OF the alcohol works
Deputy Collector Springer the distlery Of Dickinson
Abel Co, Deputy Collector Loughln the south
branch distillery, and Deputy Collector Campbell
Keely Kirwns. After expressing their utter amaze
mcnt and terror the dstilers quickly surrendered
all their property their papers, &c, without
making the slightest resistance whatever The papers
OF most establishments elt IN their safes two
custodians remained each place for the night and
will be relieved this morning by others Revenue
Agent Somervile, finding safe at Coopers pru-
dent enough 70 orins az the papers 70 tue
Collectors Office Mr. Brooks finding that the
the alcohol works could be opened by comb.
nation lock which he did not understand sealed the
safe SO as TO not beng tampered WITH Super
visor Mathews and Collector Webster followed their
deputies and assistants IN carriage 70 see that they
GETTING rHs FACTS
Meanwhile however, the local reporters and your
CORRESPONDENT having by the unusual activity discern
able al the Custom House, got wind Of something
winch they deemed extraordinary going on had
Jumped into carriage and followed them. In
vain did the Supervisor and Collector endeayOr
eude them They followed them quickly and vii
messed the entire seizures, rather the which
ensned when the Collector and Supervisor arrived At
the respective places. large number Of cattle
found at the various disteries. At Coopor's $50
head; al Dicknsonis 500 bead; at the Chicago Alec.
hol Works 500 head, &c Colonel Mathews
Gays that the frauds committed by these
firms exactly Of the same character as
those exposed ST. Louis and Indianapolis
namely, the reuse Of tax paid stamps and the ship
ping and selling Of distilled spirits y hout payment of
taxes and instances the STAMPS we're returned
ana used az often as three times The frauds were
very extensive, beginning m the latter part Of
1872 and continuing rll May last and Colonel Mathews
thinks that IN these seven houses they VIII approx
mate $3.50 600 He says that while the It. Louis dis
nleres we're seized On mere suspicious, these are I
CLEAR ASp DOCUMENTARY PROOF
Some Of the former employees of these dsiilleres
roniessed 10 Colonel Mathews 20 the misdongs 70
wbch they had ont their aid aud copies of the BOOKS
obtained steaithiy, which, when compared with
Ihose Of the parties ~ whom the whiskey
shipped, rendered the fraud apparent BY
thowing that packages With The amps had
repeatedly shipped to different parties There
other witnesses who will swear positively 10 the per-
,etrauon Of these frauds About GO barrels of whs-
Key were seized at the same 'me oh these premises,
the books seized contain the ceures proofs Of the
sIst.lers' guilt The buildings and other property
teized are worth about 81. 600 900 Tie disters wl
THE SEw GRAND IUkY
has met and indicted them. About twenty gaugcrs
ind storekeepers also implicated, and they viii
also be indicted and arrested. some u the gdugers
and storekeepers at these disteres gave information
the authorities, but the majority are deeply nph
sated 10 the frauds Still additional seizures are eN
seCted ~ a day two. There are now
snIy two dlstaieries left In Chicago that
lie law has not get touched-the Illinois Dstillery
md shufet 60 's, botn very large ones. 81 course
hey also stand very good chance oi being seized
the SECURES far the public are concerned, are
tn profound secret, but tomorrow when they viii
o. publshed they will the greatest sensation.
The usual tor the condemnation oi the property
seized and for the recovery o the taxes u arrears VIII
e begun al once by the government The men whose
i.stlleries were seized very rich, and AS tho
"a zures were 100 sudden to allow them TO transfer
herr property, as the otners nave Zone
,ncials are greatly delighted with tins brilliant conp
ect and congratulaory dispatches have ALREADY been
Exchanged between Secretary Bristow anu COlonei
gstLews The whiskey 'Ring " are positively