Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-07-28
THE WHISKY FRAUDS.

THE WHISKY FRAUDS.
A Little Daylight ON the st. Louis Whisky
Rings Infamous Exploits-The Tale a
ditfi-Together with the Aflirmations Of a
Live Man who Knows all About 1t.
ST.. LOUIS, July 15.-At late hour
this afternoon the United States grand
jury brought in the first fruits of their
investigation into the workings of the
whisky ring. They return twenty in
dictments, and will go on with their in
yestigation. Night before last, wea-
ried with their unusually long session,
and with the unpleasant task put into
their hands, the jurors adopted reso-
luton that they would close the investi-
CATION and return the results next day.
This was telegraphed to Secretary
Bristow, and he replied urging the jury
to stick and probe the whole thing to the
bottom, calling on the government for
any assistance required. The result is
very few as yet know who have been
indicted, but the fact that true bills
have been found, falls like bomb.
The accused parties have actually per-
suaded their friends and the st. Louis
public into the belief that the whole
thing would end in smoke; that it was
all put-up job, and that it would
never be heard from after the grand
jury had done with it. One-third of
these indictments are against Gen.
John Mcdonald and Col. John A.
Joyce, the ex-s supervisor of internal
revenue, and ex-revenue agent for this
district The other bills were against
the distillers and dismissed gaugers.
The latter are L. Killerman, J. E.
Howard, J. w. Bassett, A. M. Everist,
j. w. Kinnear, John Mead, and E. W.
Warne. None of the parties were I'M
der arrest when the returns were made,
and hence capiases were ordered for all
of them. These capiases were tonight
placed in the hands of United States
Marshal Newcomb, and the indicted
parties will be arrested and brought
before the court in the morning. Until
the arrests are made, all of the indicted
parties will not be known, but the above
information is furnished your cores
pondent from reliable sources. Shortly
before making the returns, the
jury had Joyce before them,
and asked him to explain certain
kilograms from Washington signed
"Sylphia, and other fictitious names.
He refused to tell who sent the dis
patches, and the jurors threatened to
commit him unless he did. He replied
that he could not be obliged to give
evidence which might criminate him
self under an Indictment which had
been found against him. The issue was
taken before Judge Treat, and he ruled
that Joyce must testify unless the
answer would tend directly to criminate
himself. Joyce then told the grand
jury that he had number of political
friends in Washington, and that these
kilograms we're to inform him of mu-
tual friend coming to st. Louis, whom
he must receive and entertain. Nc
Donald was also put on the stand and
shown some of the contraband tele-
grams to himself from Washington. He
testified that he had no knowledge ct
any such dispatches having come to
him, and left tie jury solemnly assuring
them that he was going over to see the
Western Union Superintendent, and
ask why in hell these messages had
never been delivered to him. So far,
VIM. Mckee, of the Globe-Demcorat,
and Constantine McGrew, the latter
collector, had not been indicted. Your
correspondent was told tonight that as
far as the latter was concerned. it was
probable that no criminal prosecution
would be undertaken, but that if any
thing was done McGrew would be sued
on his bond. With regard to Mckee,
it is said the trouble has not yet begun.
McGrew is expected back here to COM
plete his story, and there is another
witness, not yet produced, who is ex-
pected to give evidence of the most
damaging character. McGrew's story
complete will, it is said, show
that he was brought here in
1871 by Mckee, and tina
the ring was organized under the pre-
tense OF raising an election fund to car
ry the state for Grant. G. w. Ford,
now deceased, was collector then, and
was won over to the villainous scheme,
my informant states, by the representa-
ton that Mckee had the sanction of
President Grant Ito fthe plan. He
finally acquiesced, but only on the under
that the whole business should
stop Immediately after the election in
November, 1872. McGrew fixed Up the
thing with the distillers, UlricA be-
ing the last to come into the ring, and
the latter nearly broke up the whole
transaction by his ill-concealed aston
ishment at finding Ford mixed up in
the disreputable business. The latter
had been the local representative Of the
U. S. Express Company, and was con-
sidered to be a model of integrity.
Before the ring was fairly in
working order he tried to break up the
arrangement, but McGrew had borrow
ed SIS. 900, and put it into the Kern dis
tillery, and was going in to make for
tune. He threatened to blow the whole
thing, so that it could be made an cleo
ton document, if they backed out, and
the operation went on. Ulrici held out
to the last, and claims that he went on
finally when Mcdonald, Joyce, and the
others, had pushed him SO that it was
either the ring or bankruptcy, He says
they abused their official authority to
stop his distillery, made unnecessary