The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-05-13

touched every point of importance reach a
oy radius sweeping from New York aroubd
transactions proved the
COLLISION OF NEARLY ALL REVENUE or
| FICIALS,
and the deliberate perjury of many of them.
Under existing arrangements, about forty
per cent. of the amount of tax out of which
the government is defrauded goes to the
revenue officials of various grades, to officers
in the ring from other branches of the
service, and to the outside msn of each
This part OF the spoils has reached. as near
as those engaged for several years in irving
! to get at secrets of the ring can estimate
about 100000 annually, and with what the
distillers themselves pay extra to minor
officials and their own employees,
than 100000 annually. The dstillers
were TO retain 60 per cent, but out of
that they were to pay storekeepers and
guageTs, aud their own bOokkeepers and
porteTs. 50 near as has been asceItained.
store6eepsrs and guagers receive from $I00
TO SI0O extra per month, and bookkeepers
and porters from $75 to 500 extra. The
stealing is estimated by those who have
given the matter longest examination AZ
about 81 100000 per annum. The ring first
became strong in 1871. Some politicians led
certain officers into it on the plea that it was
necessary TO raise an election fund This
was simply blind. and when the officers
were once captured in this way it was easy
TO hold on to them. In 1872 the ring was be-
| coming formidable. Still, there were no
| regular payments.
THERE WAS MUCH BLACKMAIIIxG.
and considerable bribing. The next year it
was In all respects formidable, with the
same irregular modes of corruption. But
when finally exposed, as the reader has al
ready discovered, It was in all its elements
gigantic. 1t deemed itself impregnable. 1t
had its paid agents and spies in Washing
| ton, and actually in the departments. as the
premature information they so promptly
| received eonclusively shows. They used
officers of justice, and officers of the revenue
in st. Loois. They did not believe 1t posi-.
bic that any secretary would dare to Crap
| pie them, and so they have marched
boldly on to their destruction No such
move as is above detailed has ever before
been made upon the great whisky
reality, bsen the work OF sight weeks active
campaigning. Some time was occupied in
reconnoitering the enemy, but the active
operations have only extended over the
period named. While Secretary Bristow
directed and nerved the whole movement,
| il Is but just to the president to say that
from first to last the president, whom he
consulted, and TO whom he made known the
character of the work he had begun, gave
him full and HnhesitatiDg support. The
working oar fell to the lot Of Major BlufOrd
| Wilson, solicitor of the treasury to whom
the details were entrusted. 1t was deemed
best from the outset to work wholly inde-
pendently of the office of the commissioner
OF internal revenue, not because the COM
| missioner was distrusted, but because it was
certainly known that some one in his office,
and probably several, promptly
| ,.oNfAf4-SyC rr,p 1,x-EDN- e,ucpr-r
that affected the whisky ring to its chief
managers. When the work was done the
results were made known to the commits
aioner. In the same manner the orders and
official correspondence on the subject were
not allowed to pass through the usual chan.
nels in the secretary's Office. All was kept
personally by Solicitor Wilson. No work of
this magnitude or importance was ever DO
fore performed by any solicitor, and Major
Wilson deserves unssinted praise for his en-
| ergy, courage and skill. Special Revenue
Agent II. L. Yaryau, and Supervisor Z. b.
| Hunt alone, of the whole force at COM
mand for the work, were trusted with its
to show their standing with the secre-
tary. Their brilliant work in this matter
has not only justified his high opinion OF
them, but enhanced it. The course taken
by Mr.. Eishback is entitled to great praise.
IL Sul4ll doSTec CI cO0Td26 10
begin, and as the huge dimensions, the
power and the wealth Of the ring began to
appear, they were enough to make even q
bold man hesitate. But no backward step
was taken, and from the outset the campaign
was pushed vigorously. Mr.. Colony,s task
and plans speak for themselves. With
these seizures the real work has only be-
gun. The records, papers and evidence Sc
cured ara OF a character that will discover
the countless ramifications of the vast con-
spiracy and insure the punishment of the
guilty. Numerous prosecutions will be be-
gun at once The Chicago Times
REPORTS THE SEIZURES,
reviews the situation at that point: But
something had to be done. The. officials, in
their own respective fields, either could not
or would net act, so others were brought
into requisitlon. For the past-seven or eight
weeks secret agents have been hoverine
about the cities OF Chicago, Milwaukee, Lou
isviIle, st. Louis, and Evansville. The SUI
pervisor OF the Pennsylvania district, Mr.
Tuttep, ahd the supervisor of the Iowa dis
trict, Mr.. Hettrick, assisted by Chief Wash
burne and his force from the secret service
division at Washington, have been cogitat-
ing and probing and making up their plans
to bring about an expose of what
BristOw was certain. existed. Yesterday the
affair eliminated. But the probabilities
are that there have been miscal-
; culati0ns somewhere, alter all OF the evident
J desire to crush out an evil. In the early
light of yesterday the imported force lett
the Palmer House in close carriage, pro-
ceeded to the various distilleries and Iecti-
tying establishments OF the city, and seized
them upon arrival. The order in which
these p aces were bounced will appear as
the names follow: Rectiders and alcohol
! dealers, Parker II. Mason, Nos. 81 and 4C
Michigan avenue; Roella, Junker & Co., No
Il 26l Kinze street; Galsen & Eastman, No. p,
23 % and q East River street. Distillers-
Q Lake Shore distiliery, No. 60 Twent y-sev-
, enth street; G.. G.. Rsssen, Nos. 274,; 276 and
I. 27S Third avenae; Mesraus & Co., corner OF
! Clybourne and North avenues; Illinois
D.siilling Comrary;. Dickinson & Leach
1t is probably unfair. at this time,