The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-05-12
THE WHISKEY RING.
Account of the Raid on Illicit
Stills.
THIRTY DIS TILLERIES CAP
TUREO.
Government Officers Implicated

NEW YORK, May, Washington cores
pondent say that the best planned and most
skillfully executed campaign ever made by the
government against the whiskey ring culmln-
ated in the seizure yesterday of some OF thirty
of the largest distileries and rectifying houses
in St. Louis, Chicago aud Milwaukee The
overthrow of this gigantic combination is the
result of nine weeks of work. performed by
Secretary Bristow through the Solicitor of the
Treasury, Major BlufOrd Wilson.
No other officers of the department, not even
those in the office of the Secretary himself,
we're entrusted with the secret. All knowledge
of the plans aud operations we've kept with es-
peea care from everybody eonnecte with the
Internal Revenue Bureau, from Commissioner
Douglass down This was made necessary by
the discovery, before any active or important
steps were taken, that some one supposed to be
in that bureau, was in the habit of telegraph
ing to the agents of the ring every ofhclal Sc
cret that could be of the least value During
the last ten days, however,it became necessary
tor the Solicitor and those whom he employed
to obtain some papers and documentary in
formation from Douglass's office. and the out
line of the case was communicated IN the
strctest confidence to the Commissioner and a
few others in his Office. The wisdom of the
plan of working up the case independently of
the Internal Revenue Bureau was fully demon
strated for almost Immediately secrets that had
been successfully kept by all those engaged in
the work, and by several journalists, for eight
weeks, began to leak out, so that most OF the
difficult work which the Secretary had to per-
form last week was to prevent such premature
publication as would seriously interfere with
the success of the movement, ii not IN meas
ure defeat it. Mr.. Douglass, however, as soon
as he was informed in regard to what had been
DONE entered into the investigation with the
greatest earnestness, furnished all the inform
alton which bis office contained, did his best to
prevent publicity and issued all needed orders
for the cooperation of his officers with those
employed by the Secretary.
On Friday night, when the seizure officers
started for their posts, the following telegraph
ic despatch was sent by some one in the secret
inlWashiugtop, to Mcdonald, Supervisor of In
ternal Revenue at st. Louis: Lightning will
strike Monday. Be prepared for ii" Inc
same evening the following was also sent over
the wires to member of the ring in the same
friends to leave the city, These dispatches
were too late, as no amount of preparation
could blot out the evidence secured by the Sec
rotary before the ring got all inkling OF what
he was doing The discovery IS now to be
made of the author of the dispatches, which
number of persons in the Treasury Department
and the White House who knew Friday that
move on the ring was to be made, is very
small.
Records in regard to the whskey business in
Cincinnati, Louisville, Peoria and Pekin have
business have thus far received the most care
full attention, and the showing made for distill-
ers and rectifers there, is in the main satistac-
tory. In addition to the seizures at st. Louis
aud Milwaukee, the following were made at
Co, G. G. Russell. R. Mezerean, Lake Shore
Distilling Co., VIM. Cooper, and the rectifying
houses of Roell Junker &; Co, Golden & East
man and Parker & Mason
The Tribunes correspondent says these events
will throw food of light on Douglass, and
be a complete answer to the very unjust crti-
cism of the President and Secretary of the
Treasury. of which it has been the occasion.
Douglass is not believed to be in any way per-
sonally connected with the fraudulent transac-
tions exposed. The fact that a ring of such
gigantic dimensions was able to establish itself,
and to continue its operations for years without
his knowledge. was sufficient to shake conf
dence 10 the efficiency of his administration,
and the discovery that this ring comprised
among its members or employees not only
trusted officers of the bureau in different parts
of the country, but those holding responsible
positions in the revenue bureau here, made his
retention absolutely impossible. A distiery
and rectifyng house at Evansville, Ind, owned
BY G. Brigham & Co, was also seized. The
value of property taken possession of yesterday
independent of the stocks of grain and high
wines on hand, is said to be at least 1000.
Commissioner Douglass of the Internal Reve-
nue. Bureau, to-day teegraphed to various SUI
peryisors experimenting the swork of Selling
illicit stills, to send the names of all revenue
officers employed at any of the establishments
seized in order that they may be dismissed and
reported TO the United States District Attorney
for prosecution in every case where there is
evidence of COLLISION.
1t is said at the Internal Revenue Office to-
day that there is not yet sufficient evidence be-
fore the Department upon which to base its
action concerning certain officials who must
have had some knowledge OF the fraudulent
transactions or else been grossly negligent in
permitting them to be carried on. Thus far no
removals other than those of the guagers and
store keepers heretofore mentioned have been
made.
Additional instructions were to day sent to
collectors at various points east and west where
the Department is satisfied that fraudulent
whiskeys have been shipped, to seize all such,
and kilograms have been received from several
places announcing seizures, the heaviest among
them being the establishment sof Bingham &
Co., at Evansville, Ind. Other seizures have
been ordered in Pennsylvania Illinois, CHINA
ii, Ohio and elsewhere, and the Secretary to.
day directed that legal steps be taken at all
points where fraud has been discovered, and
that arrests be made where Revidence is suffi-
Gent to Justify them. Officers have. already
scertained that great quantities of this
"crooked" whiskey have been distributed
throughout the country, especially into the
South, but the form II packages in which it