New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-11
A GIGANTIC RING EXPOSED.
SECRETARY BRISTOw DEALS THE WHISKY
RING A DEADLY BLOW.


SUCCESSFUL TERMINATION OF A NINE WEEKS CAM
PAIGN-ruE SECRETS OF THE GOVERNMENT KEPT
SO LONG AS TIE INTERNAL REvESCE BUREAU
WAS ~ The DARK-THE SECRETS FINALLY BE-
TRAYED-sprEs OF THE RIN0, IN HIGH PLACES
AFLOoD OF LIGHT THROWN UPON TIE REsIGNA-
TON or COMMISSIONER DOUGLAss-sEHURE OF
DrsrIGLERIEs IN ct. LOUIS, CHICAGO, AND NIL
w.UKrE DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE SECURED
AGAINST LARGE NUMBER OF DIsrrILERS.
InY TELEGRAPH To THE TRIBrsEI
WASHINGTON, May 10.-The best planned
and most skllfully executed campaign ever
made by the GovernmO against the Whisky
Ring eliminated to-day in the seizure OF more
than thirty of the largest distleries and recti-
fying houses in the West. The headquarters
of the Ring have been at st. LOuis, but its
notifications have extended TO Chicago and
Milwaukee, and thence all over the Fast, West
and South. The establishments seized to-day
are in the three cities named, but the unlm-
pcachable evidence that has been obtained by
the Secretary of the Treasury during his inves-
tigations at these three points will make it an
I
practiced elsewhere. With the downfall of
the great strongholds of the Ring, the capture
of the outposts is assured. The overthrow OF
this gigantic combination is the result OF nine
weeks of hard work performed by Secretary
Bristow through the Solicitor of the Treasury,
Major B!uford Wilson. No other officers OF
the Department, not even those in the Onice
of the Secretary himself, were inLrusted with
the secret. All knowledge OF the plans and
operations was kept with especial care from
everybody connected with the Internal Rev
enue Bureau, from Commissioner Douglass
down. This was made necessary by the dis
covery before any active or very important
steps were taken, that some one, supposed to
he in that Rureau, was in the habit of tele-
graphing Immediately to the agents OF
the Ring every official secret that could
be of the least value 20 it. No order, how
ever secret and confidential. could be issued to
any OF the officers or agents Of the Bureau;
no investigation or examination Of reports or
returns could be made, and no movement IN
any way affecting the Ring could be c0ntem-
plated in any Department of the Bureau, with
ont being Immediately reported to the men
who were engaged in defraudinS the Govern
mcnt, or to their agents. 1t therefore became
absolutely necessary, in order to prevent the
manufacturers of crooked" whisky, az the
illcity distilled article il called, from destroy
ing the evidence of their frauds almost before
de Secretary's investigation began. that the
work should be done, not only without the aid
of the Internal Revenue Bureau, but without
its knowledge.
During the last ten days, however, it became
necessary for the Solicitor and those whom lie
employed to obtain some papers and dOcu-
mentary information from Mr.. Douglass ) office,
and tho outlines Of the case were commune
Gated in the strictegt confidence to the Com
missioner and 10 few others in his Office
who it was thought could be trusted. Then
the wisdom of the plan of working up the
case independently of the Internal Revenue
Bureau was fully demonstrated, for almost in-
medatcy the secrets that had been success
fully kept by all those engaged in the work,
and by several journalists, for eight weeks,
began TO leak out. Stray paragraphs APP
pcaIed in the newspapers and frequent
dispatches were sent to the members
of the Ring, so that the most difficult
work which the Secretary and those who
have been assisting him have bad to perform
during the last week has been TO prevent such
premature publications as would seriously in
terfere with the success of the movement, if
not in measure defeat it. Fortunately all
the record evidence needed had been obtained
before any hint OF the matter was given to
the Internal Revenue Bureau or to the public.
Sufficient warning was, however, given through
the newspapers and by private dispatches to
enable the owners of many of the distllercs
which were to he seized TO put everything IN
order for visit from the Government officers.
They did not know that the most c0nclu-
sive evidence of their gross frauds had
already been secured in the written records,
which could not be Obliterated even by
the destruction 0f their books. The
events of to-day will throw food of light on
the unccrcm0nous removal of Commissioner
D0ugl.s, and will be q complete answer to
the very unjust criticisms OF the President and
Secretary of the Treasury, OF which 1t has
been the occasion. Alr. Douglass Is not be-
lieved to be in any way personally connected
with the fraudulent transactions which have
been to-day exposed, nor TO have had any
knowledge of them At the same time the
simple fact that Il ring of such gigantic dnnen-
Sims WIS able to establish itself, and 10 con-
tinue its operations for years without his
knowledge. was sufficient 60 shake confidence
in the efficiency of his administration, and the
discovery that this ring comprised among liz
members, or It's employees, not only trusted
officers Of the Bureau in different parts
of the country. but those holding responsible
positions in the Internal Revenue office here,
made his retention absolutely impossible. The
frauds could not have continued long had
the proper checks and guards been used, or
had there not been constant omission 10 APP
ply those which had been adopted to prevent