Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-07-14
More About the Crook ed whisky Men.

w. Fishback, formerly editor and proprietor
of the st. Louis Democrat. The first visitor
make his headquarters at No. 1Oll X street,
aud the second named at one of our hotels.
THE OBJECT OF FIsHBACK's VISIT.
While seeking that repose which the pine
lands of Michigan invites, Mr.. Fishback
read in the Washington teleg,ams of the
Chicago Tribune an account of his alleged
| connection with the whisky frauds, (stolen
as usual, as with other fresh news from THE
| STAR. without credit) Whether the reading
| carried conviction to his heart, is a problem
| which his conscience can solve; but IL GER
| tainly did aroI Sc his wrath He dropped for
| the nonce the fishing rod and tackle, let the
bass go to the dogs, and came in hot haste to
| the city TO vindicate himself. His first i'm
Tulse was to demand an explanation from
this correspondent of the Chica 20 Tribune, nut
upon being assured by his friends that it was
| a reproduction of STAR matter he dropped
all efforts in that direction.
| THE MKEE HoUsER-FISHBACK con-
TRACT.
Mr.. Fishback states that the publication
concerning his reported completely with the
| ring is incorrect. In one par ticular it is and
| it is as TO the manner the covenant was given
| Fishback returned to St Louis he called on
Mckee and HOuser of the Globe, and the
| negotiations (as heretofore printed in THE
starr were inaugurated for the sale of the
| Democrat. The first movement was to draw
up a compact binding one with The other,
| that neither of the parties to the transaction
should at any time divulge the reasons for
| the sale or any conversations incident to IL.
| 1t was further agreed that Col. Bowman, of
| st. Louis, should be present at all confer
ences, and I'm cases of dispute act as referee,
and in addition was to be the custodian of
| all the papers affecting the sale as well the
| written compact.
| BOWMAN LEFT OUT IN THE COLD.
| Matters progressed satisfactorily up to q
| given point, and Bowman participated in
| the negotiations for the sale of the Democrat.
| Just as he thought " things were deal to
| rights he was ignored in further confer
| ences, and the sale was conSummated with
| out his knowledge. When it was announced
p1i rial in of fba hot oIv
| & HOuser had bought, he called on both that
| firm and Mr. Fishback for settlement. His
| demand was for legal fees, which he claimed
| was earned by him while acting as referee
| This payment was resisted, because the con-
| tracing parties to the sale avOwed that il
| had ultimately been brought about without
| his assistance and ne had no real claim All
| efforts for settlement failed, and finally
| Mr.. Bowman, believing that the sale had
| been precipitatcd by the movement against
| the whisky ring had his suspicious aroused
| that both Mckee and HouSer and Fishback
| employed the mOner of the whisky men to
| bring about the consolidation of the pap nrs.
| Accordingly he had an interview with Mr.
| WalcOtt, editor of the 81 Louis journal. He
| related to him his suspicious. but the editor
| was 10th to believe that his co-woTkerS in
| the journalistic field had been corrupted. To
| confirm the doubt of the editor he placed in
| his hands for such use as he deemed proper
| the written compact Mr.. WalcOtt, as hereto
| fore related in THE STAR, brought the copy
| to washington, and on the third or fourth OF
July showed il to Secretary Bristow Ity
| read by others in the city.
| MR. FISHBACK'S STATEMENT.
Mr.. Ffsbacks friends do not deny that
there was and is still in existence written
4 compact between himself and Mckee and
| HOuser. They, however, assert that the
| negotiations between them were of long
| standing, and ante-dated even the time
| that Secretary BristOw became suspicious
1 OF heavy frauds In whisky in the west. I'm
| fortunately in this respect, however, the
| date of the contract does not quite bear this
out. 1t is dated April 18th of the present
| year just short time prior to the whisky
| eiZures.
| WHAT MEGRUE SAYS.
| Con Megrue, as heretofore stated, arrived
| here last night He makes an interesting
| statement in regard to the operations of the
| rfL & in the west while he was connected with
| il. He says that he testified before the grand
| jury in st. Louis that the whisky ring was
| established in the year 1Sl |, the chief organ
| iZers being Supervisor Mcdonald and John
| A. Joyce. his chief clerk; that nearly every
| prominent whisky house in st. Louis was
| connected with it. He was chosen as pay
| master, and through him the moneys were
| dfsburSed. Joyce reported that he had eff
| fected an arrangement with his friend, Chief
Clerk Avery, to keep him advised as to af
| fairs in the iRternal revenue bureau, and
| particularly the movements of its agents.
| For this service Avery was to be paid one
hundred dollars per week, and accordingly,
| says Megrue, he handed over to joyce one
| hundred dollars each week. from September,
| 1871, to November, 1872, with the exception
OF about hfteer weeks, when he paid over
| three hundred dollars each week, Joyce re-
| Orttng that Avery was dissatisfied with the
| sum heretofore paid him.
MEGRUE's CONNECTION WITH THE RING
| DISSOLVED.
| In November. 1872, Megrue says his con-
| nection with the ring ceased. and he was no
| longer its paymaSter. During these fourteen
| months there passed through his hands about
| two hundred and eighty thousand dollars, OF
/ which between thirty-fve and forty thousand
| dollars was paid to both Mcdonald and
| Joyce Two fifths of the whole amount was
| paid to man since deceased, for equal dis
tribntion between Collectors Ford and
| lars was paid to B. p. Brasher, revenue
| agent, and various sums amounting to
many thousands OF dollars, to subordinate
| officials.
| MEGRUE SoURS on THE RING.
Owing to bad treatment on the part of
members OF the ring Megrue says he deter
| mined many months ago to break IL up and
| accordingly took steps TO accomplish the
| work. He came to Washington and through
other pa tiles set an investigation on foot,
| which rU-ulted, as he asserts, in the over
| throw of the combination. He says that he
had interviews with Solicitor Wilson, and
that the latter proposed 10 employ him,
| reason that his only motive was to get even.
| He had several interviews with Elmer
| Washburne, chief of the secret service diyi-
sion. which resulted in his (Megrue's) going
To Cincinnati Chicago and st. Louis, to OBJ
| tain Important evidence for the Treasury
| Department to aid in convicting the mem
| bers of the ring in st. Louis, with the under
| standing that his travelling expenses and
hotel bills should be paid by the department..
1 III Iills SENSE Claims he was employed
| by the department. Megrue further claims
| that his evidence against Avery before the
| grand jury in st. Louis was similar to that
| of four other witnesses, one OF whom was
| Deputy Collector Concannores.
THE National Bank notes received at the
| Treasury to-day for redemption aggregated
| 1858, 400
| MOVEMENTS OF u. s. NAVAL VESSELS
! The Ossipee arrived at Key West on the eth
| inst. from Aspinwall; all well on board. The
| Tennessee, bearing the flag of Rear Ad miral
| Reynolds, arrived at Gibraltar on the 18th
inst, seventeen days from Sandy Hook; all
| well on board.
FIvE-TwENTIES CALLED IN.-Secretary
Bristow this afternoon issued the twenty
second call for the redemption of five-twenty
| United States bonds. The amount called in
| is ten million dollars in coupon bonds dis
| tributed as follows: S5O-No. q ,7Ol to No.
| % 500, both inclusive; S100-No. 81 sol to No.
| $4,000, both inclusive; S5OO-No 3i,OO1 to No.
| $500, both inclusive; e1,OOO-No 81, sol to
No. los, 600, both inclusive.
IT WOULDN'T PAY.-For some time past
the Postmaster General has been urged to
increase the mail service between New Or