Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-12-10
THE WHISKY FRAUDS.
Close Of the LabOrs of the United States
Grand Jury at st. Louis - General
BabcOck Indicted.
Capias Issued for his Arrest in Chicago
A Disgrace to the Administrations
The Jury to the President.
The Cases on Trial at Indianapolis
General Yeach and his Man Hill
Defense by Fishback.

ST. LOUIS, November 9.-The United
States grand jury, which has been In
session since November ID, adjourned
to-day, after presenting thirteen new in
dictments to the court. Although it has
not been officially announced, there
seems to be no doubt whatever, but that
one of these indictments is against Gen.
eral Babcock, President Grants private
secretary, and that cdpiaS for his sr-
rest was sent to Chicago to night. OF
the ether indictments it is understood
that none of them is OF any sig0ifi canoe,
they being principally against persons
charged with counterfeiting, forgery, etc
AT this writing, half-past ten O'Clock, it
can he said upon good au'hority thai
no dispatch hiss been received by Gen.
eral Henderson reiisving him from fur
ther services in the pros ecution of whis.
Ky cases, as intimsted in Washington
dispatches tonight. Previous to the
| adjournment Of the grand jury to-day,
nineteen Jurors-all who were present 3
the time-snd residents of ali Parts OF
this district, and u number of them
Democrats, signed the following letter,
which was sent to its destination to.
night:
U. s. GRAND JURY Room,
ST. LOUIS, Decembe 8, 1875. !
To U. 8. Grant, President of the United States
Washington, d. c.:
The undersigned, late United States
grand jurors for thu eastern district of
Missouri, In discharge of their swora
duty have found it imperative upon
them to present to the United States
IF ut 0ai a 4nt he -
officials and other persons, as being
connected with a conspiracy t9
defraud the internal revenue of
the United States. As citizens o.
our common country, sincerely
desiring to uphold the hands Of the chief
executive Ia securing an honest collec.
ton of the public revenue, we cannot
refrain from thus testitying to our esti-
nation 81 the moral support which we
have leaned upon as impaired in your
notable instructions to the secretary of
the treasury: "Let no guilty man es-
cape" With this all good citizeLs can
contribute their share in aiding the gov
eminent and sustaining your admins
tratiOn in its endesvor to conduct
1t with purity and fidelity. We indiyidu-
ally aud collectively tender to you our
highest considerations of esteem and
confidence, and an assurance Of our ap.
probation OF the wisdom and patriotism
and independence displayed in directing
the me asures necessary for detecting and
correcting the gigantic frauds which
have 80 lately preyed upon the pubic
revenue.
AT INDIANAPOLIS.
INDIANAPOLIS, December 8. - TIE
trial OF James K. Hill, deputy revenue
collector Of the frat district, was COM
menced in the United States court to-
day before Judge Gresham. A motion
was made by defendants counsel to
quRsh the indictment on an alleged de-
feet In three separate counts of the writ
ten instrument. This was overru ell and
jury inpaneled. Deputy District
Prosecutor Holston then made a de.
tailed statement OF the process OF dis
filling spirits, and the general arrange
ments OF the distillery where these whis.
Ky Irregularities have been carried on 80
long and successfully.
The prosecutor then get forth history
Of the Indiana whisky conspiracy,
which, he observed was aa OutgroWth
Of the ct. Louis ring, and has been sue
cessfully organized since 1878. The de-
PENDANT has been in the employ Of the
government, in the capacity OF deputy
collector Of the first district, and the
charge against him is that Cf having
been conspirator with certain distilleis
who were drefrauding the government
out OF money. 1t will be shown in evi.
dence, he said, that the defendant was
party to tue whisky ring, and for his |
connection with and conniving at the |
proceedings of an organized clique he |
Fn0o;xyad hnnhrad Is
has given information in advaace of the |
approach Of government Officers 10 these
distillers, by which means everything |
was found in proper shape ON the arrival |
of these officials. Tue prosecution far |
ther proceeds to show that Oh one occa- |
sion Hill was sent by his superior off.
Ger General Veach) to look after some |
irTegularity at one OF the distilleries ill., |
cluded within the ring, but inst ad of |
making any inquiry, he merely went |
to the premises. After lettering alb lut a
while he returned to Evansville, with
the Information that everything was
correct. For this report he received one
hundred dollarP.
w, p. FishEaek, sttorney for Hill,
in stating the pause of his client
to the jury, expressed his sur
prise at the sweeping assertions the
counsel for the prosecution mad msde
relative 10 the character and integrity
OF Mr.. Hill, which, he maintained, IeS-
juTed parties Esd conspired to freak
down and destroy. Mr.. FIshbsck put
,s;:lAr2hle stress upon the fact that the
defendant was indicted solrly on the
statements CT parti $ v ho pleaded guilty
to defrsuding the government OF its just
dues, and in doing which they have viz
tually confessed themselves TO be per-
jurers. Men that can lie on Continually
foE three years will not be itate to wear
falsely IN this court il thereby they can
secure the conviction Of an innocent |
party. The te-tim0 ny Of these PER
jured pen nns will amount to nothing In |
a court OF justice unless their evidence is
corroborated by outside psrties The
counsel said that trey proposed |
putting the district pi1secuto- aud his |
deputy upon thu witness stanG .a les ify |
as to the earnest and determine efforts |
OF the defendant in worRicg up these |
whisky cs es, and placing before the
grand jury important Information upon |
which the guilty parties were indicted. |
Only two or three witnesses out of about /
forty for the prosecution we're examined |
before the eouIt adj JQrned
The Bingham brothers appeared In !
person 10 court this morning, and with