The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-11-11
SPIRIT MATERIALIzAT1oN.
Getting at the True Inwardness OF
the Whisky Ring. lal.l ri
sUpERyIsoR HUNTS MISSION.

A REMINIsCENCE OF HIS SERVICE IN THE
SOUTH WHAT HE ACCOMPLISHED IN NEW
ORLEANS BEFORE BIS ARRIVAL IN INDIAN
APoLIs TO TAKE CHARGE OF THE DEPART
ArENT OF OHIO AND INDIANA-REFUsING "A
BRIBE.
In view of the alarming fact developing
daily, that the general government Is being
robbed of millions of dollars annually
which should go into the treasury, from the
internal revenue department, and knowl-
edge that men in high places are daily be-
ing detected in defrauding the government,
many facts in relation to the whisky rings are
important and interesting. Not only have
sweeping arrests been made in st. Louis
sation in the trial OF the Bingham
Brothers, distillers of Evansville, which
is now progressing in the United States
Court in this city. To learn "whst he
knew" a Sentinel reporter yesterday
called upon Col. p. 61rgess Hunt, the newly
appointed supervisor oi internal revenue
for the district of Indiana and Ohio, and
had a very pleasant and profitable inter-
view. Col. Hunt defined his duties in few
words, which were, as his title indicates, a
supervisor of revenue officers, and, as he
puts it, "to have common sense, be honest
and see that other people in the employ
ment of the government are honest"
COL. HUNT CERTAINLY COMES WE'LL RECON-
MENDED
to perform the duties OF his Office, and
ssBig Bonanza of startling news of the arrest
of prominent members of the whisky ring
in his district may not come unexpected any
day. Col. Hunts district is the most inn
portant in the United States, as Indiana and
Ohio return to the government one-fifth Of
the entire internal revenue of the country,
or. in plain figures, tor the last fiscal year
the two states mentioned turned over to the
government Sc, ,000, 900 out of the Sl17 00O, 900
secured from the entire country. 1t may
not be generally known, but 1t Is fact
nevertheless, that Col. Hunt was the means
OF toppling the first brick in the long row
which has since tumbled and brought down
90 many houses in the whisky ring. From
Col. Hunt personally, stranger, and espe-
cislly reporter, could get no information
which might seem to indicate in the slight
est degree anything extraordinary on
his part, or anything more than the sim
pie performance of sworn duty, and when
we state that the information given to the
public was not obtained from Col. Hunt,
and is not published with his knowledge,
simple justice is done him. But to let gen.
tleman who has
sPURNED BRIBE OF FOURTEEN THOUSAND
a month come to indianapolis to reside, and
a areporter knowing all about the facts and
failing to make them public would be an
impossibility, so here goes for what the re-
porter knew OF Col. Hunts transactions.
Long before he came here, before he was or
dered here. Col. Hunt was supervisor of a
district comprising the states of Kentucky,
Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, and Lou
isiana. Col. HUnt went to Mississippi soon
after his appointments to supervise the con-
solidation of the three Mississippi collection
districts into two. He reached Jackson,
Mississippi, at IL O'Clock on the night of the
18th of February, 1875 but finding that Mr..
Lott, of the internal revenue Office,
the gentleman whom he wanted to see, who
was engaged in the work of consolidation,
was at Holly Springs, he left Jackson for
that place on the 4 A. NJ. train on the morn
ingot March 1, arriving at Holly Springs
in the afternoon of the same day. Having
completed his business on the night OF the
1st, he gave instructions to the hotel-keeper
to have him called at A. NJ. to take the
train for Jackson. The hotel keeper came
to call bim at the appointed time, and said:
There Is gentleman who has just reached
here on the train who wishes to see you be-
fore you start" After dressing himself he
went to the office and asked for the gentle
man who desired to see him. The hotel
keeper replied: "The gentleman has de-
cided to see you on the train" While pur-
looking person approached him and asked
him If bis name was Hunt He replied in
the Affirmative. The stranger then said:
"MY NAME Is WATSON, FROM LOUISVILLE.
1 came all the way down here to see you"
While on the train the pseudo Watson said,
'T told you just now my name was Watson
and that was from Louisville. I didn't
care to tell you who was while others were
standing around, but am distiller from
New Orleans, and I came up to see you,
learning you were here" Colonel Hunts
curiosity was excited as to how he
got his information, and ne asked
him how he knew, and he replied |:
az telegraphed friend in Washington and
he informed me-" As Colonel Hunts visit
had been kept very quiet, not even his
friends and family at home knowing where
he had gone or his objects, this prompt
knowledge on the part of a New Orleans
distiller naturally surprised him. The dis
tiller then commenced a conversation about
the whisky business, saying there was a
great deal of money in it. snd that parties
vll over the country were making money
out OF IL, and speaking Of frauds at various
points, impressing Col. Hunt that he was
thoroughly acquainted with the operations
of the whisky ring. He spoke OF some off,
toned many of the individuals at st. Louis
and Chicago who have since been arrested.
The conversation then turned upon general
topics, and sfterwsrd
COL. HUNT LEFT THE sMoKING-CAR,
where they had been, and wen. into the
next car, leaving "wstson" in the smoking
car. After finishing breakfast, at the sta
ton where the train stopped for that pur-
pose, the distiller again approached
him, and they went together into
ha sat IN
smoke together, when he again began 10
talk whisky. He began by saying that he
wanted to tell Colonel Hunt frankly how
they did business there. and Hunts cue was
TO get az much out OF him as be could,
Among other things he said: Ny house paid
your predecessor ST. 600 month, aud the
other houses In New Orleans paid In the
same proportion, making his income from