The Republican journal., 1876-02-17
Whiskey Defrauders Imprisoned.

| Ai'S i@otioN liiO oOtlllttl ittS OilC iOlloW
ing account of the arrival at the Indiana
State Prison of the men recently convicted
Of completely in the whiskey frauds at In
dianapolis-
That was sad scene at the State Prison
in Jetfersonville, when the crooked whis-
key men sentenced by Judge Gresham
stepped inside the gloomy building and
the ponderous iron doors closed upon
them. They were men who had for long
years occupied high social positions and
were numbered as good and honest citi-
zens. In Evansville, Ind, where they
mostly resided, no class of men stood
higher, and their arrest. trial, conviction
and sentence have struck the people of
that section with CONSERVATION They at
first could not believe that such men as
McGriff, Muntord, Hill and others could
be guilty of the crimes charged and even
yet they scarcely believe it, and look
upon the whole transaction in the light of
a horrid dream. They find it hard to re-
alize that more than
A DOZEN OF THEIR PROMINENT CITIZENS
could be guilty of frauds upon the gov
ernment. But it is true, or at least so
hath said a jury of their peers, who swore
that they were unpre JUDGED and would
carefully and impartially weigh the evi-
dence adduced and give in their verdict
accordingly. That verdict was ''guiity,' -
and the penitentiary was the punishment
decreed by the court. In conformity
with the sentence passed, the crooked
victims were received at the prison as
stated. Their names and terms of sen
tence are as follows: James X. Hill, two
years and six months; Albert McGriff,
two years; William Muniord, two years !;
Geo, t. Simonson, Phillip G. Eberw;ne,
two years; Harrison Miller, two years;
John Z. Phillips, two years, and Hiram
b. Snyder, two years. The sentence read
for hard labor for the terms specified, for
violation Of the revenue laws. The prls-
oners were delivered to the custody Of
Warden Howard by Mr.. |. S. Bigelow,
deputy United States marshal for Indiana
IN THE HORRIBLE GLOOM.
The convicted men were taken into the
directors office of the prison. where they
were allowed to take leave of their
friends, several accompanying them from
indianapolis to the prison. A Courier
journal reporter was allowed to 90 into
! q
the prisoners This he could do the
trials at Indianapolis, and had a speaking
acquaintance with the prisoners. On en-
| tering the room the first man noticed by
the reporter was Albert Mct'ritf, the
gauger He was sitting on a smoking
lounge with his face buried in his hands,
the picture of grlet and despair. The re-
porter touched him lightly on the shoul-
der, when he started and raised his head.
His face looked careworn and haggard,
and his eyes We're sutfused with tears
He is an old man, the trosts of sixty win
ters having whitened his hair. He has
an open, frank and honest countenance,
and would be taken for gentleman
whenever and wherever met. "Alr. Nc
Gritf, I'm sorry to see you here; believ-
ed that you were more sinned against
than SHINING, and hoped you would pull
through" 1T was no use; my counsel
did everything they could for me. After
u pause. he continued: My GOD, to
think that | would ever come TO Il place
like this; it will kill me, my heart is
crushed now" He spoke in Il voice deep
with emotion, and was greatly agitated
Nords of cheer We're spoken to him by
the reporter, but they fell on the ears OF II
MISERABLE AND IIEART-BHOKEN OLD MAN.
''If it were not for my poor wife and
son | believe could stand it, but to think
of the disgrace brought upon them is more
than can bear. 1t will kill my wife. She
is sick now, and this will kill her, but
there IS one consolation: She knows l am
innocent of the charge. J. bingham lied
on me-cruelly and maliciouslv lied. He
never paid me a dollar in his life, and he
knows it we'll. Byron Bingham, his bro, i,
told me at the Grand Hotel, in lndianapo-
lis in the presence OF the United States
marshal, that he knew nothing against
me, and he did not believe l was in the
ring. | spoke of this atterward when
John Bingham found it out, and that is
why he swore that his brother Byron knew
nothing about the money he-,John Blng-
han-swore that he paid me. While |
was at home sick, they raised the stamps
and did the dumping on me, and swear
to you that ! am an innocent man." The
above was given to the reporter in a
broken voice, and the speaker would often
pause in it's narration He said that his
wife was 5S years old and that he had been
married 80 years Was warm in the praise
of his son, who had stood nobly by him
during his long trial McGriff was well
known and highly respected at Evansville,
being tor seven years the city clerk of that
place and leading member OF the Pres
byterian Church. His trial and conviction
have told heavily upon him, and those who
know him well state that he looked ten
years older yesterday than he did two
months ago. He is a man of high nervous
temperament and it was with the utmost
difficulty that he could keep up yesterday
He was almost entirely let down. With
all this he has the heart disease, and it is
the general opinion among his friends that
he will not long survive his Imprisonment
He is indeed to be pitied.
HE MADE UP HIS MIND TO STAND IT.
James X. Hill displayed more true grit
Yesterday than the other prisoners. He
seemed cheerful and said that he had made
up his mind to stand it, and that he could
stand us much as any other living man
Hill is pleasant, gentlemanly looking
person, with heavy black, glossy whlskers
When playtully told that it would be
hard on him to lose his fine whiskers, he
said: ''They won't cut off my whiskers,
will they?" and exhibited some emotion
When told that they would be cut, he said
that he was sorry, as he had always hid
den an ugly scar on his right check with
his whskers Hill has an extensive ac-
quaintance in Indiana and is well known
in this city. He was deputy revenue col
lector at Evansville. He re-asserted his
innocence yesterday lie is torty-three
wears old, and has wife and eight child
ren, but his friends will not allow them to
suffer.
PHILIP G. EBERwINE WAS SAD AND SILENT
having nothing to say to any one, but gaz-
ing vacantly upon those in the room. lie
is thirty-tive years old, his blue eyes and
dark hair, slightly tinged with gray. Mil
ler is but 81 years old He says that his
punishment is out of all proportion to his
offense. He said that he never would have
been in the ring only that all the officers
were in, and if he kept out he would have
them all to fight, and that to save his posi-
ton he went in. He is married man,
| Il: ali,